Same thing happens with us when we take a taxi there. My own personal demonstration is when one of those black audis tries to honk me out of the way, I just slow my fat ass way down. They carry on a bit, but what do I care if the “Assistant (to the) Deputy Vice Committee Head for Beijing Water, Sewage, and Chuan’r Stands” is inconvenienced on his way to pick up his 18-year old mistress.

I’ve heard that rumor, too. Pathetic, really.

And once you start making allowances for ‘essential traffic’, it all falls apart; how the heck is anyone going to be able to differentiate? One of the problems is that so many of those black Audi bastards do actually live in the streets around there. The hell with making an exception for local residents. No-one should have a car in a hutong. The street is three-quarters of a mile long, for chrissakes – who can’t walk 600 yards. I’d pedestrianize that entire block. You’d just need to provide one or two sheltered parking areas somewhere nearby to keep the Audi-mob semi-happy.

But, since that’s obviously not going to happen…. I think it might be reasonable and practicable to start with banning taxis. Occasionally I cab over there from Sanlitun, and I always get off at the south end and walk up. The driver is always baffled, and telling me, “I can go up there, you know.” “Yes, but I don’t want you to.”