All aboard China's new bullet train

[Heracles 417]

USA! USA! USA! USA! oh wait, sh-t.

Even China has better roads than us.

[mawilson 2,133]

USA! USA! USA! USA! oh wait, sh-t.

Even China has better roads than us.

Well, you know Americans don't really like trains. The Chinaman has no choice because he is too poor to own a car.

[Heracles 417]

Well, you know Americans don't really like trains. The Chinaman has no choice because he is too poor to own a car.

True but flying and driving is a huge pain in the #### here. DC's traffic is a nightmare.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

USA! USA! USA! USA! oh wait, sh-t.

Even China has better roads than us.

Well, you know Americans don't really like trains. The Chinaman has no choice because he is too poor to own a car.

And the train will derail and crash killing thousands of people due to poor engineering. Go China. Maybe they can paint it with some of the lead paint they use on their kids toys?

[mawilson 2,133]

USA! USA! USA! USA! oh wait, sh-t.

Even China has better roads than us.

Well, you know Americans don't really like trains. The Chinaman has no choice because he is too poor to own a car.

And the train will derail and crash killing thousands of people due to poor engineering. Go China. Maybe they can paint it with some of the lead paint they use on their kids toys?

It probably will... after all, it's "made in China."

[GabiandVi 34]

USA! USA! USA! USA! oh wait, sh-t.

Even China has better roads than us.

Oh, no it doesn't!

Have you ever been on the roads? I have. I lived there for 8 years. They have some new, interstate-like roads that seem to be in very good condition. No better, but certainly as good as our newer roads. However, and I don't want to bag on China because they were doing some pretty good things. Of course, there is no universal education, or there wasn't when I got there. And there is no universal medicine. But there sure are lots of road works, including massive forestation along major highways. But, new in China only looks new for about 6 months. After that you'd give your first born in a bet that what you are looking at is at least 20 years old. Reworks were common. The bridge near my school was rebuilt three times in its first two years because it was done wrong the first two, maybe three, times. When I left it was only about 5 years old and already had potholes in it. Forget the road leading from the highway, over the bridge and to my school. It was only about 8 years old and it was total shite. In addition, the intercity highway was in fairly good condition, but you took your life into your hands every time you drove on it. I can't count the number of dead bodies I've seen along those highways, once right in the middle of oncoming lanes among a truckload of coal that seemed to be filling the highway like a bathtub. That one I'll never forget. It was nearly naked and broken like a grey rag doll. And forget getting help if you are in an accident. The traffic jams are legendary. I was once stuck in a traffic jam for 8 hours. This is no exaggeration. We met a French guy on the side of the road during that traffic jam who said he had been stuck there for 30 hours. He was in a Chinese overnight bus, but they hadn't been moving. This is not a one-off thing. It happens all the time. Not 30 hours or even 8, but 3 or 4 is not unusual. And then, no one moves aside for an ambulance. It doesn't even occur to them. And we won't get into the kind of care you would get even if you could get to a hospital on time. This is one of the reasons I left China. I didn't want my daughter to be in an accident or have to go to an emergency room for any reason.

As for the bullet train, I lived in Tianjin. The train was being built between Tianjin and Beijing. It was supposed to be finished before I left, in time for the Olympics. We were all of two minds about it. On the one hand it would cut nearly one hour off our trips to Beijing, not counting the traffic getting to the depot. And we could avoid the dangerous highways. On the other hand . . . well, as one of my friends put it, "I'm not riding that thing unless they put Hu Jin Tao and his entire cabinet on it." Ultimately, I probably would have taken it after a while, and I'll attest to their new trains being very nice. The old ones, not so much. I don't know how long these will stay new, but things were changing in China, so they might be just as good as a similar train anywhere else.

Don't get me wrong. I LOVED China. And I'll give credit where credit is due. But don't let the hype fool you. Quality control is a foreign concept over there. Ask anyone who does business there. Or just watch the news for the latest recall.

