Crossing the Street

Crossing the street in Shanghai and Beijing is an adventure (note the 'walk' signal an the speeding car in the picture above. Cars and bikes have the right of way over pedestrians, even when in a crosswalk. I have to admit that I have gotten more than half way across before giving up and turning back to regroup and wait for the next 'walk' signal.

The 'walk' signal basically just improves your odds, as then you will only need to contend with right and left turners rather than a high volume of head-on traffic. The good news is that the drivers are highly skilled and the system seems to work. The risk is when you revert to your old instincts and think a car is going to stop for you.

Heidi has developed a survival strategy that seems to work well. As we get ready to enter the crosswalk she will let go of my hand and embed herself in a pack of Chinese people. She then skillfully moves across the street with them, relying on their street crossing prowess to get her safely to the other side.