More than ten thousand taxi drivers in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province have gone on strike starting July 30, a number of blog posts yesterday and today are saying. The reason for the strike remains largely unclear and Chinese media have yet to report on the situation, but at least one blogger is saying that the local authorities are dealing with the situation by bringing in cabs and drivers from surrounding cities.
The taxis went on strike today, I'm pretty bummed. No matter what you do you can't get a taxi, and if you finally do the driver don't let you choose the route; main roads are okay, but not little ones…they're afraid other drivers will see them and smash into their car. They're saying it's happened a few times already. Oh, and nobody dares use the fare meter.
Craziness…
Days without taxis are so hard to get through. I guess the city government is in over its head with this one. Inflation in China has already left the central government dizzy with brain fever, the people are uneasy. Little people know how to make little screw-ups, but only the big guys can pull off something like this.
In Zhengzhou for a business trip. All the taxi drivers have gone on strike. Taxis keep going down the street, but they've all got a sign in the windshield: ‘not in service.’ They say that but it's not for real, they're just driving around, pissing off people who really need a ride by not giving them one.
I don't own a car. But then I go to Zhengzhou and I can't even go out for mutton dinner. So I called my buddy Huang Wei up to think of a way out of this. Huang Wei took the bus over, and seeing all the taxis just wandering around said: this is so pointless. I can't take it. Next year I'm buying a car!
Here's what I'm thinking: I'll go buy a car and put up a sign: ‘no service everyday’ and then go drive around Zhengzhou city. How about that?
Of course, I'm not opposed to the taxi drivers going on strike. At least striking has some sense to it—but do your strike thing, launch a few complaints, and then get on with it.
Later I found a tuk-tuk, rush rush rushed, straight to the mutton shop. Drank until I couldn't drink anymore and took another tuk-tuk, rush rush rush, back to the hotel. Today the tuk-tuk drivers are in their glory: the world is yours, but it's ours too. As for today, it's all ours! One female driver, one big auntie, made this snipe:
“Just look, normally you'd never take our rides, take taxis instead. So where are your taxis now, huh?”
We got off and Huang Wei paid. The auntie pointed at me and said: look, she's got pearls hanging around her neck, so why doesn't she pay huh? Not so ‘in’ the way I see it!”
I just let her speak, and I was really happy inside.
July 30, 2007. As usual, at the end of the month I had to go to the Zhengzhou office. What's not as usual is when I got up in the morning I couldn't find a taxi. So strange!
Finally one came and I was madly happy
Only to see the driver pull up sharply
And point to a piece of paper
Taped on the windshield
“No service today!”
A lot more time went by…
Then I heard another driver say: “we're on strike today!”
And so it went on until one driver stopped for a “pick-up”—and another taxi drove right into his!
Around 7 pm, the wind suddenly started blowing from all directions, and heavy rain burst down…
Still no sign of taxis!
What the heck is going on!
What's happened in this city?
Why are they doing this!
We're waiting to see what happens tomorrow!
Hoping tomorrow there will be taxis to take!
A bunch of pigs, the Zhengzhou city government has transferred a few hundred taxis from neighboring cities to operate here for six months. We'll just see those bastards squirm!!!
[匿名] 新浪网友
2007-07-31 08:45:43
以上评论针对引起这起事件的单位、组织!
My comment above was aimed at the work units and organizations that gave rise to this incident!
Would a city-wide taxi strike be enough to make one want to kill themselves? Sina blogger Yuyu812 jokes that it is in her post ‘Day One‘:
Day one has become such a bummer….and the rain has started pattering down again…I suddenly feel at a loss…I don't know what the future will be like, I don't know what tomorrow…although, in desperation I've given myself something to aim for…though I know that seeing it come true will be incredibly difficult…but I still have no choice…I can only silently accept this…
Does it sound like I'm silently accepting too much? That this is making me so forlorn?
Today all the taxis in Zhengzhou went on strike…sure enough, when I got off work I had to go from North Zhengzhou to South Zhengzhou. Of the 16 taxis I saw go by, 14 had ‘not in service’ signs up. The power of the people is so strong! But I guess anything that doesn't go along with reforms doesn't stand much of a chance. But what a strong sight! Down all of Wenhua Rd. I only saw 5 taxis, but then near 27th and the train station I saw another nine…I've never seen the traffic flow so smoothly…never seen it move so fast during rush hour. All the way from Nongye Rd. to Wenhua Rd. I was shocked—for at least 100 meters ahead of me I couldn't see a single taxi. This is way too much for reality in Zhengzhou…the working class are the most glorious. When the working class gets ticked off, they can even stop you from finding a single taxi starting the minute you walk out the door…
Afternoon 5:20 Stewardess says we'll be arriving at Zhengzhou Airport in 5 minutes
Afternoon 5:25 The zooms over Zhengzhou Airport, the stewardess says the weather above Zhengzhou airport is cloudy with light showers, not suitable for landing, and the captain has decided to reroute to Luoyang Airport.
Afternoon 5:38 The plane lands at Luoyang Airport. Luoyang Airport has light rain.
Evening 6:40 The airplane takes off from Luoyang Airport, proceeds to Zhengzhou.
Evening 7:00 We arrive at Zhengzhou Airport. Zhengzhou Airport has light rain.
Evening 7:30 I take the airport shuttle toward downtown Zhengzhou.
Evening 8:15 Arrive at Zhengzhou Aviation Hotel. Zhengzhou has heavy rain. Eat in the hotel.
Evening 9:00 Finish eating. Zhengzhou has light rain. Go out the hotel door and see there's not a single taxi on the streets.
A guy scouting for passengers for an illegal long-distance taxi says the more than 10,000 taxi drivers in Zhengzhou have all gone on strike. I faint.
Evening 9:10 I get on a tuk-tuk. The tuk-tuk driver is very obstinate, will only go to the train station or won't go at all and refuses me any other choices.
Evening 9:29 Take a tuk-tuk back to the hotel. The tuk-tuk driver is very obstinate, 20 yuan or no deal, before I even tell him where I'm going.
A few words in conclusion for the end of July: not fit for travel!