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Driving in China: Don't slow down to enjoy the scenery, you might get fined

by Anna Brones (RSS feed) on May 6th 2008 at 1:00PM

Last week China opened the world's longest sea bridge in order to cut travel time between two ports, Ningbo and Shanghai. But on a bridge that is 22.4 miles long, it's hard to not slow down to enjoy the impressive scenery; you are crossing over a large body of water after all. Since its opening on May 1, Chinese police have fined over 300 drivers for driving too slow across the bridge or even illegally parking in the emergency lines while taking some scenic photos.

"I just wanted to drive a bit slowly and enjoy the sea breeze. Is that wrong?" an unnamed driver complained.

You would think that with such a bridge -- and at $1.7 billion, such a budget -- would invest in some sightseeing platforms. Not to worry, those are coming... in two years. For now, if you want any interesting scenic shots, better bring some extra yuan to pay your fine.

Filed under: Asia, China, Transportation, News

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Potsy May 6th 2008 1:57PM

china

Marilyn Terrell May 6th 2008 6:13PM

Oh, that's funny! I'd go slow too! China's moving so fast these days I guess they just can't afford to slow down.

Leslie Chang has a great story about the bewildering speed of economic and social transformation in China, and the dislocations that result, in this month's all-China National Geographic. Her story is called "Gilded Age, Gilded Cage" and it shows how the Chinese people are adapting, or not:
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/05/china/middle-class/leslie-chang-text

Anna Brones May 6th 2008 6:51PM

Thanks for the link to the article Marilyn!

Robert May 11th 2008 1:38PM

Sorry to disappoint, but the Chinese bridge is not the longest in the world. The Lake Ponchartrain Causeway, spanning the short side of the elliptically-shaped Lake Ponchartrain, and connecting New Orleans with the town of Mandeville, Louisiana, is 23.87 miles long. It was built in 1956, and has been expanded in recent years to include a second span.

The trip across the bridge takes almost a half hour. In the middle, for several miles, a traveler loses sight of land entirely.

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