Chengdu Trip #5: Back to Chengdu

With nothing else to do or see in Zigong, we headed back to Chengdu Sunday morning. Unlike the small bus station in Chengdu, the main Zigong bus station is much larger. Also, the buses seem to run on a schedule. For some reason the bus ticket for the trip back was only RMB65 and there are assigned seating on the ticket. I guess the seat numbers are assigned sequentially; my friend and I ended up sitting in different rows. I’m at the very back of the bus and interestingly, out of the 5 people sitting back here, there are three notebook computers out. One guy has a GPRS wireless card and he’s surfing the Internet and the girl next to me was playing Warcraft… or at least trying to play since it’s very difficult to play with a touchpad.


Chengdu North Gate bus station. There were many many rows of buses, probably several hundred buses in all.

I am noticing a general lack of courtesy everywhere in China. You’d figure with 1.3 billion people, they would be more considerate but the opposite seems to be true. While we were waiting for our bus at the Zigong station, a girl was playing MP3’s out loud with her cell phone. I guess it doesn’t matter if other people in the waiting area want to hear or not. Likewise, the girl next to me on the bus was playing songs out loud on her computer, even singing along, poorly. Sheesh, get a pair of headphones or something.

Chinese drivers are terrible. Instead of slowing down or stopping for pedestrians, they would incessantly honk their horn so you will get out of their way. They also don’t seem to obey any traffic signs. I think part of the explanation is that cars are pretty expensive and most people cannot afford one; car owners probably feel a sense of entitlement because of their wealth… communist paradise indeed.

What I hate the worst is when people try to get on the elevator before you’ve had a chance to get off. How am I supposed to get out of the elevator if you’re blocking my way?


Guy at the departure gate in Chengdu. Dude doesn't look old or pregnant; maybe he's weak (love the white t-shirt/pinstripe pants/white socks/dress shoes combo though). It wasn't just him though. The other three seats were occupied just before I took the photo and none fit the description.