介绍:
Hi there everyone. This is Byron. And you are listening to expats "Guide to China." This is our show where we explore a problem faced by expats in China. And find out if the problem i the West is similar to the problem in China. Here to help me today is Sam Duckett.
Byron: Today's Topic is going to be on Cycling in China. Now rewind to 2013, when I was an intern in Beijing. I took my cousins bike out for a test run. It was challenging maneuvering my way around town. But what really hit me was once when I was in the bike lane. And the minivan in front of me backed into me. Now I was OK, but it did convince me that biking in Beijing was not for me. Now that I'm working in Beijing full time, I still don't have a bike. But having seen the Hutong areas and Houhai, I would really love to start cycling again Sam, why don't you tell us about your experience cycling in China.
Byron: Now I would say cycling in China is hectic compared to Hong Kong and the States. For starters, I have never biked in the urban areas of Hong Kong, and the streets there are not bike-friendly anyways. Sometimes I see people cycling near my house, but I just think they are crazy. I did however bike a lot when I was in university in Michigan. Sam, how different is cycling in China to Britain?
Byron: Now me and Sam would both love to bike more often in China. What's more, the resources are there. In fact since 2010, Beijing has a network of public bikes to use. Using the public bikes in Beijing really is a treat. There are numerous rental bike racks littered throughout the city. They are free for the first hour, and they charge 1 RMB starting from the second hour. The maximum per day is 10 RMB. And this is all taken off your subway card. To rent them you will need your passport or official ID handy, as well as your subway card and 400 rmb for a deposit. Remember you're subway card must have at least 30 RMB on it.
Byron: Now go and find the registration office. The easiest to find are from Dongzhimen station exit A of or from Chaoyangmen station exit A. It is a tiny office that looks like a garden shed. They are open every day except Saturdays. You will be given a registration form, where you just need to fill out your name, ID number, phone number, date and signature. Now the one tricky part on the Chinese form that you may not comprehend the part that says "Jia fang A". This is just your name. And the bottom that says "jia fang qian zi", just means your signature.
Byron: Now that you have got your subway card back you can start cycling. Here is the thing, when you press your subway card on sensor to get the bike, you must hold it down flat for at least 5 seconds. You will notice 5 squares light up on the sensor monitor. Do not remove your card early, otherwise your bike excursion will be ruined. If that happens it will say "ka wu xiao", which means your card is invalid. At this point you will need to wait 5 hours or so to try again. You may even have to go to a different bike rack to try. If you have waited 5 hours, go to the little podium machine next to the rental bike rack, press your card on that sensor. Then you should be free to use the rental bikes again.
Byron: The rental bike network covers Dongcheng district, Xicheng district, Chaoyang district, Fengtai district, Shunyi district and Fangshan district. If you want to figure out where the rental bike racks are located please add the weChat ID bjggzxc. This wechat ID will provide you with a map of all the bike spots.
Byron: Now that we have covered the logistics, we can move on to safety. On the whole biking in Beijing is a safety hazard. That's mainly because other drivers don't look around, don't signal, and liberally use the bike lanes. Thankfully Beijing has bike lanes. Yet these bike lanes are littered with pedestrians, cars, and bikes going in the wrong direction. It would be wise to use the sidewalk if no bike lane is available, and to ring your super annoying bell if you have one.
Byron: Electric scooters are also a danger. Just like in normal driving, the trick is to make your intensions abundantly clear. If you are going down a narrow lane, make it obvious which side of the street you want to use. Don't increase your speed and don't slow down, be firm with your cycling.
Byron: Thanks for listening. We hope you learned how to deal with the problem of cycling featured on today's episode. And now you can tackle it on your own. As always feel free to reach out to us. I can be reached at CRI Studio Plus.
Byron: So if you are an expat in China and need help with something. Tell us what the problem is. And we will try to cover it. Bye for now.
大家还在听
