Three Wheel Terror

This story is about a ride we took that I though we would never survive.

Xin Jiao and I were in the wholesale district in Guangzhou.  We've been there before and each time tring to get a taxi out has proved to be difficult.

On this day it was impossible.  Xin Jiao had made an appointment for us to see a jade dealer.  We were close to that time and needed a taxi to get there.  She suggested the terror of the road; a 3 wheel scooter taxi.  I said absolutely not.  I rode one the very first trip I too to China and didn't want to tempt death like that again but all of the taxi's we tried to flag down were either off duty or headed to a prepaid fare.

Finally I broke down and said OK to the 3 wheeled deathtrap.  One of the things that convinced me was that there was a woman driver there and I was thinking based on my experience with women drivers in China that she would be less aggressive.  Well think again.  I think she was more aggressive.

In the picture above right you see the kind of taxi I am talking about down to the color.  There is one seat behind the driver that is barely large enough for 2 Chinese people not 1 Chinese woman and 1 America man so it was tight.

There is a very small place to put your heals on to rest your feet.  There isn't any protection for your feet.  We strike an agreement and we're off.

A short jaunt down the sidewalk and we are on the street in one way traffic, GOING THE WRONG WAY!!!!! Fortunately it was pre-rush hour BUT it still didn't help my nerves.  She played chicken with a few cars and we narrowly missing them.  I looked at Xin Jiao and she wasn't even flinching. If you look in the rear view mirror of the scooter you will see Xin Jiao.  She doesn't look concerned at all.  I had puckered up so much that my pucker had puckered.  

Then a quick turn and we were on a sidewalk that was loaded with pedestrians.  The only person who seemed to be concerned with this ride was me and I was afraid for everyone.  Look in the mirror again.  Xin Jiao is laughing at my reactions because I am yelling at the driver.

Back onto the street and she was whizzing by cars.  We went through an intersection that caused me concern because the light was RED and there was a bus that I am pretty sure I could have touched the front of had I not been trying to climb over Xin Jiao to get to the other side of the scooter.

I screamed and yelled at the driver and all she did was laugh.  She would pass then cut off a car.  My toes would be within and inch of the front fender of the car and I couldn't move my feet anywhere to get away.

That tan thing in the lower left corner of the picture is my knee not a fender.  The red car is cutting us off and our driver isn't stopping.

When we arrived, safely I might add, I got off of the scooter, got on all fours and kissed the ground.  Xin Jiao and the driver laughed at me.

I told Xin Jiao that I didn't want her riding one of these for any reason.  She patted me on the arm an said OK.  For some reason I don't think she was serious.