A few days ago, on the city bus, I saw someone using his cell phone, texting, and talking, checking a written chart, and smoking, all at the same time.  It was the driver.

Today on our walk, we saw a car stalled at the intersection, with a truck and a bus lined up behind it.  We heard the driver pop the clutch.  He couldn’t go forward.  The truck driver started yelling at him.  The light changed again.  I asked Dear Husband, “Do you think you could help him?”  So, husband walked into the street and leaned into the car to motion that the emergency brake was on, that’s one reason he couldn’t go forward. This was easy for us to observe, but difficult for the driver to grasp.  When he released that brake, the car started rolling backward.  Husband held the car steady, then went around to the driver’s side of the car to lean in.  Of course, the driver was nervous by this time, with the truck driver yelling and then the bus pulling around on the right side.  Since we speak no Mandarin, and the driver spoke no English, Husband used hand motions to show how to ease up on the clutch while easing down on the accelerator.  After another light change, the car moved forward smoothly.

Yesterday I went with a colleague to some tailor shops to see about ordering another classic Chinese dress.  I thought we’d be taking a taxi, but instead, the teacher’s husband drove us in his car.  The teacher told me that she has had a driver’s license for six years, but her husband won’t allow her to drive alone.  I told her I had been driving for nearly fifty years, but I wouldn’t want to drive in China.  It’s much better to let someone else drive.