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■香港路窄車多，駕駛者需要倍加留意路面情況。 資料圖片
Fai
A few weeks ago, as I was driving out of the gate of the university, a police officer happened to pass by on a motorcycle. When he spotted me, he pulled to an abrupt stop right in front of my car. Astride his motorcycle, he looked at me sternly, the corner of his mouth curved ever so slightly into a sneer(嘲笑). I looked backed, not knowing what was wrong. For a few seconds, we were engaged in a staring contest.
Since he was a man in uniform, I thought it might be a good idea to let him win, and so I put on a quizzical expression on my face instead. He seemed to relax a little bit right away. Very slowly, pointed at his right shoulder, and drew an invisible line down to his waist on the left. I had not put on my seat belt that morning. I tried to reach for it but it was too late. Guilty as charged. 5 minutes later, he left me with a traffic violation ticket, which cost me $320.
I have had very tough luck(運氣不好)driving in Hong Kong. I got my driving license in the US, where traffic conditions are very different. First of all, people drive on the right side of the road there. In the first month or so after my return to Hong Kong, I had to go through some mental adjustment whenever I got behind the steering wheel. You can imagine how unnerving(使人緊張不安的)it was. Driving on a straight road was not much of a challenge most of the time, but whenever I came to a roundabout, I had to remind myself not to enter the traffic on the wrong side. Secondly, the roads are usually a lot narrower here, giving the drivers very little room for turning. The road signs also tend to be small, and are placed so closely to each other that it requires the sharpest eyesight to catch them in time to avoid making the wrong move.
My biggest complaint, however, is not about the road, but the pedestrians, many of whom seem unable to stay on the sidewalk. Some sleepwalk(夢遊)onto the traffic, and would jump with a startled(驚嚇的)yelp when cars screech to a stop inches away from them. Others simply swagger(昂首闊步)fearlessly their way across the road like kamikaze pilots(神風特別攻擊隊), as if to dare any driver not to stop to run them down. Again, cars have to come to a screeching stop, with drivers honking and swearing furiously.
Yet others have the most incomprehensible way of crossing the road. It would appear that they realize the human body cannot stand up to the impact of a moving vehicle, for they do look right and left to make sure no car is approaching. They do not do it from the safety of the pavement, however. Instead, they nonchalantly(若無其事地)step out on to the road and then stop midway, before turning around to see whether there is any danger. I believe that most of the stop-and-go traffic in Hong Kong is caused by the likes of them.
The fact is that Hong Kong has the best public transportation in the whole world. It is efficient, clean and affordable. The service, which starts very early in the morning and continues until late at night, covers practically every corner of the city. Sometimes I wonder whether there is any need to own a car at all in Hong Kong, especially considering the hassles(麻煩)that one has to deal with. In addition to the traffic, there is the problem of looking for parking, which is in short supply(缺乏、供應不足)in Hong Kong. I have yet to say(have yet to, 還沒有)anything about the car registration and insurance fees, which add up to a hefty sum.
Understandably, all this makes me very wary of driving anywhere too far away from home. I have lived here for more than year, but I drive mostly in the New Territories. One of these days, I may summon enough courage(鼓足勇氣)to go farther, with my seat-belt on, of course. ■kingfaitam@gmail.com
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