Opinion: Hey, Hong Kong pedestrians! We’re driving here
Why do so many Hongkongers think nothing of stepping into roads without looking?
Drivers are always complaining about the bad habits of other motorists in Hong Kong.
“Don’t they teach you how to use a f*****g roundabout at driving schools here?” and, “Use your c*****g indicators” are refrains I frequently hear in the passenger seat of foul-mouthed friends’ cars.
Something else I heard recently was: “Don’t they teach the Green Cross Code here?” That’s because many pedestrians also don’t seem to have much common sense when it comes to navigating roads.
The Green Cross Code teaches safety basics, such as looking left, right and left again before stepping out onto a road. It used to be broadcast on British television as a public service announcement. It was intended to save lives.
Take one recent example. I was on a minibus that was pulling into a busy terminus. Just as the driver turned, a young woman stepped out onto the road without looking to see whether anything was coming. She wasn’t even being distracted by a smartphone!
