Flashback: Beijing 2006

Today while waiting to cross the street for whatever reason I had a flashback to our trip to Beijing in October 2006. I had been reading guidebooks to get myself somewhat acquainted with the city and happened upon a small side note about how to cross the street. Huh? Don’t you just wait for the light and then cross. Apparently it is common practice for cars to ignore lights and go anyway and you just have to go or you won’t get across. When I read this, I was shocked, if you ever tried that in NY, you would be crushed by a cab or a bus. No way I am doing that! When I got there it was a different story, you don’t have a choice and everyone is doing it. Have you ever played Frogger? You know how you start across and then wait and then go and then wait and then go? It was pretty much like that. Although somehow the cars got out of your way the slightest bit, while in NY they would aim for you. My strategy was to cross at the same time as someone with a bike, even better if it was a bike with a cart attached. There was one harrowing time where M&I were in the middle of a street with no median, and two buses passed each other. So scary.