No car bombs please, we're Chinese

newmine

By Peter Foster World Last updated: August 12th, 2009
3 Comments Comment on this article

Since arriving in Beijing I have not bought a car on the basis that there are already far too many on the streets of China’s capital, taxis are cheap and my children are still small enough to sit on our laps when we go out en famille – all five of us.
Recently, however, I have been contemplating the purchase of a vehicle since longer-term residents advised me that when the freezing winter comes I might be grateful to have my own car – apparently we can’t have the little cherubs shivering on roadside as we wait to hail a cab.
Anyway, my UK license doesn’t cut it in Beijing so I’ll have to pass a test, which means learning the Chinese Highway Code and sitting yet another driving examination.
(It seems only yesterday that I completed my Indian test which involved driving 100m to a junction and performing a U-turn without stalling. I sailed through the theory part courtesy of a 100 rupee bribe to an official who filled in the multiple choice test for me).
However in China I understand the test is an altogether more stringent (and less negotiable) affair, particularly the theory part which requires candidates to memorize a small book full of road signs and regulations.
I figured this wouldn’t be too tricky – you can guess most road-signs, right? – until I saw this brand new sign being installed outside my local coffee shop.

Road sign in Beijing

At first I thought it must be a prank – something stuck up by a group of waggish local students as some kind of art installation – but the men with the ladder seemed to be dressed in official garb and the sign itself is also made of that special reflective material, so if it is a prank, it’s a very high-quality one.
“No Smoking (if your petrol tank is leaking)!”
“Please: No Peacocks in the boot!”
“Caution: rocket-propelled vehicles in the vicinity!”
“Evil Separatist forces: No car bombs please!”
…but none of them are to convincing. If anyone out there has any better ideas, I’d be very happy to hear them.

Tags: Beijing, china, odd, roadsign, wierd

JerryL

haha it is a big joke