Image in courtesy of Google Maps
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Let me show you a map.
Image in courtesy of Google Maps
On the map, the red line and the blue line together is the daily route I drive from Xujiahui to the elevated highway (then my home is just 10 kms or 20 minutes away).
Today, since there is a small detour at the starting of the blue line - the road was completely blocked and no cars are allowed to enter. Then to to go to the entrance of the elevated highway, I used the red line plus the green line.
Look at how far I went just to workaround the detour.
This is due to the complicated one-way system in this area. For example, at the immediate next cross road, the Wanping Road 宛平路 is a single way road that I cannot turn right (one block south, it is both way). Then I have to go the next block. I turned right. I should have the opportunity to get back to the blue line, but there is another single way road, so I have to continue until I get to the elevated highway.
Turning right, on the whole way, there was no opportunity to make U-turn or left turn, until I reached the Tianyaoqiao Road. I turned left (no U-turn allowed), and went to a residential area. Enter that area and get out, so to do the U-Turn, and then run a long way back.
After I am back to the elevated highway, 40 minutes already past.
What a day.
P.S. Many car drivers can save this 40 minutes by some "tricks", like make U-turn when it is now allowed, or even make U-turn when left turn is not allowed. Most people did. I followed the rule, and that is the result. It seems the policeman didn't notice this at all, since they thought "smart" people workaround this anyway.
Posted by Jian Shuo Wang at July 24, 2007 9:50 PM
Copyright: You are free to redistribute this work, as long as you keep this disclaimer
and this link: http://home.wangjianshuo.com/archives/20070724_long_detour_by_road_construction.htm
wow...
poor jianshuo, have a good rest then...
Tomorrow is another day!
Posted by: jenni on July 25, 2007 12:15 AMA lot of the traffic rules in China are setup for the pure purpose of setting up rules. They are not for people to follow. If real people try to really follow it, they will be in big trouble.
There are many examples for rules like this. Stop signs setup in a place where there is no way to see the crossing traffic. Two lanes merge seamlessly that it is impossible to know which lane should yield.
I cannto believe this! What a big turn around the city! Obviously they should find alternative ways when they are blocking the streets to avoid this huge detour!
So bad, maybe sometimes it's comprehensible that people forgets about the rules... if these are not made by thinking people!
Posted by: Claudia Frias (external link) on July 26, 2007 1:45 AMWell. I don't think they did it intentionally, and the sign of "detour" does not really mean detour - I still can drive along the blue line although there is a detour sign there - many cars did, but I didn't do that. Also, there are many places I can place a shortcut, but I didn't. So, don't think everyone is as poor as I was. However, I think this is an interesting illustration about what does rule really means in China. Written rule is not the rule - this is the real rule in China.
Posted by: Jian Shuo Wang (external link) on July 26, 2007 11:17 AM