This morning in Beijing, the ultimate traffic jam continues. 9 days and counting and a backup of 61 miles. You know, after the first four or five hours I think I would have given up and tried to make a U-Turn.
Why even bother trying to go anywhere? You would think after the first day people would kind of understand they were not going to move if they tried to take this road so why we you put yourself through it? Wouldn't it be better to just stay at home? People are buying food and sleeping in their cars. I imagine there must be a bunch of cars that have run out of gas but how can anyone get to those cars to give them gas or if a car has broken down? If I am the government there I am cutting holes in medians and getting people off the road. Stay home. Call it a holiday. Can you imagine being trapped in your car for 9 days?
Look at the people trying to change lanes. Yeah, like that lane is going to get you home quicker.
What in the world caused that?
ReplyDeleteEgds! I'll remember this when I'm cursing the traffic on the QEW.
ReplyDeleteThat is absolutely mind boggling. And I used to complain about Washington DC traffic. Apparently I had it great.
ReplyDeleteUnbelievable...Why do people put themselves through this? Ok, the first day it's fine because you're already stuck there but the people driving there the second day? third one? After 9 days it's just stupid. And what else are they going to do? it's a fricking bridge.
ReplyDeletecan you imagine every one thinking "sure, I'll stay here while the others make a U-turn"
WTF? Did the whole country decide to go for a drive?
ReplyDeleteconstruction!
ReplyDeletei was in Beijing in May...and holy hell,it took forever to get anywhere by car. it took us just as long to to get to The Great Wall outside of Beijing as it did to cross Beijing and go to Dalai Lama temple by car.
I'm glad I don't live there. Yikes!
ReplyDeleteWait a minute, are they in their car for nine days, or is the traffic jammed for nine days straight? In other words, the first day people actually went home, then the traffic stalled the next day, etc. That's the way I read it. No way would people stay in their car for two days let alone nine. They'd dump it and walk home, yes?
ReplyDeleteSome rough math here:
ReplyDeleteAllowing 25 ft of horizontal space for each vehicle (standardizing the length of each vehicle and factoring space between the cars. The 2010 Toyota Highlander is 15.6 ft in length to give you an idea of scale.)
61 miles * 4 lanes/25 ft per car =
51,532 vehicles are in the jam.
@ureallyannoyme
ReplyDeleteYou complete nerd. I love that you just did that.
ha @ ureallyannoyme! I <3 u
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I posted this on my facebook over an hour ago, the traffic jam has turned into a kind of 'mini economy' where merchants have set up booths with water and food at dramatically inflated prices. These people have been STUCK IN TRAFFIC FOR 9 DAYS STRAIGHT! My question is, where are they going to the bathroom?
Ewwwww
@von When stuck in traffic on the QEW just pretend you're in a really big Caribanna parade & get your glitter on drumming out some island beats on all the surfaces of your car & the cars around you.
ReplyDelete(I've spent way, way, way too much time stuck on the QEW, methinks.)
@jax
ReplyDeleteI'm jealous of your trip. Closest I've come is the new Karate Kid movie. ;>
Happy to please. I like to know how things work. :-)
ReplyDeleteRemember when kids would jump out of their cars and dance when they got to a red light? I think they should try that just to keep their sanity and the circulation in their legs.
ReplyDeleteDang. I thought the traffic in Atlanta was bad. This is just CRAZY!
ReplyDeletethoughtelf- thanks..it was really great. i really loved China and would gladly go back for the food alone. ;o)
ReplyDeleteHope there were no women in labor, funeral processions, high speed chases in progress, pizza deliveries, sport team or rock star buses, ambulances, fire engines or meat delivery trucks...
ReplyDeleteHopefully, they were mellow folks going home from a Chinese Nora Jones-like concert.
holy mother of god, i really don't know what else to say
ReplyDeleteI saw this on the news tonight. MIND BOGGLING.
ReplyDeleteHow about the poor 33 men that are stuck in an underground mine for the next 4 months in Chile while the workers work to get them out? Now THAT is definitely enough to make you go crazy. I'm just glad they are alive.
@Jax: I was in Beijing two years ago and had a similar experience. Fortunately our hotel was right on the subway line, but when we were on the tour bus I thought I was going to go mad.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's really that bad. But I loved China.