The Scariest Thing I Have EVER Seen

A few entries ago I wrote about the driving and how crazy and scary it is to cross the road.  I always have in the back of my mind that they will always stop…I can’t imagine that anyone would actually hit you!  Adam and I joke about the driving a lot laughing off the fact that if we were in Taxi’s in the US we would be in accidents every day. 

Yesterday I even got excited when I found out that you didn’t need a license to drive a scooter.  I mean they have scooters here in every color and some can hold an entire family (mom, dad and baby)…and we make our children sit in car seats until they are 7 years old!  I could totally drive a scooter!

Apparently scooters don’t need to follow the laws either!

Today I took a trip to Wal-Mart, I had the most calm taxi driver yet (I don’t know if he was more careful because I was a foreigner or if he was just the best driver in China).  While waiting at a red light at a busy intersection I watched an old lady cross the road.  Since it was a busy intersection there was a walking signal and she was OK to walk.  When out of nowhere coming in the wrong direction a man on a white scooter hit this woman, she did a little flip and hit her head on the road.  Both my taxi driver and I had the same reaction (I was sitting in the front seat).  I figured someone would help this woman…we were all here at a red light!  No one did, I almost got out of the car to get her out of the road.  Unfortunately I don’t know the word for hospital, I didn’t have any idea where I was and I didn’t think it would be a good idea to move the woman.  The light turned green and as people made left turns they were careful not to run the woman over…but no one stopped!  This woman lying in the middle of the road (she never moved…I don’t even know if she was alive or conscious) was going to stay there for who knows how long.

Apparently this happens a lot and here it isn’t a big deal.  I called Adam as soon as I was out of the car because I was totally shaken up and I was mad at myself for not doing anything.  He mentioned to his co-workers and they shook it off as a daily event (apparently during the spring holiday over 700 people died in 1 week in traffic accidents alone).  I think though my Taxi driver was shaken up as well, I did notice he drove a lot slower the rest of the way to Wal-mart.

For our mothers and grandmothers who are now worried…we look BOTH ways before crossing the street, not just the way cars, scooters, carts, busses and other vehicles should be coming from.  We also try to cross when a lot of other people cross as well!