Notes on Transportation

Here in Chengdu, as in any big city, effective transportation is vital. Chengdu offers several different methods of transportation, including taxis (which are never available) and a subway system (which still hasn’t been built). The bus system should not be forgotten, though – a one-way ticket for just one kuai is nothing to scoff at. Despite the city’s public transportation efforts, there are still innumerable amounts of cars on the road. As far as driving etiquette goes, the most polite thing you can do on the road is honk at absolutely everyone. You see, honking is a social activity here in China, similar to saying “Hello! How do you do?” In fact, a typical honking conversation goes something like this. Honker #1: Hoooooooooooooonk! (“Helloooooooooo there!”) Honker #2: Honk honk! (“Hello back!”) Honker #1: Honk honk hoooooonk honk! (“Nice to see you on the road today!”) Honker #2: Honk honk hooooooooooooooonk! (“Fine weather we’re having, isn’t it?”) Take the driver who transported us from Dali to Kunming, for example. If someone was in front of us, he honked. If he was riding on someone’s tail, he honked. If someone was behind him, he honked. If he saw another bus, he honked. If he passed someone on the left, he honked. If someone passed him, he honked especially loud. And just to make sure all his passengers were really awake, he at one point sat on that over-used horn for a solid fifteen seconds without pause. If you don’t want to chance the buses, your best bet is buying a bike. The bikes are unbelievably convenient – much quicker than walking, quite inexpensive (a used bike can go for 120 kuai, or about $17), and a very popular way of getting from point A to point B. One of the best features of these bikes is that they’re designed to be ridden in a city. The front often has a basket attached so you can carry things and the back has a long, flat, metal device with a clip. This back part can be used to carry a bag or some other cargo or even a second person sitting side-saddle (I highly recommend being the human cargo; though being in a semi-insecure position amidst other bikers and cars and buses, etc. is somewhat terrifying, it’s also absolutely exhilarating, a perfect cure for a bad mood). The other nice thing about a bike is that you can do most anything while biking. I have seen people smoke and bike at the same time. I’ve also seen people talk on their cell phone while biking. On top of that, you can also write text messages while biking. Or if you wanted, you could take pictures while biking. You could also study for your Chinese test while riding a bike. Anything is possible!