Eric's Beijing Diary

Last night I was standing at "Junction #5" (Wudaokou), waiting for the night train from Inner Mongolia to pass so that I could cross and go to the coffee bar to study. Very different from a railroad crossing in America. This one is manned full time by at least one, but usually two guys. When a train is coming, instead of the bar coming down automatically, the guy starts to lower it, then yells over the address system, "Hurry, the train is coming!" in order to get as many people through at the last minute before the train actually gets there. The predominate traffic is pedestrian. Actually, I guess I would have to call it a toss-up between bicycle and pedestrian. Today's China brings a new dynamic, because there are many more cars than before, and yet all the other elements remain, except that there are probably slightly fewer bikes (although still quite a few of them), because some folks have graduated to motorcycles, and eventually, cars. Also, a certain contingent of the population prefers bus transportation.

Local delivery is done primarily with carts pulled by bicycles--basically a bicycle richshaw. Different from when I was a kid. In Japan, there were many more pushcarts. I have not seen pushcarts in Beijing. I think I have seen something similar in some parts of China, but in Beijing, stuff is delivered with bicycle rickshaws. Beer, fresh meat for local restaurants, drinking water, garbage collection--basically anything that you can imagine being delivered to local markets is handled more often than not by bicycle rickshaw carts. Put them all together--bicycles, pedestrians, motorcycles, richshaws, taxis, busses, and you have quite a varied traffic.