When traveling, we usually take a taxi. Though more expensive than the subway or a bus, they are still relatively cheap. They start at what amounts to about a dollar fifty US and, unless we are going a long way, never cost more than about three bucks. Add to that the faster time tables and the enjoyment of not riding with several thousand other people and we generally figure it is worth the extra Yuan.

While this is true, there are still problems riding a taxi, the main one being that you have to actually tell the driver where you would like to go. I do know how to say where I live, but that’s about it. For all other places, my language is too limited. Luckily the company that my wife works for gave us a laminated card with a number of common destinations printed upon it in Chinese. When we go to those places I only have to show the driver the card and away we go. For anywhere else I have to call someone (usually my ever patient brother-in-law) and pass the phone to the driver where conversations can be had.

Sometimes even with a card things get turned around, like when my wife and I were trying to go to Metro (a Costco-like store) the other day. I showed the driver the name of the store on my little card, but he didn’t seem to know where it was. Being a good taxi driver he took off towards a destination (any one will do) at great speeds. I first began to get nervous when at red lights he would roll down his window to talk to other cab drivers.

Eventually we made it to one of the other shopping centers on my card and I was about to tell him to just drop us off there, when he talked to another driver and dashed off again. We essentially did a giant loop around greater Pudong before making it to the place we wanted to go. It took us nearly an hour and about 60 Yuan for a trip that should have taken ten minutes and 15 Yuan.

Riding in taxis is always an exhilarating (if at times life threatening) experience. With millions of people living in the city there are nearly as many cars and I think those cars are always riding on the streets where I want to be. There is nothing rush about rush hour. It is nothing but grinding, halting traffic at any hour.