An almost murder

I am feeling the need to vent, because let's face it, no one in this country is able to understand me when I do, so I must be entitled to another outlet. Let me premise my rant with the fact that I am so very grateful we have a car. As I mentioned in my last post, I would take traffic in my own car over having to stand in a smelly bus/subway in order to get from A to B anyday. But I cannot and DO NOT understand how many morons can exist in one city and have licenses to drive. It is at times completely and utterly unbearable. Now I am no stranger to traffic and even maniacs. I grew up in Johannesburg where there wasn't a public transport system until recently and taxi's (in the form of a mini bus combi) cut in front of you, stop and do just about whatever they want at will. But even from that base you cannot fathom the insanity that is Beijing's roads. My husband and I have another name for the drivers around here but this is a family-friendly blog so I will refrain from stating it here. Let's take today for example: I sat for something like 30 green light changes because MORONS were blocking our 3 lane road across. I saw a motorbike drive up the wrong way down a main stretch of road winding between 4 lanes of oncoming traffic. I was hooted at furiously because I didn't give right of way to a car that was parking(!) and saw streams of pedestrians, in an effort to miss the puddle of water on the pavement, hog an entire lane of a main road which effectively bottlenecked the traffic for kilometers at peak time. This because they are simply the most selfish, oblivious, wreckless and idiotic road-users I have ever encountered. They do not check before careening into your lane, they do not give right of way AT ALL, EVER, they turn left from a right turning lane, they push and nose their way into the smallest of gaps, stop when they want to and park however they want to, and even after driving for more than 2 years it's still enough to put me in an unrighteous bad mood. So I have now bought a bicycle. I vowed I would never brave Beijing roads without sufficient metal to protect me, but the traffic and behaviour of the motorists have left me with no other choice. Where I can I plan to trade this motoring madness for two wheels, at the risk of being rained on, spat on and covered in Beijing grime. But at least I will have the option of winding in traffic with the best of them. I suppose you should all wish me luck!