City Driving: Beijing Police Blame Women Drivers for Traffic Ails

Steven Schwankert | Oct 30, 2013 3:00 pm | 3 comments | 3791 reads

Police: Please just stand next to the car rather than drive it.

It seems that the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau has discovered the root of many of the city's traffic evils: women drivers.

As noted on The New York Times' terrific new Sinosphere blog, a series of posts on the Bureau's official Weibo page entitled "Female Drivers Please Note," reads like outtakes from a 1950s sitcom. Beijing police offer helpful hints for female drivers in the capital to avoid traffic accidents and overcome a "lack of sense of direction."

In one incident, a woman rear-ended a truck on an uncrowded road. "I hit the brakes, but my shoe got stuck," said the driver. Upon further investigation, the post says, it was discovered the offending driver was wearing ... gasp ... high-heeled shoes.

We applaud this effort to improve the quality of driving and of patronization of women in Beijing. We look forward to other installments in this "Better Driving" series, including "Bus Drivers: Please Note There Are Lane Lines," "Moto Drivers: Please Note There Are Traffic Lights and Traffic Rules," and "All Drivers: When You See An Ambulance, Move!"

Image: Autoblog.com

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zhuwensen's picture zhuwensen Submitted by Guest on Thu, 10/31/2013 - 05:45

Beijing roads are quite poorly marked and you really have to Know

where you are going...

But my list of lousy drivers---

1. BMW drivers (We OWN the road)

2. Audi O-O-O-O drivers (No, you dont)

3. BYD ("boy, you're dumb") drivers

4. Drivers of miandi on its last leg...

5. Lost, confused women drivers

(Oh, my... lao-tian-a...I'm So-o-o-o confused...)

6. talking on cell phone, mind way off in La-la land.

squid's picture squid Submitted by Guest on Wed, 10/30/2013 - 20:21

Sorry, but the biggest problem, aside from the fact that everyone believes they get to go first, are people talking and texting on their phones. Its generally about every third car you pass, and you know it immediately, because it is the only time Beijing drivers don't care if they go first, because they aren't even aware they are driving.

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