- E-bike season starts as spring arrives, ending winter hibernation and car reliance
- Pre-app taxi hailing was risky; scarce cabs, haggling fares, and urban legends
- Didi revolutionized transport with GPS, app bookings, and premium, sensory-friendly options
- Taxis improved with accountability, though occasional odd encounters keep life interesting
I got my e-bike out today. As the Year of The Snake crawls into March, and the cherry blossoms burst into bloom, the days grow longer and life returns to those of us who have spent the winter in hibernation. Hibernation season begins the day the ebike is retired and four-wheeled friends become my mode of transport. A lot has changed since our first Year of The Snake 12 years ago, and although Iโm usually wary of sweeping generalisations, in this case, it has all been for the better.
ๆไปๅคฉๆๆ็็ตๅจ่ช่ก่ฝฆๆฟๅบๆฅไบใ ้็่ๅนด่ฟๅ ฅไธๆ๏ผๆจฑ่ฑ็ๅผ๏ผๆฅๅญ่ถๆฅ่ถ้ฟ๏ผๆไปฌ่ฟไบๅฌ็ ็ไบบ็็ๆดปๅๅๆฅไบใ ๅฌ็ ๅญฃ่ไป็ตๅจ่ช่ก่ฝฆ้ๅฝน็้ฃๅคฉๅผๅง๏ผๅ่ฝฎๆๅๆไธบๆ็ไบค้ๅทฅๅ ทใ ่ช12ๅนดๅใ่ใ็็ฌฌไธๅนดไปฅๆฅ๏ผๅ็ไบๅพๅคๅๅ๏ผ่ฝ็ถๆ้ๅธธๅฏน็ฌผ็ป็ๆฆๆฌๆ่ญฆๆ๏ผไฝๅจ่ฟ็งๆ ๅตไธ๏ผไธๅ้ฝๅๅพๆดๅฅฝไบใ
Back then, before the dawn of WeChat or Alipay, hailing a cab was an entirely different experience to todayโs app-flicking simplicity. It was a much more rough and ready undertaking for a multiplicity of reasons.
้ฃๆถ๏ผๅจๅพฎไฟกๆๆฏไปๅฎ็้ปๆไนๅ๏ผๅซๅบ็ง่ฝฆๆฏไธ็งไธไปๅคฉๅบ็จ็จๅบ่ฝปๅผน็็ฎๅๆงๅฎๅ จไธๅ็ไฝ้ชใ ๅบไบๅค็งๅๅ ๏ผ่ฟๆฏไธไธชๆดๅ ่ฐ้พๅๅๅค็ไปปๅกใ
Firstly, you had to actually spy one of these elusive creatures in the wild and flag it down.
้ฆๅ ๏ผไฝ ๅฟ ้กป็ๆญฃๅจ้ๅค็่ง่ฟไบ้พไปฅๆๆธ็็็ฉไนไธ๏ผๅนถๆๅฎๆ ่ฎฐไธๆฅใ
Xianlin was still in its infancy as a suburban centre back then, so they were few and far between. It didnโt help that I had two babies and an unwieldy double buggy which made many drivers speed on by.
ๅฝๆถ๏ผไปๆไฝไธบ้ๅบไธญๅฟไปๅคไบ่ตทๆญฅ้ถๆฎต๏ผๆไปฅๅฎไปฌๅพๅฐใ ๆๆไธคไธชๅญฉๅญๅไธ่ผ็ฌจ้็ๅไบบ่ถ้่ฝฆ๏ผ่ฟ่ฎฉๅพๅคๅธๆบ่ถ ้่่ฟ๏ผ่ฟไน็กๆฟๆผไบใ
The first option was by and far the most dodgy. You could approach a so-called โBlack Taxiโ; a ragtaggle collection of ramshackle vehicles that parked at the gates of compounds and drove intrepid customers around the city. Without a license or a meter in sight, it was a reliable but somewhat nerve-wracking experience. Was the driver drunk, or did he always drive like this? Was this an illegal taxi or had I hopped in beside an axe-murderer? Who was that other person asleep in the passenger seat? So many questions.
