Freedom - Chinese Style

[tkgert]

My wife was at War with GZ cab drivers when I first met her.

 

Within the first few days together, we were stalled on the freeway, and she was yelling at the cab driver-----(not speaking Cantonese, I had no idea...) As she told me later, she told the SOB NOT to take the freeway.

 

So she was yelling at him to get him to reduce his fare.... since his meter was still running while we were sitting there.. He was saying: "no way" !

 

So she turned to me and said sweetly: "honey, when I say so, get out of the cab quickly.... I said back---but honey----this is the freeway! To which she said: "NOW"!! ---and guess what---"Chinese Fire Drill" without getting back in the car~!

 

Naturally, the cabbie got out and was cursing us in Cantonese, while everyone stalled in traffic was honking their horns and yelling, and a truck driver were laughing and giving me a thumbs up sign (you picked a good one!) ---while we walked about 200 yards to an off ramp...

That is a good one,, I bet you didnt know what the hell was goin on,

[dnoblett]

Seriously, for all practical purposes, there is much more freedom in China than in the States. I can complain about the government here, but any attempt to put six people on a motorcycle and go to work would be met with a jail term.

Make that EIGHT!

 

http://i949.photobucket.com/albums/ad334/dnoblett/Misc%20Junk%20for%20posting/6a0105364cdc73970c01156f63045b970c-.jpg

Edited February 5, 2010 by dnoblett (see edit history)

[Sam and Fen]

A few years ago a Grand AM was pulled over in Florida.

 

Guess how may people came out of the car?

 

 

 

24 !!!!

 

If you thought that was weird wait till you hear what they were all wearing?

 

 

 

Nothing !!!!!!

[Stepbrow]

Came across this blog on the BBC website. It is about internet freedom in Xinjiang. Not as funny as talking about cab drivers. By the way has anyone not been driven extra miles in a GZ cab?

 

Here is the link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8492224.stm

[a2784]

This was from the article:

 

People doing business at an international or even national level have been severely inconvenienced. But most people have resigned themselves to this situation.

 

Now how is this much different from the changes made after 9/11 but the US govt. in the interest of "public safety"?

 

Now having said that .. I posted the original article because I find it interesting that although most people think the Chinese are submissive and live meekly accepting the govt. "heavy-handed" control of them they actually are not so submissive and are not afraid, sometimes, to take on "city hall".

 

In the USA I see more and more that as a people we shug our shoulders and say "you cant fight city hall" and just let things happen.

 

It was this contradiction that I was interested in discussing. I am sure other's views are very different from mine but I wanted to hear them.

[a2784]

Came across this blog on the BBC website. It is about internet freedom in Xinjiang. Not as funny as talking about cab drivers. By the way has anyone not been driven extra miles in a GZ cab?

Here is the link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8492224.stm

 

Actually no I have not but I have experienced it in other Chinese cities and in other countries including USA. However I have not spent much time in Guangzhou so I have not been able to experience all the "bad items" I hear about Guangzhou from Chinese and Western people.

 

Then again I have always heard nothing but horror crime stories about New Orleans from people yet I have been there more than 3 dozen times since 1996 and never experienced one bad episode.

[knloregon]

Great Alan ~ !

 

According to Fei, its routine for a cabbie to get on the freeway just at the time they know rush hour is starting-----and sit there as long as they can with the meter running. Its almost a no brainer if there is a white 'foreign devil' involved. After all, what local citizen would ever think to go through the hassle of bailing out of a cab (on the freeway) with a 'rich' westerner as a passenger?? Such lose of face over a cab fare!

 

The first thing she told me (in English) after we bailed out: "I told that SOB not to take the freeway ~!"