I don't know how many times I've watched absolutely retarded things go down in China and said to myself, "I really should kick that guy in the teeth for cutting off that old women shuffling across the street" or "I should have just let that bitch on the bike hit me, instead of jumping out of the way and losing 6 yuan in change, and 29 years of self-respect."
But I, just like the 1.3 billion patriots of this massive country, do nothing. I try to live in that small space that separates us foreigners from 'dem Chinese in that I at least thought of doing something. It's a small space, and crowded. But finally one of our own, a fellow laowai, has made a case for all of us doing our part to show the dickheads that bully the roads in China that we don't need to take it no more!
I caught this story via ESWN translation , and really feel this woman needs applause. As it was reported at Lao An's blog , the story is basically thus: An unidentified foreign woman made a scene in the streets of Beijing the other day when she used her bicycle to block a car trying to use the bike-lane as a quick way to avoid the city's infamous traffic.
Despite being cursed at, the woman smiled, held her ground, and would not let the car pass. The driver went so far as to throw the woman's bike to the side, but it did no good and the woman again insisted he return to the car lane. Despite repeated threats, the driver eventually drove off in the appropriate lane. When yet another car tried the same thing only moments later, the woman repeated her stance, this time apparently freaking the crap out of the driver, as it immediately reversed and corrected its ways.
The blogger reported that they heard spectators utter to each other, "The Chinese really need to be educated this way!"
Has this been so ingrained into 'Western' culture that for me even the statement that it requires "education" makes the Chinese just look like the most compliant people the earth has ever produced?
Honestly, if I were much into believing biblical things, or popular current opinion… I might be found thinking there was some truth to that "blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the Earth" bit.
UPDATE (Nov. 7): I just saw the news and buddy the-bike-thrower was interviewed. Apparently after the incident his license plate was posted online, somehow allowing people to get his phone number and harass him. His son was so embarrassed, he begged his father to go on TV and apologize to the woman and to Chinese people for losing them all a bit of face.
In his defense, he explained that the only way to access the place where he was going was through the bike lane. I've taken notice of this here in Suzhou, and it definitely stands up. Not 100m from my apartment there is a long bike lane with no direct street access that provides marked parking for the cars of various restaurants' patrons.
I wonder if the mysterious lady laowai will go on TV and apologize?