็ฌฌไธไธช้ๆฉๆฏ่ฟไปไธบๆญขๆๅฏ็็ใ ไฝ ๅฏไปฅๆฅ่ฟไธ่พๆ่ฐ็โ้ป่ฒๅบ็ง่ฝฆโ๏ผไธ่พ็ ด็ไธๅ ช็่ฝฆ่พ๏ผๅๅจๅคง้ข้จๅฃ๏ผๅผ่ฝฆๅธฆ็ๆ ็็้กพๅฎขๅจๅๅธ้่ฝฌ่ฝฌใ ๅจๆฒกๆ่ฎธๅฏ่ฏๆไปช่กจ็ๆ ๅตไธ๏ผ่ฟๆฏไธๆฌกๅฏ้ ไฝๆไบ็ดงๅผ ็็ปๅใ ๅธๆบๆฏๅ้ไบ๏ผ่ฟๆฏไปๆปๆฏ่ฟๆ ทๅผ่ฝฆ๏ผ ่ฟๆฏไธ่พ้ๆณๅบ็ง่ฝฆ๏ผ่ฟๆฏๆ่ทณ่ฟไบๆงๅคด่ฐๆ่ ๆ่พน๏ผ ๅจๅฏ้ฉพ้ฉถๅบงไธ็ก็็้ฃไธชไบบๆฏ่ฐ๏ผ ่ฟไนๅค้ฎ้ขใ
Better by far to hail a yellow taxi (or green, depending on which side of our fair city you dwell).
ๅฐ็ฎๅไธบๆญข๏ผๆๅฅฝๅซไธ่พ้ป่ฒๅบ็ง่ฝฆ๏ผๆ็ปฟ่ฒ๏ผๅๅณไบไฝ ไฝๅจๆไปฌๅ ฌๅนณๅๅธ็ๅชไธ่พน๏ผใ
If you did manage to lure a passing taxi to the curb, the next challenge was to negotiate the fare which meant, a), speaking to the driver, and b), really asking yourself the question โHow badly do I need this cab?โ. Even if you did manage to convince the driver to turn on the meter, they could still detour their way to a similarly outrageous fare, turning a ten minute trip into an odyssey.
ๅฆๆไฝ ็กฎๅฎ่ฎพๆณๅผ่ฏฑไธ่พ่ทฏ่ฟ็ๅบ็ง่ฝฆๅฐ่ทฏ่พน๏ผไธไธไธชๆๆๆฏๅๅ็ฅจไปท๏ผ่ฟๆๅณ็๏ผa๏ผไธๅธๆบไบค่ฐ๏ผb๏ผ็ๆญฃ้ฎ่ชๅทฑ่ฟไธช้ฎ้ขโๆๆๅค้่ฆ่ฟ่พๅบ็ง่ฝฆ๏ผโใ ๅณไฝฟไฝ ็กฎๅฎ่ฎพๆณ่ฏดๆๅธๆบๆๅผ่ฎกไปทๅจ๏ผไปไปฌไป็ถๅฏไปฅ็ป้ๅฐๅๆ ท็ฆป่ฐฑ็็ฅจไปท๏ผๅฐๅๅ้็ๆ ็จๅๆๅฅฅๅพท่ตใ
One friend of mine refused to ever approach these elusive beasts, however. According to her, a friend of a friend had taken one of these taxis several years back. The friend and her husband were riding in the back when suddenly, the driver stopped on a secluded road and got out of the car to check the tire. Several minutes passed before the husband alighted to check what the problem was, when lo and behold, the driver punched him, jumped back in the car and absconded with the manโs wife.
็ถ่๏ผๆ็ไธๅๆๅๆ็ตๆฅ่ฟ้ไบ้ฃไปฅๆๆธ็้็ธใ ๆฎๅฅน่ฏด๏ผๅ ๅนดๅ๏ผไธไธชๆๅ็ๆๅๅ่ฟๅ ถไธญไธ่พๅบ็ง่ฝฆใ ๆๅๅๅฅน็ไธๅคซๆญฃๅๅจๅ้ข๏ผ็ช็ถ๏ผๅธๆบๅๅจไธๆกๅป้็้่ทฏไธ๏ผไธ่ฝฆๅปๆฃๆฅ่ฝฎ่ใ ่ฟไบๅ ๅ้๏ผไธๅคซๆไธ่ฝฆๆฃๆฅ้ฎ้ขๅบๅจๅช้๏ผ็ช็ถ๏ผๅธๆบๆไบไปไธๆณ๏ผ่ทณๅ่ฝฆ้๏ผๅ็ทไบบ็ๅฆปๅญไธ่ตท่ตฐไบใ
And she was never seen again! Or maybe she showed up, minus a kidney.
ๅไน่งไธๅฐๅฅนไบ๏ผ ๆ่ ไน่ฎธๅฅนๅบ็ฐไบ๏ผ้คไบ่พ่ใ
I canโt recall how that particular urban legend ended. This was all part of an illegal organ trafficking scam, my friend assured me, and for that reason, one should never go near these yellow death wagons.
