9 Day Traffic Jam in Beijing

[BlackLantern]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100823/sc_afp/chinaroadtraffic

BEIJING (AFP) – Thousands of vehicles were bogged down Monday in a more than 100-kilometre (62-mile) traffic jam leading to Beijing that has lasted nine days and highlights China's growing road congestion woes.
The Beijing-Tibet expressway slowed to a crawl on August 14 due to a spike in traffic by cargo-bearing heavy trucks heading to the capital, and compounded by road maintenance work that began five days later, the Global Times said.

The state-run newspaper said the jam between Beijing and Jining city had given birth to a mini-economy with local merchants capitalising on the stranded drivers' predicament by selling them water and food at inflated prices.

That stretch of highway linking Beijing with the northern province of Hebei and the Inner Mongolia region has become increasingly prone to massive jams as the capital of more than 20 million people sucks in huge shipments of goods.

 

[Scourge2099]

If that doesn't prove Asians can't drive , then I don't know what will ?

 

[PemLam]

The original news was followed up with the Chinese gov't saying even with 400 cops assisting, the traffic jam will probably not clear up until the construction is slated to be completed...on September 13th...21 more friggin days.

I hope they have a good supply of wet wipes, snacks and pee bottles in their vehicles.

 

[Jennifer Walters]

Holy ****. Can you imagine not seeing a family member for 21 days because they are stuck on the ROAD?!

 

[Raiden]

9 days?! If I were stuck in that traffic it'll probably drive me insane. Not sure how those car batteries will last that long either if the drivers use them for A/C etc.

 

[BlackLantern]

The original news was followed up with the Chinese gov't saying even with 400 cops assisting, the traffic jam will probably not clear up until the construction is slated to be completed...on September 13th...21 more friggin days.

I hope they have a good supply of wet wipes, snacks and pee bottles in their vehicles.

the good thing about pee bottles, anything bottle can be a pee bottle

 

[Spider-Who?]

And I thought MY commute was bad. Feel so bad for those people.

Apparently in China, their department of transportation has never heard of a detour, or god forbid, construction crews working on only portions of road at night or when traffic is at its lightest.

 

[Morg]

 

[Jennifer Walters]

If somebody told me there was a couple that consisted of a cat and a woman, and two old geriatric lesbians stuck in this. I'd tell them to send David Tennant, EASILY.

 

[Marx]

...and I get ticked off after 2 hours...

 

[Manic]

If somebody told me there was a couple that consisted of a cat and a woman, and two old geriatric lesbians stuck in this. I'd tell them to send David Tennant, EASILY.

"We told you, Brannigan. We're not sisters, we're married."

 

[Haff]

9 days of traffic? This sounds like a conspiracy to sell people high priced food and water. I wouldn't be surprised if the food company caused the traffic jam.

 

[BlackLantern]

interesting theory

[/tinfoilhat]

 

[Manic]

"You guys are commies?! Then why am I seeing rudimentary free market?"
-Homer Simpson upon arriving in China.

 

[Ghostvirus]

To be honest this sounds kind of fun. Imagine the people you would meet. It would be like a sudden tailgate party!

 

[Kelly]

Wow, I thought my 18 hour traffic jam was bad......damn

 

[Spidey-Bat]

I'd get out of my car and start walking. I can get a new car. I can't get back 9 days of my life.

 

[Wolfwood]

I wont be surprised to see this in LA one day.

 

[Kelly]

9 days? might be the infrasturcture of Beijing is not so good

It is built for bicycles......

 

[Aesop Rocks]

Looks like someones gonna have a case of the Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays.

 

[Aesop Rocks]

"We told you, Brannigan. We're not sisters, we're married."

For some reason, I read that in Audrey Hepburn's voice.

 

[BigSams50]

Damn, 9 days has got to suck.

 

[knowsbleed]

If that doesn't prove Asians can't drive , then I don't know what will ?

If this post doesn't prove that you tried and failed... I don't know what will.

 

[Manic]

For some reason, I read that in Audrey Hepburn's voice.

More like Katharine Hepburn in On Golden Pond.

"You're my knight in shining armor."

 

[Spidey-Bat]

It is built for bicycles......

What about Rickshaws?