中国人太多了

[randall_flagg]

I am absolutely positive those of you who've ever been to China and had to complain about anything have heard the following 万能借口：　中国人太多了。　

So, I was wondering, who would be willing to share the most absurd instances when this annoying little sentence was just slipped into a conversion?

Here's mine: A taxi driver blatantly went down a one way street the wrong direction. When I, politely, asked him why, he just said: 中国人太多了。

I am sure there are better stories than that out there! (I have a couple more, but all too private to share. Whatever that may mean.). So bring 'em on!

[fanglu]

I was sure I had replied to this thread already...

My teacher was telling me how her son was good at learning classical chinese poems (he's 3 or so), and when I asked why a child should learn something like that she said it was to get into a good kindergarten. When I asked why they would test Tang poetry to decide who gets into the good kindergarten (I'm not totally sure what 'good' here means either), she just said 中国人太多了.

I guess the idea was some more rational form of testing would be too much trouble for so many people.

[roddy]

Taxi driver just told me that there are too many 外地人 in Beijing. It wasn't really an excuse for anything, he was just enjoying a bit of a monologue.

[jameslc]

中国人太多了 is not an excuse,it is reality

[jiangl]

中国人太多了 is not an excuse,it is reality

I don't think the two are mutually exclusive, necessarily!

[randall_flagg]

中国人太多了 is not an excuse,it is reality

I didn't want to debate whether China has a problem with overpopulation or not. What I was looking for were stories when Chinese people USED this as an excuse for something had no discernible connection to the problem.

Because I heard this statement abused as an excuse so many times, this unreflected and automated response started to bother me. A lot. It is absolutely frustrating to have people argue and, even worse, think this way. "I can't stop at the red traffic light because there are too many Chinese people."

[imron]

"I can't stop at the red traffic light because there are too many Chinese people."

Perhaps the person was referring to how to help solve the situation?

[randall_flagg]

Good one, imron!

I can come up with so many stories like this, its not even funny. When I first went to school in China, it was school policy that students had to purchase all books etc. at the school. Prices, though, were higher than at any bookstore! During a official meeting I broached the subject and was told that China is a 发展中国家, so things can't be expected to be perfect.

[xiaocai]

I didn't want to debate whether China has a problem with overpopulation or not. What I was looking for were stories when Chinese people USED this as an excuse for something had no discernible connection to the problem.

So, what are you going to do with it if we are abusing this excuse?

[randall_flagg]

Don't get me wrong, a lot of problems in China have to to with a large population. However, it has become too easy for many people to simply say: "There is an external problem I can't fix, so don't you blame me (for a totally unrelated problem that I myself am causing)."

Well, here's how I react: I give population density figures for a few countries: China 138 per square kilometer, Germany 232 per square kilometer, Japan 339 per square kilometer. Yes, I know, I am comparing apples and peaches. Yes, I know population density varies vastly across China (e.g. east > west). Yes I know that large sections of land China is not arable. I know that this constitutes a huge problem and makes my "But look at the population density figures! Your country is big enough for 1.3 billion people!" statement completely irrelevant.

However, I still think that it is important to argue like that. Just saying: "There are too many people in China" doesn't even begin to describe the problem. If there is a problem at all, it lies elsewhere (land is not arable, for example). But, and here comes my point, I'm hoping that it would be more difficult for the taxi driver to find and excuse for himself: "Large section of my country are not arable, so I can't stop at the red traffic light".

"Population density in the coastal provinces his much higher than in the west, so I really have to go down that one-way street, even if it is the wrong direction!"

If people reflect on statements like 中国人太多了 I don't mind accepting it as a valid argument if it fits the situation.

EDIT: Still looking for more fun stories on when people have heard this sentence used OUT OF CONTEXT. Thanks.

[xiaocai]

So this thread is just for fun, I see. Please forgive my negligence then. I was hoping for some 建设性的意见, what a shame.

[randall_flagg]

Indeed, I was hoping to hear some fun stories.

Just to add one more point I just forgot to mention: I also think it is unfair to abuse such a grave problem as a overpopulation for one's personal gains. The same goes for many other problems that are being used as PERSONAL excuses in other countries.

But I'm still hoping to hear some fun stories.