Fines Could Do the Trick

This past weekend, 5 friends and I attempted to get into a 4 seat taxi(it's a 5 seat car, but of course the cab driver needs a seat). The driver said he didn't want to take all 5 of us (some of the girls were small, we could have squeezed in) because the police have been fining cab drivers 200RMB for carrying more than 5 passengers.

Last summer, there seemed to be a police initiative about seat belts. Drivers, in this case taxi cab drivers, had to have their seat belts on. Many cab drivers put on their seat belts but some just slung it over their shoulders without actually fastening it. I've noticed this year that drivers don't seem to be fastening their seatbelts anymore. I guess that 'trend' of fining drivers for not wearing their seatbelts is over now. Don't forget, the rear seats don't even have seatbelts, in taxis at least.

These little episodes got me thinking about a theory I've had all along about many of the social ills in China. The government and police pay lip service to cleaning the environment, being more civil, etc etc etc but when it comes time to lay down the law and crack down on such behaviour, where are the cops?

Any new visitor to China will definitely encounter 2 things that will scare and disgust them: the traffic conditions and the constant and very loud spitting.

I always told people around me here that if the government set fines for spitting and littering and ENFORCED the laws, there would be no more spitting or littering. Lo and behold I find this picture, straight out of Hong Kong.



There has been proof that spitting and litter spread illnesses and disease. Perhaps some poorly educated people in China don't know this. Fair enough, educate them. If they still don't listen, fine their ass 1500RMB. That kind of a fine would most probably be more than many people's monthly wage.

I've seen people spit outdoors, on buses, in my classroom, in the halls of my school and in restaurants. It wouldn't take too many 1500 RMB fines to get the message across that it won't be tolerated.

So why don't many people follow the laws that are set out for them? There are many reasons for this: corruption, poor education standards, a general disregard for personal safety and civil society, etc..

That leads me to the traffic conditions. In the heart of Dalian, there's a large square named Zhong Shan Square. It's circular and around it there is a roundabout.
Many cars, trucks and taxis drive full speed around this roundabout to turn off at streets that feed off the square.



The beautiful but dangerous Zhong Shan Square中山广场

A friend who visited me in Dalian （first time in China) a while back was walking around Zhong Shan Square and was crossing one of these streets that fed off the roundabout and not knowing that cars turning right in China generally do not yield to pedestrians almost got hit. What got him really angry was the fact that there was a traffic policewoman no more than 20 yards away who witnessed the incident but said or did nothing. "What the hell is she standing there for? Just to be pretty?" I couldn't answer the question, but yes I think she was standing there to be pretty. Dalian takes pride in it's mounted traffic policewomen and they are paraded around the downtown core in leather jackets and boots.

Back to my original point, if the police don't care to enforce the traffic laws, why even have them? One student of mine just told me he failed his driving test 3 times and had had enough of taking the driver's test and practising so he will be using guanxi (aka networking) with the appropriate traffic authorities to get his driver's license. Great, it's very comforting to know that this unqualified driver will be on the road very soon. Another student of mine told me his visa was revoked from New Zealand for getting into 3 car accidents (all his fault) within a 1.5 year span while he was studying there. This same student drives in Dalian today.

What's it going to take for things to change? More deaths? International pressure?
107,000 people die each year and thousands more are injured. I've seen graphic advertisements around China showing the evils of drinking and driving, speeding and erratic driving but I haven't seen many improvements in my travels around the country. It all comes down to education AND policing.