CRASH!

So, the bicycle used to be the thing that tied China together. If you ever saw a National Geographic special in the 80's and 90's about China, you probably saw the streets choked with bicycles. The bicycle is still used a lot, but even more so recently is the electric scooter. You take the battery with you to your house/apartment and plug it in overnight. TONS of people drive these things here and in Shanghai.

You do not need a license to drive these things, and there are apparently no laws governing their driving. If you feel like wearing a helmet, wear one. If you don't, don't. No one is going to stop you. It's very laissez-faire here. I have OFTEN remarked to Kristy how I hate that people stare at me as I am walking to work. I don't hate it because I am a waiguoren (foreigner) but because they are DRIVING A MOVING VEHICLE!!!

This brings me to tonight. Kristy and I are standing at the bus stop, chatting with a co-worker who also happens to be our Chinese teacher when we hear a tremendous CRASH! We turn around to see that one of these scooter drivers has smashed his scooter into a parked car, effectively demolishing his little scooter. He is talking on his cell phone. The entire time. He was very clearly ALREADY talking on it when he crashed. He picks up his wrecked scooter, and a few of his belongings that are strewn about on the ground, and upturns his scooter. Apparently, the thing still goes, and he drives off. We are all speechless. Honestly, I am surprised that this is the first scooter wreck that I've witnessed. Only took seven months.