Rabbit in front of headlights

[JohnSmith1980]

For a long time i have questioned this but have finally got round to putting up .....

I have no idea why, but it seems that Chinese people seem to be completely unaware that they are walking right towards you - right until it is the last minute by which time neither is to sure who gives right of way. Normally, if someone is walking down stairs to the right hand side ill try and go up on the left, but this logic seems to be generally lost on the majority, both in domestic china and abroad.

The reason i have put this up at this point is that I have been living in china for a couple of years and always accepted it through whatever reason seemed suitable. Culture, habits, short sightedness.. i dunno. But being a full time student and spending all my days in the library going up and down stairs it seems to be the Chinese students that generally lack know this logic here in the U.K. When living in china i just assumed it was a certain 老外 effect, or a certain natural 乱七八糟 that china had - but i find i have noticed it over the last couple of months and was wondering if anyone had any ideas or possible explanations...

I know i am stereotyping, its just a general observation. Hope nobody is offended.

[johnmck]

It could be that you are trying to pass them on the left and they are trying to pass you on the right. As a Brit living in France I get this problem all the time.

[liuzhou]

I am just praying that you don't have a Chinese driving licence and try to follow the same "logic".

You've only noticed this abroad?

:) :)

[JohnSmith1980]

Haha......how did i know i was gonna get some comments like that........

but in answer to ur questions i have never really dared drive in china because of this logic.But ive heard some funny stories about Chinese drivers in the 'west' causing some pretty funny situations on the road....fortunately never seen any for myself, yet.

[aeon]

People in China drive the way they ride their bikes, which is to say just the same way they walk: with scant regard for rules or logic, oblivious to anyone but themselves and a desperate desire to be the one in front or the last one to give way. Either roll with it and give a wide berth to everyone (and get walked over) or learn to drop a shoulder and let people walk into it...

[imron]

There is actually a method to the madness. Instead of concepts like "right of way", the system works more like "avoid what is in your path".

The trick to successfully navigating in such a system is never make eye contact with the people in your path. Instead, use your eyes to indicate your desired direction and move purposely in that direction as if you are oblivious to anything in your path. If someone/something gets in your way, then change direction to avoid collision, but again don't make eye-contact and move purposely in the new direction.

By doing this, other people can see where you are going, and know which direction they need to move in order to avoid you. When everyone is acting like this, a certain order emerges from the chaos. Making eye-contact and/or stopping to see who should give right of way only introduces uncertainty into the system, which makes it difficult to know which direction to move in to avoid a collision.

[kudra]

@imron, allow me to quote-mine for a moment ....

...never make eye contact with the people in your path. Instead, use your eyes to indicate your desired direction ....

By doing this, other people can see where you are going, and know which direction they need to move in order to avoid you. When everyone is acting like this, a certain order emerges from the chaos

So 1. others read my intended direction from my eyes, 2. everyone is doing this, 3. no one is making eye contact.

Something's got to give. You left out how the person with the less powerful Qi yields.

[imron]

Actually, you don't need to make eye contact with someone to see where their eyes are pointing. As long as you can see the face, you can usually get the direction of the eyes from your peripheral vision. This is especially so if someone is moving with a purpose and looking in that direction.

The implication is also that if you are the person initiating eye-contact, then you cede right of way because you are the person uncertain of where you are heading and should get out of the way of people who know where they're going. Anyway, I didn't make the system up, that's just how I was told it works.

[hbuchtel]

Hey Imron, that was a very good description!

Maybe it's less where your eyes are actually pointing but more other visual cues about your intent? (while avoiding eye-contact and hesitating of course!)

Henry

[Lu]

Imron, it is a good description. From the brief time I had a bike in Beijing I remember it was just like that: the only traffic rules are don't run into anyone and don't get killed. And it works.

[adrianlondon]

Making eye-contact and/or stopping to see who should give right of way only introduces uncertainty into the system, which makes it difficult to know which direction to move in to avoid a collision

.

Very accurate. I have a bike and cycle almost every day; sometimes quite long distances. Well, I consider them long; I regularly cycle from BNU campus to Sanlitun, 798 Art district etc. It's very different to cycling in London but after a few days I got the hang of it, and now find it very safe. Same with walking. I can cross roads easily, but some of my friends still think "oh shit, car! I'll stop and see what happens" and cause all sorts of grief as they stop, the car stops, the bikes all swerve and don't know where to go, and other cars and peds etc etc.

In London you tend to have to face everyone down and just march (or cycle, or drive) in a straight line and wait for the other person to yield. Everyone gets everywhere much faster, but they arrive high on adrenalin and wonder how they made it alive. I also enjoy cycling in London ;)