Copyright ChinaDan 2009

Learning to Drive in China Part 1

Greg and I have a friend who is a lawyer here and one day we asked him to see how hard it would be for us to get

a drivers license in Nanjing.  After a week or so he called us and said that he had a friend who owned a driving

school who might be able to help us.  Arrangements were made and we were told it would cost about 2,000 RMB

or $400 Cdn for the license.  I told James (the lawyer) I could not afford that right now but he said.. ”don’t worry,

something can be worked out, we are friends”.  He then made an appointment for us the following week.  I was

told by one other person we know in Nanjing that there are only 28 foreigners in Nanjing with drivers licenses. 

Apparently you have to understand written Chinese as there are 100 computerized questions you must answer,

plus a road test to pass.  Again James told me not to worry.  Anyway the following week James picked me up and

took me out to his friends driving school.  Had to bring all my documentation with me, (Passport, Residents

permit, letter from my employer why I need a license, and my British Columbia license).  After a bit of discussion

with the owner of the driving school a Mr. Chen (the owner), James and I went off to the police station where

guess what, the big wig in charge of licenses for Nanjing is Mr. Chen’s wife.  She proceeded to put all the

paperwork “In Order”.  This means it is stamped 50 times with official Chinese government stamps.  Then its off

for the written test.  At this point I am worried that James will be able to translate effectively for me to answer the

questions.  No worry………the lady in charge of the written tests is Mr. Chen’s sister in law.  Via James

interpretations I was told to go sit at a terminal and wait.  After about 10 min she came over and speedily

answered all the questions for me.  So I got 100%.......LOL.  Next came a vision and hearing test.  What a joke. 

James (because I could not understand) told me in English what letters the doctor was pointing at so again I now

have Superman vision cause I was able to repeat to the doctor the very bottom line of the chart.  Now the good

part, because I got 100% on the written text I was exempt on the driving test.  Bingo I now have a drivers license

for motorcycle and car in China.  Usually the whole process takes 4 days and your license is mailed to you

(another week).  I walked out of the building 2 hours later with my license finished.  Now the payoff.  I took Mr.

Chen, his wife and sister in law for dinner.  Total cost 100 RMB or $20 CDN…………………..This is the way things

are done in China.. and we wonder why Chinese people who come to Canada are such poor drivers, what we

used to call the Cracker Jack License!

                                                                                   

Basically I started with my scooter, if any of you have read previous journal entries I need not repeat the process

or great price on it.  You should also reread “Nanjing Rules” to give you some ideas, but I diverse….. Actually it

started with my bicycle as driving any kind of vehicle, motorized or not, is just like driving a bicycle here.  You go

with the flow.  If North American cities had the kind of traffic we have here in Nanjing and drove like you are all

used to there would be a traffic jam from 6 in the morning till midnight.  There is method to their madness!  If

someone (mostly taxi’s) stop in the middle of the road, everyone just keeps going, they swing out and around

even if its into oncoming traffic (who also dodge and weave to get out of the way).  Everyone just keeps going. 

You hardly ever see a complete stop in the flow.  It is a little scary and intimidating I must admit however.  Many

times I have been scared shitless as a taxi or other vehicle slides past you cutting you off just narrowly missing

you.  Now however being a seasoned (LOL) Nanjing driver it isn’t quite so bad.  You learn, adjust and begin to feel

at home in the traffic.  I am however a little more cautious than most and more than once I have had horns

honked in exasperation with me because of my careful driving.  Well given time I guess I will become just one

more of the maddening crowd.  I actually got pulled over the other day and all the policeman wanted to do was

check and see if I had a drivers license.  One of my students was with me and did all the translations.  The cop

had a good laugh and was quite surprised that I actually had a license.  David (my student) said the cop had

stopped other foreigners where he found they had no license.  The penalty here by the way for driving without a

license is 15 days in jail (no exceptions).  As I am now working part time, soon to be full time for a large Chinese

company they have given me a company car, a two year old Lexus LS 400.  Beautiful car!  The weird thing is

however, every time I am out driving, without exception I am stared at many times by Chinese drivers.  Most

foreign businessmen here are chauffeured around.  Once again I am the oddity here…. a round eyed barbarian

driving himself in China, what next!  This may sound fairly benign now but if I could take a video camera with me

on one of my outings the film would scare the shit out of you too!

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