The Beijing city government is continuing its push for Beijing taxi drivers to be conversant in English by 2008. Frankly, I’m not sure why unless the first phrase they learn is: “How do you get there?” You see, in Beijing knowing the location of a particular place is not included in the “taxi fare package deal.” Unless you’re going to someplace VERY big and rather famous (and even then, it’s no guarantee–more on this later) be prepared to have more than just an address. And if you’re going somewhere you’ve never been before yourself…good luck.
Recent conversation (in Chinese):
Me: “Take me to the Liangma River Building, Number 8, East Third Ring Road, North branch.”Driver: (scratching head) “Errr…I don’t recognize this place. How should I go?”Me: It’s on the Third Ring Road, big building, you don’t know it?Driver: (scratching belly) “Err…I don’t recognize it. I’ll go if you tell me how to get there, okay?”Me: I’ve never been there before, I don’t know how to get there.Driver: This will be difficult…
We finally found it and then only because 1) I kind of knew the area 2) it is RIGHT OFF OF THE Third Ring Road and 3) the building