The traffic accident

It's amazing more accidents don't occur with the traffic and ever changing obstacles that cross the streets here. You've got cars, taxis, busses, bicycles with just passengers and bicycles blancing amazing amounts of goods, push carts with all sorts of items, people of all ages, and adventurous dogs. Luoshi Road, a major thoroughfare in Wuchang (one of three towns that were joined together to create Wuhan) is a four lane road which cuts through the West and East campuses of Wuhan University of Technology.

On Sunday morning I arrived at my appointed location to meet Marilyn so I could join her at church. And, as I waited I watched the hustle and bustle of the morning traffic. A man hauled a big pile of charcoal briquettes used for heating and cooking. Several men walked with their loads in woven baskets connected to a long bamboo pole which balanced on their backs. All sorts of interesting foot traffic (of course, I was fascinating for pedestrians to look at being the only Westernern around). When I wasn't looking, a taxi ran into a motorcyclist on the opposite of the road from where I stood.

I hadn't really noticed it until I heard the yelling. And then I saw one older man and a younger man pushing and shoving each other near the back of a stopped taxi. They screamed at each other at the top of their lungs. It's then I saw a motorcycle decorating the front end of the taxi. Everyone stopped to watch.

They grabbing each others' hands and pushed. Yelling continued. They grabbed at each others' coats and shoved and pushed. About 30 people circled the two men, one woman—she obviously knew one of them—tried to intervene. I started to wonder when a fist fight would start. It never did. Later I learned that doesn't happen here, it's just the yelling and pushing, never fists.

This continued for about 20 minutes until two policeman drove up on motorcycles. Several of the young men from the university who were also meeting Marilyn arrived and explained it was now up to the policeman to decide what to do. One policeman took out a camera and began documenting the scene. It's then I noticed something interesting.

I inquired of the students, "They're police?" Yes, was the reply. "I don't see any of them with handguns on their belts," I responded. They explained guns are against the law for citizens to own, so no one owns one here and the police don't carry guns. Two new insights into Chinese culture I learned by just standing on a street corner.