ๆไธ่ฎฐๅพ้ฃไธช็นๆฎ็ๅๅธไผ ่ฏดๆฏๆไน็ปๆ็ใ ๆ็ๆๅๅๆไฟ่ฏ๏ผ่ฟ้ฝๆฏ้ๆณๅจๅฎ่ดฉ่ฟ้ชๅฑ็ไธ้จๅ๏ผๅบไบ่ฟไธชๅๅ ๏ผไบบไปฌๆฐธ่ฟไธๅบ่ฏฅ้ ่ฟ่ฟไบ้ป่ฒ็ๆญปไบก้ฉฌ่ฝฆใ
But I wasnโt scared of urban legends, oh no. I was far more afraid of the cacophony of smells and sounds that assailed the senses when travelling by taxi. Over the years, my brain has amassed a vast catalogue of offensive odours and nefarious noises. Cigarette smoke, garlic and fetid body odour are a sure fire recipe for car-sickness, with added bonus points for if the car-sickness manifests itself.
ไฝๆๅนถไธๅฎณๆๅๅธไผ ่ฏด๏ผๅฆ๏ผไธใ ๆๆดๅฎณๆไนๅๅบ็ง่ฝฆๆ ่กๆถๅบๆฟๆๅฎ็ๆฐๅณๅๅฃฐ้ณ็ไธๅ่ฐใ ๅคๅนดๆฅ๏ผๆ็ๅคง่็งฏ็ดฏไบๅคง้ไปคไบบๅๆถ็ๆฐๅณๅ้ชๆถ็ๅช้ณ็ฎๅฝใ ้ฆ็็้พใๅคง่ๅๆถ่ญ็ไฝๅณๆฏๅผ่ตทๆ่ฝฆ็ๅฟ ็ปไน่ทฏ๏ผๅฆๆๆ่ฝฆ่กจ็ฐๅบๆฅ๏ผ่ฟๆ้ขๅค็ๅ ๅใ
Then the sensory overload becomes really problematic, with the risk of chain-car-sickness-manifestations.
็ถๅ๏ผๆๅฎ่ถ ่ฝฝๅๅพ้ๅธธๆ้ฎ้ข๏ผๆ่ฟ้่ฝฆ็ ็่กจ็ฐ็้ฃ้ฉใ
Add to that the blipping and beeping of the 17 iPhones attached to the dashboard, all at full volume, and we are well on the way to a full-blown mental fracture. It wasnโt my kidneys I was worried about. It was my sanity.
ๅๅ ไธ่ฟๆฅๅฐไปช่กจๆฟ็17้จiPhone็ๅๅๅฃฐๅๅๅๅฃฐ๏ผๆไปฌๆญฃๅคไบๅ จ้ข็ฒพ็ฅๅดฉๆบ็่ทฏไธใ ๆๆ ๅฟ็ไธๆฏๆ็่พ่ใ ่ฟๆฏๆ็็ๆบใ
Yet, over time, the chaos yields to a certain logic, almost a poetry of motion. The taxi drivers of Nanjing are masters of their domain. If you want to get somewhere fast, hang your head out that window and grab a yellow cab. Nowadays, it is so much easier too.
็ถ่๏ผ้็ๆถ้ด็ๆจ็งป๏ผๆททไนฑๅฑๆไบๆ็ง้ป่พ๏ผๅ ไนๆฏ่ฟๅจ็่ฏๆญใ ๅไบฌ็ๅบ็ง่ฝฆๅธๆบๆฏไปไปฌ้ขๅ็ไธปไบบใ ๅฆๆไฝ ๆณๅฟซ้ๅฐ่พพๆไธชๅฐๆน๏ผๆๅคดไผธๅบ็ชๅค๏ผ็ถๅๅไธ่พ้ป่ฒ็ๅบ็ง่ฝฆใ ๅฆไป๏ผ่ฟไนๅฎนๆๅคไบใ
Didi burst onto the scene in 2012, using GPS to coordinate nearby cabs it allowed smartphone users to contract ride services without taking to the streets or risking bankruptcy. It became accessible through Alipay and WeChat in 2013, and revolutionised transport.
