Beijing Warning or Danger Tips by Tina-Perth

The driving in China is positively frightening. The drivers are not only careless, they take tremendous risks seemingly without regard to the consequences.

If you're not driving, (and I wouldn't) there's not much you can do to ensure your safety. Drivers there were making extra lanes out of nothing, coming so close to our vehicle that they hit our rear view mirror. We saw 15 accidents in one day which was only about 3 hours of driving, one of which was only about 200m in front of us on a 110kph highway. It could have been us if the timing had been seconds different. A car had left the opposite side of the road, crashed over the barrier and landed on its roof on the roof of the car travelling in the same direction as us. It turned out that at least 5 people were killed that day.

The picture shows you how close the traffic is. The drivers take no notice of the road markings and create additional lanes.

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The toilets in China are positively vile! They are all squat toilets such as this one except for hotels and some tourist areas. Even when they are a pedestal toilet, the Chinese squat on the seat anyway, so it is usually covered in dirt, urine and sometimes splashes of faeces. The floors can also be very messy, be particularly careful not to slip over!

Toilet paper is never supplied in these toilets and you'll be lucky to find a basin. Make sure you take your own tissues and/or moist wipes everywhere with you in China.

My further advice to you is to push the doors open with your feet if possible as everything is caked in grime and mould. DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING! Use your tissue or towellette if you must touch something.

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