Changchun thrill ride... taking the taxi

Coming to China many things are shocking at first and then become mundane later on. One of the things that will always be a life-threatening experience is taking a taxi. The drivers here have road rage like you have never experienced in North America. Take the craziest driver you've ever met and multiple that by 10. Here in China there are no rules on the road. Absolutely zero. No enforced lanes, lights, stop signs, signaling... nothing. It's just a race to get to your destination Fast and Furious style. The taxi drivers simply don't like to step on the break and will avoid using it as much as possible. They do fancy using their horns, though.

Back home, most drivers use their horns when appropriate and they most likely won't hold it down. Here in China, it's much different. All you hear is honking and drivers really hold it down. I guess it's how they communicate rather than using their signals.

Drivers (taxi and others) will make their own roads using sidewalks, the wrong lane and anywhere the vehicle will squeeze in. People park anywhere they please even if it means blocking other cars in.

What makes this experience the most terrifying is that no one wears their seat belt in China. It's not enforced and half of the taxis don't even have seat belts. I remember getting into a taxi when I first arrived and looking all over for the seat belt and giving up after realizing it was missing. Now, when you can find a seat belt the taxi driver will actually discourage/stop you from putting it on... imagine that. Every time I take the taxi I think to myself, "What are my friends and family back home going to think when I die in China for not wearing my seat belt?"

I don't know if this is true or not, but I heard from a Chinese friend whose brother is living in Beijing that the drivers here in Changchun are much worse. You'd think that with a bigger population, hustle and bustle and crazy traffic that Beijing drivers would be worse. When and if we make it back to Canada even the worst driver will seem calm.

Fun fact:  I read that Taxi drivers in Changchun get free taekwondo training. 

xie xie for reading,
shelly ♥

Postscript: Dearest friends and family, if we do die in a car accident it's not because we neglected to wear a seat belt. It's because we couldn't find one or weren't allowed to buckle up.