ๆปดๆปดไบ2012ๅนด้ฏๅ ฅ็ฐๅบ๏ผไฝฟ็จGPSๅ่ฐ้่ฟ็ๅบ็ง่ฝฆ๏ผๅฎๅ ่ฎธๆบ่ฝๆๆบ็จๆทๅจไธไธ่กๆๅ็ ดไบง้ฃ้ฉ็ๆ ๅตไธ็ญพ็บฆไน่ฝฆๆๅกใ 2013ๅนด๏ผๅฎ้่ฟๆฏไปๅฎๅๅพฎไฟกๅฏไปฅ่ฎฟ้ฎ๏ผๅนถๅฝปๅบๆนๅไบไบค้ใ
At first, it was simply a matter of securing the elusive taxi without hunting for it in the wild; convenient, but still with its sensory challenges. But then, Did Premier came along, with its swanky black exterior and plush, silent insides, and friends, for the win, working seatbelts!
่ตทๅ๏ผ่ฟๅชๆฏไธไธช็กฎไฟ้พไปฅๆๆธ็ๅบ็ง่ฝฆ็้ฎ้ข๏ผ่ไธๅฟ ๅจ้ๅคๅฏปๆพๅฎ๏ผๅพๆนไพฟ๏ผไฝไป็ถๆๆๅฎๆๆใ ไฝ้ๅ๏ผPremierๆฅไบ๏ผๅฎๆฅๆ่ฑชๅ็้ป่ฒๅค่งๅๆฏ็ป็ป๏ผๅฎ้็ๅ ้จ๏ผ่ฟๆๆๅ๏ผไธบไบ่ๅฉ๏ผๅทฅไฝๅฎๅ จๅธฆ๏ผ
Gone were the days of sliding up and down the back seat whilst fighting waves of nausea.
ๅจๅๅบงไธไธไธๆปๅจ๏ผๅๆถไธๆถๅฟ็ๆตชๆฝฎไฝๆไบ็ๆฅๅญๅทฒ็ปไธๅปไธๅค่ฟไบใ
These swift and elegant beasts became a stalwart for the sensorily sensitive among us, and now, there are even categories such as Premiere Executive and Luxe, but I have yet to experience the upper echelons of the Didi experience.
่ฟไบๅฟซ้่ไผ้ ็้ๅ ฝๆไธบๆไปฌไธญๆๅฎๆๆ็ๅๅฎ่ ๏ผ็ฐๅจ๏ผ็่ณ่ฟๆPremiere ExecutiveๅLuxe็ญ็ฑปๅซ๏ผไฝๆ่ฟๆฒกๆไฝ้ช่ฟDidiไฝ้ช็้ซๅฑใ
Whilst the rise of the Didi phenomenon has impacted the taxi industry, they are holding their own with the multitude of Didi options out there, and the yellow cabs have benefitted from the accountability of app tracing and official taxi licenses necessary nowadays. Gone are the urban legends of organ trafficking. Gone too are the nefarious Black Taxis that operated with nere a license nor a worry in the world.
่ฝ็ถๆปดๆปด็ฐ่ฑก็ๅ ด่ตทๅฝฑๅไบๅบ็ง่ฝฆ่กไธ๏ผไฝไปไปฌๆญฃๅจไธไผๅคๆปดๆปด้ๆฉ็ธๅพ็๏ผ้ป่ฒๅบ็ง่ฝฆๅ็ไบๅฝไปๅฟ ่ฆ็ๅบ็จ็จๅบ่ฟฝ่ธชๅๅฎๆนๅบ็ง่ฝฆๆง็ ง็้ฎ่ดฃๅถใ ๅจๅฎ่ดฉ่ฟ็ๅๅธไผ ่ฏดๅทฒ็ปไธๅปไธๅค่ฟไบใ ้ชๆถ็้ป่ฒๅบ็ง่ฝฆไนๆถๅคฑไบ๏ผ่ฟไบๅบ็ง่ฝฆๆฒกๆๆง็ ง๏ผไนไธ็จๆ ๅฟใ
That said, last week I did jump into the back of a car and tell the driver the last four digits of my phone number, before realising that the driver was not only dressed in pyjamas, but quite perplexed as to what I was doing there. Taxis may evolve, time passes by, but life in Nanjing will always remain interesting.
่ฏ่ฝๅฆๆญค๏ผไธๅจๆ็กฎๅฎ่ทณ่ฟไบ่ฝฆๅ๏ผๅ่ฏไบๅธๆบๆ็ต่ฏๅท็ ็ๆๅๅไฝๆฐๅญ๏ผ็ถๅๆ่ฏๅฐๅธๆบไธไป ็ฉฟ็็ก่กฃ๏ผ่ไธๅฏนๆๅจ้ฃ้ๅไปไน้ๅธธๅฐๆใ ๅบ็ง่ฝฆๅฏ่ฝไผๆผๅ๏ผๆถ้ดไผๆต้๏ผไฝๅไบฌ็็ๆดปๅฐๆฐธ่ฟๆ่ถฃใ
