Don't worry, I'm OK. The accident I am about to recount did not happen to me; I was just a witness.
In my previous post on biking in Beijing, I mentioned the commuters who cram their way to the front of the bike lane at the intersection, then cut through the two lines of left turning cars rather than waiting through lights at both corners.
One day, as usual on my commute to work, I skirted a congested bus station and prepared to cross one portion of a major 5-way intersection in accordance with the light and the traffic assistant. I had cleverly maneuvered my way to the front of the bike pack waiting at the intersection, so I was feeling pretty proud of myself as I sailed across the street ahead of the herd.
Among the usual din of honks, bells, yells, and squealing brakes, I noticed a particularly long and annoying whine to my left. It was a motor-scooter, crossing diagonally between the left-turning cars at full speed, the driver holding his hand on the horn and his small son on his lap. Just as I shook my head and turned my attention back to the road, I heard a loud CRUNCH!
The father-on-scooter had just T-boned a young couple riding to work on a single bicycle about 10 yards behind me, right in the middle of the pack crossing the road. The girl was trying to pick herself up from under the bike, which was wedged under the front of the scooter, and the bike-riding boyfriend was standing up and yelling at the scooter driver. Unconcerned, the driver backed off of the bike and started to drive away (son still on lap), as the boyfriend tried to call the police on his cell phone. Not about to let the scooter get away, the boyfriend dodged in front of the scooter to prevent it from leaving the scene.
The boyfriend and scooter danced back and forth for a while, until the scooter driver had enough and decided if he couldn't get around the bike victim, he should just to drive away through him. Next thing you know, the scooter has rammed directly into the bike boyfriend's stomach and is pushing him backward down the street as the boyfriend grabs the handlebars with one hand, continues trying to call the police with the other hand, and drags his feet along the ground. Did I mention the son is still on the scooter driver's lap?
There were about 35 people on bikes and foot on that side of the intersection, but as far as I could see, none of them did anything.
My own light changed then, and it was time for me to safely - or as safely as possible under the circumstances - cross the street. I realized, if I had not worked my way to the front of the pack at the intersection, I would have been right where that bike couple was when they got hit.
To summarize the experience of biking to work, it's like being in a documentary on Beijing city life, a low-speed police chase, and an action film all at once.
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