Could They Conquer Traffic?

Wow.  It’s bright.  I can see the west mountains and it is a glorious morning drive along this North, Fourth Ring Road.  Crowded.  Certainly.  Traffic is abysmal but the sunny winter sky keeps me positive.   The Central government has delivered handsomely of late on the benevolent side of the ‘benevolent dictatorship’ equation.  Five hundred million people moved out of poverty, a national high-speed rail network built out, smog in the capital, under control.  Could they conquer traffic?  If the propaganda ministry starts to warm up that delivery I will absolutely tune-in to take notice. 

A couple is walking along the sidewalk of the highway. We’re moving slowly and I concentrate on them for a while.  The man is carrying a baby in his arms.  The child’s outfit has a red hat, with floppy ears, that make the kid look adorable.  Something about the way the father holds the child reminds me of carrying my own children.  Midpoint between my own children as infants and welcoming the infants they will, perhaps, someday have, I can understand how parents can begin to crave grandchildren.  My children are lovely but I won’t be carrying them anymore.

Female driver this morning.  She’s a bit tart.  Monosyllabic answers to questions.  That’s probably for the best.  It wouldn’t be advisable for a female driver to be too chirpy.   Probably a smart survival disposition for woman drivers to keep it pithy.  She’s just unscrewed her tea jar and it smells lovely, suddenly, here in the back seat.  “What is that tea?” I ask.  “Is that moli tea?”  “No.  Oh.  Yes.  Moli.” She replies, true to form.

Oh dear, the traffic is glacial.  We’ll be plodding along for a bit longer here before we can turn to Zhongguancun.  I thought I was slick when I allowed for ninety minutes this morning.  No dice.  I’ll be late.  Ms. Pith, is also a rather conservative driver.  Once and then twice people are cutting in front of her, where she oughtn’t, in my grizzled opinion, to have allowed them to.   We’ll get there.  I’ll be late but it’s the getting there that’s more important, as Ms. Pith, well knows.

Thursday 03/08/18