The Joys of Driving in China

Recently, the weather has been perfect in Shenyang. You've read my post on the back-and-forth nature of the weather here, so it's been a pleasure to enjoy some fresh air, clear blue skies, and mild temperatures. The other night on my way home from work, I rolled down the window and said, "Goodness! It's a great night for a drive!" So I drove around the corner to a nearby park and parked the car next to the lake to enjoy some tunes. Why didn't I actually drive around town, enjoying the nice air? Well, because driving in China is anything but relaxing.

A group of us with the Panda on the way to Dandong

Earlier this summer, I got my Chinese driver's license and agreed to share a vehicle with a colleague at the Consulate. He purchased a hand-me-down vehicle from a former Consulate employee, a cute 5-speed mini car affectionately known as the Panda. Actually, it's a imitation of the Fiat Panda, made by Geely, a Chinese car manufacturer. But to be honest, it actually does look like a panda because it's white with black accents.

I truly enjoy driving, especially a manual transmission vehicle. This winter, I look forward to going back to the US to drive my pickup around the rolling hills of Bucks County. In the meantime, I'll roll my windows down as I drive down Nanjing Jie and imagine I'm driving along the Delaware River instead of across the Hunhe. In China, the thrill of driving is less relaxing, but certainly exciting in a different kind of way. Mainly because you never know what to expect.

To start, let's talk about driving etiquette on the roads. There is none. Since many Chinese drivers are only recently licensed, they've logged very few hours behind the wheel. There is no mandatory driver's education and no road test to be licensed. From what I've heard about the written test, the questions are also kinda bogus and unrelated to the real conditions of driving. Another point to keep in mind: in Chinese traffic law, it's the vehicle that impacts the other car that is at fault. So it makes (some) sense when Chinese drivers merge into traffic and they don't look behind them to yield to other drivers. No looking---at all. Even if they were hit, the accident wouldn't be their fault.

When I drive on the roads here, what keeps me sane is 1) knowing that I'm probably more experienced than the majority of drivers on the road and 2) imagining I'm playing a car driving video game. The video game isn't one of those that you race for the best time around a track; it's one of those that you have to swerve and manoeuvre around obstacles and pedestrians that come out of nowhere. Because people do just walk out into the street out of nowhere. The other day a woman walked into the street on a red light (at least she was in a crosswalk) on her cell phone and texting. Six! lanes of traffic stopped for her. Incredible.

At least downtown, the roads are easily navigable with street signs and traffic lights. Shenyang has seen a good deal of construction as of late due to the summer Olympic Games in Liaoning. But the city has done its part to pave and beautify the streets throughout town. The connections to the highways exiting the city are a different story. Our trip to Wazigou back in April was delayed by 2 hours trying to find an on-ramp to the highway that is listed on the maps as being open. Unfortunately for us, the highway wasn't open at all, and so it took a massive detour to get us out of the city. Fortunately for us, we were among the best of friends and it was a grand adventure. Once you make it to the highway (if you ever get there), the high-speed roads are fantastic. Well built and empty, there is relatively no traffic on the highways connecting the major cities. Chinese don't really use the highways as a mode of transportation between major cities because trains and planes are cheaper than owning a car. This might change in the future, but for now it's relatively relaxing to drive on the highways in China (that relative is to the frustration of driving in the city).

I write this entry as I start to plan a weekend journey via Panda to Changbaishan. With just about 6 hours of driving on roads that aren't yet on maps, I hope to have another entry that continues the theme. Wish me luck!