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I think it's a shame that private automobiles were introduced in China. There are too many people in large Chinese cities for them to all want to ride in a car
by dublinben 13y ago
I think it's a shame that private automobiles were introduced in China. There are too many people in large Chinese cities for them to all want to ride in a car. Imagine how much more livable these cities would be if everyone was either riding a bike or the subway.
- olalonde 13y agoI don't know about Beijing but in Shenzhen, lots of the newer apartments are located in "no car" gardens that can span over a few blocks. There are lots of trees, swimming pools, tennis courts, etc. Quite livable places actually.
- seanmcdirmid 13y agoAll nicer apartment blocks are like that, actually; they usually have a garage underneath but even this is too expensive for most people (whose work unit will give them a Mercedes even if they can't afford a parking space!), so they park on the street...fun stuff.
- olalonde 13y agoI've actually always wondered about that. I often see loads of Mercedes/BMW/Lexus/Porsche cars parked around old buildings where the rent is less than 150$/month. If what you say is true (companies giving Mercedes to their employees), why is this? Or do some Chinese prefer owning an expensive car rather then living in a nice place?
- seanmcdirmid 13y agoI said "work unit" and I'm talking about government employees :) The government gives them the car and they use their connections to "qualify" for subsidized housing (the kind they are building for the poor!). So the result is a lot of Audi's parked around public housing. Whatever works.