[Fandango 1,440]

It probably will... after all, it's "made in China."

No, they import it from Boise, Idaho.

[Heracles 417]

USA! USA! USA! USA! oh wait, sh-t.

Even China has better roads than us.

Oh, no it doesn't!

Have you ever been on the roads? I have. I lived there for 8 years. They have some new, interstate-like roads that seem to be in very good condition. No better, but certainly as good as our newer roads. However, and I don't want to bag on China because they were doing some pretty good things. Of course, there is no universal education, or there wasn't when I got there. And there is no universal medicine. But there sure are lots of road works, including massive forestation along major highways. But, new in China only looks new for about 6 months. After that you'd give your first born in a bet that what you are looking at is at least 20 years old. Reworks were common. The bridge near my school was rebuilt three times in its first two years because it was done wrong the first two, maybe three, times. When I left it was only about 5 years old and already had potholes in it. Forget the road leading from the highway, over the bridge and to my school. It was only about 8 years old and it was total shite. In addition, the intercity highway was in fairly good condition, but you took your life into your hands every time you drove on it. I can't count the number of dead bodies I've seen along those highways, once right in the middle of oncoming lanes among a truckload of coal that seemed to be filling the highway like a bathtub. That one I'll never forget. It was nearly naked and broken like a grey rag doll. And forget getting help if you are in an accident. The traffic jams are legendary. I was once stuck in a traffic jam for 8 hours. This is no exaggeration. We met a French guy on the side of the road during that traffic jam who said he had been stuck there for 30 hours. He was in a Chinese overnight bus, but they hadn't been moving. This is not a one-off thing. It happens all the time. Not 30 hours or even 8, but 3 or 4 is not unusual. And then, no one moves aside for an ambulance. It doesn't even occur to them. And we won't get into the kind of care you would get even if you could get to a hospital on time. This is one of the reasons I left China. I didn't want my daughter to be in an accident or have to go to an emergency room for any reason.

As for the bullet train, I lived in Tianjin. The train was being built between Tianjin and Beijing. It was supposed to be finished before I left, in time for the Olympics. We were all of two minds about it. On the one hand it would cut nearly one hour off our trips to Beijing, not counting the traffic getting to the depot. And we could avoid the dangerous highways. On the other hand . . . well, as one of my friends put it, "I'm not riding that thing unless they put Hu Jin Tao and his entire cabinet on it." Ultimately, I probably would have taken it after a while, and I'll attest to their new trains being very nice. The old ones, not so much. I don't know how long these will stay new, but things were changing in China, so they might be just as good as a similar train anywhere else.

Don't get me wrong. I LOVED China. And I'll give credit where credit is due. But don't let the hype fool you. Quality control is a foreign concept over there. Ask anyone who does business there. Or just watch the news for the latest recall.

Good read.

They'll catch up. To consider they came from poverty to this in such a short amount of time is a success. They also have a hell of a lot of professionals from abroad working on projects over there.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Insults and personal attack are a violation of TOS and have been removed.

[mawilson 2,133]

Insults and personal attack are a violation of TOS and have been removed.

Damn you Kathryn! I missed it again!

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

haza dissed your mother, mawilson.

[mawilson 2,133]

haza dissed your mother, mawilson.

Damn! Can't believe I missed it.

Haza... do it again man!

[LoriLawless 1]

haza dissed your mother, mawilson.

Damn! Can't believe I missed it.

Haza... do it again man!

[Mrs.J06 4]

USA! USA! USA! USA! oh wait, sh-t.

Even China has better roads than us.

Well, you know Americans don't really like trains. The Chinaman has no choice because he is too poor to own a car.

And the train will derail and crash killing thousands of people due to poor engineering. Go China. Maybe they can paint it with some of the lead paint they use on their kids toys?

It probably will... after all, it's "made in China."

I'm sure they have copied enough engineering from Japan, France and Germany to make it halfway safe at least.