Culture Shock! China - A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette, 2nd Edition

114 CultureShock! China

cities. But an increasing number of Chinese now own private

cars. Guangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing match their American

and European counterparts in traffic congestion. During rush

hour, it can take up to an hour to get across any of these

cities, more than that for Beijing.

Most businesspeople in China use a combination of taxis,

subways, company cars and walking to move around the

city from office to meeting to home. A good assistant proves

invaluable in estimating departure time for meetings to avoid

being late for or missing appointments.

In order to control traffic, many cities have implemented

licence plate bans during peak hours through tunnels or

inside the central ring road. It is important to understand

these limitations in advance of using public transportation.

Taxis

The easiest way to get around Chinese cities is by taxi. In

China, you can identify available taxis by a red oval that

appears in the front window. When a taxi is occupied the

oval is down.

Taxi companies are well regulated. Most taxis are clean, the

drivers are courteous, and there are clear regulations written

in English to help you understand acceptable behaviour.

There is a complaint number to call should you have an

issue. The base taxi fare varies from city to city, but you can

generally expect a starting fare of 12 to 16 Rmb. Cost goes up

according to distance driven and the amount of time spent

in the taxi. The taxi driver should have a clearly displayed

meter and give you a receipt at the end of the trip. If a taxi

driver refuses to use the meter,

get another taxi.

To flag a taxi in China, stand

on the side of a street and wave

your hand with the palm down,

using a motion like bouncing a

basketball. Taxis cannot stop at

intersections. In most cities, the

rear door behind the driver is

locked and you must enter and

Taxi drivers are a wealth of
information in China. They spend
the day putting forth opinions
on everything from politics to
sports teams. Many have begun
studying English in anticipation
of world events in China like the
Olympics and the World Expo. If
your driver seems willing, enjoy a
chance of getting a slice of China
through a good conversation
with them.