China Pedestrians Beware!

[Guest ExChinaExpat]

Anyone who has ever visited China has no doubt had encounters with impatient Chinese drivers and pushy people rushing to be first. It's one of the darker sides of China, and the Chinese government likes to keep this part of their country out of the press. In fact, even the US State Department warns China visitors that "pedestrians should NEVER assume the right of way" and to watch carefully for drivers. Most drivers have less than five years behind the wheel of a car, and become openly arrogant when driving, assuming that anyone walking is in their way and must move immediately or risk being hit by tons of moving metal.

 

An awful and hard to find story now happening in the courts of Beijing. The story indicates that two men driving a car had their path blocked by a woman pushing an infant in a baby carriage. The two men in the car became impatient that she was in the way, and an argument began. The two men exited the car and began to beat the woman. One of the two men then grabbed her baby and threw it to the ground. The baby died of its injuries.

 

One of the two men has been sentenced to death. It's aggravating however as a Western person from a country where pedestrians are respected, to not see China using this case to address the bad and impatient driving behaviors of its citizens. Instead, they only talk of an angry man who killed a baby, instead of his senseless impatience because a pedestrian was in the path of his car.

 

http://news.163.com/13/0925/10/99K38IEN00014JB6.html

 

The story and audio are in Chinese. I am not able to find the English version.

Edited September 25, 2013 by GuangDongExpat (see edit history)

[Randy W]

Baby killer charged in Beijing

 

 

Han Lei is accused of lifting the 34-month-old toddler from her carriage and hurling her onto the ground in Daxing District on July 23, after he fought with the mother and beat her up over a parking space, according to the prosecutors' office.

 

The girl was severely injured and died despite treatment.

 

Driver of the car, Li Ming, who helped Han flee the scene, has been charged with harboring a criminal.

 

 

 

Road accidents kill 2,670 children in China in 2011

Edited September 25, 2013 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Doug]

My former step-daughter Lil One called me yesterday after she had just been hit by a very slow moving car and knocked down in the street, while walking home from school. She was fine. I find out later she walked into the side of the car as it was turning, and got knocked down from the side. It sounded like she just did not look very well at all. Lil One is 13 now and went to China for the summer. Did she pick up bad pedestrian habits?

 

The driver was a concerned 18 yr old French girl working as a Nanny for a lawyer and his wife. She wanted to call the police but I just had her drive Lil One home and talk with her mother. I am flattered Lil One called me, but close call and a reminder. She is fine, not a scrape or a sore joint. Car moving 5 mph they said.

 

I will post it again. You guys from the Western states who like to walk right out in front of cars because you have the right of way? Just don't do that in Texas. Cars tend to have the right of way here regardless of the law, and I am not sure what the law is. Won't do you any good, but maybe your estate.

[amberjack1234]

Yep one of them cases where "you can be dead right"

 

Larry

[Guest ExChinaExpat]

My former step-daughter Lil One called me yesterday after she had just been hit by a very slow moving car and knocked down in the street, while walking home from school. She was fine. I find out later she walked into the side of the car as it was turning, and got knocked down from the side. It sounded like she just did not look very well at all. Lil One is 13 now and went to China for the summer. Did she pick up bad pedestrian habits?

 

The driver was a concerned 18 yr old French girl working as a Nanny for a lawyer and his wife. She wanted to call the police but I just had her drive Lil One home and talk with her mother. I am flattered Lil One called me, but close call and a reminder. She is fine, not a scrape or a sore joint. Car moving 5 mph they said.

 

I will post it again. You guys from the Western states who like to walk right out in front of cars because you have the right of way? Just don't do that in Texas. Cars tend to have the right of way here regardless of the law, and I am not sure what the law is. Won't do you any good, but maybe your estate.

 

I've been 'bumped' more than once by an impatient Chinese driver. For example, walking along the sidewalk in front of a community entrance, or crossing the street during a green walk light. One must always assume that a driver will behave as if you're in the way and continue driving whether you get out of the way or not. Even after nearly six years living in China, I still find it aggravating. I know I cannot change this dangerous driving behavior, but I refuse to jump out of the way quickly just because a driver honks his horn with the expectation of you moving quickly. Okay, I admit it can be a little dangerous, but it's just one of those things I do. Like, walking in a park and hearing the horn of the tourist car, which would require you to climb a wall to get out of the way. So, I walk in the middle of the road and ignore the horn until there is room enough to move left or right and get out of the way.

[Guest ExChinaExpat]

My former step-daughter Lil One called me yesterday after she had just been hit by a very slow moving car and knocked down in the street, while walking home from school. She was fine. I find out later she walked into the side of the car as it was turning, and got knocked down from the side. It sounded like she just did not look very well at all. Lil One is 13 now and went to China for the summer. Did she pick up bad pedestrian habits?

Hello Doug, I hope you things are going well with your new marriage. Are you in the US now? Is she still in China? I recently returned to China to be with my someone special, and will see how it goes.

 

Regarding your post, I am personally more inclined to think your former step-daughter was knocked down by one of the many impatient and no-thought-for-human-life Chinese drivers. One should always be careful about them, but the China way is to first pull out into traffic with the expectation that anything moving will stop for you, and anyone walking will get out of your way.