Wait, Don’t Ask Why, Just Wait
Let’s play the “Why I like China, Why I don’t” game today, shall we? There are so many compelling reasons to love and loathe this place, that it makes sense to occasionally write them down.
First, a reason to love China. Here’ my collapsible bike.
I bought it for about US$100 new here, it is light, easy to ride, cuts my commute to about 5 minutes from 25 minutes, and best of all the guards at my office building permit me to bring it in, unlike normal bikes, which are required to be parked in a garage far away. My bike, made in China, is a reason to love China.
Now, let’s talk about what pisses me off: arbitrary new rules that don’t have a purpose and are occasionally severely enforced, but usually ignored. The new rule today is one I’ve discussed previously: the need to have a card to pass through an enormous housing area on the way to work. As I wrote in a previous blog entry, the evolution of the fence went something like this:
A. No fence, no problems for anyone.
B. Fences at other Beijing housing areas, and therefore a decision by management without consulting residents to put up a fence. As usual, there were no complaints, since Chinese don’t complain.
C. Over two years, people who have to enter and pass through the area have resorted to various methods, including:
a. Waiting until morning or evening.
b. Passing through the huge hole where cars come and go.
c. Sticking their pinky finger in the lock hole, at risk of snapping the finger off if the gate is moved.
d. Broken gates alternating with such severe enforcement of the gate rules that I’ve seen security guards tackle people passing through.
e.
Today, it has taken two new turns. First, in the past weeks, to resolve the “pinky solution,” management has stuffed all holes in the moving gates with duct tape. Second, we are in a (probably temporary) period of severe enforcement, and the new rules work something like this:
A. If you arrive at the outside of the gate without a card, a 14 year old security guard in camouflage army clothing and black patent shiny pointy shoes directs you to the 2 km dirt road that bypasses the city through an inconvenient route.
B. If you arrive from the inside trying to leave without a card, the same guard lets groups of 5-8 leave whenever someone with a card shows up, then quickly shuts the gate to require all newcomers to queue for the next card holder. So, there are intermittent groups of people waiting from the inside to get out, and nobody complains! Here are the photos… unbelievable.
Here’s the scene:
THIS MAN IS A PROPER CARD HOLDER
THIS GROUP OF 20 PEOPLE HAVE NO CARD AND CAN’T EXIT
NOW THEY ARE GETTING PISSED OFF SINCE THE GUARD HAS A CARD, ASSHOLE
BUT DON’T COMPLAIN ANYONE! IT DOES NO GOOD IN CHINA. FINALLY, RELEASE!!!
