Taxi drivers in Beijing enjoying Olympic period

On the morning of August 10, Mr. Han, a taxi driver with the Beijing Capital Taxi Company washed his car clean and arrived in Legendale Hotel by 8:00am. He was responsible for making sure the Minister of Sports from Argentina made it to all his activities that day, such as visiting the Lama Temple in the morning, the Olympic Village at noon, the Wukesong Stadium in the afternoon, the hockey field at time, and the Wukesong Basketball Stadium to watch the US-China basketball game. Han was home after 11:30 p.m., and only had a quick meal in his cab as lunch.



Han said he felt a bit guilty for not being able to fulfill his task perfectly. Because he has never been to the hockey field, he did not have any clue how to get there. Although having consulted volunteers, he was still a bit nervous."I really hate to delay his schedule." On the way, it began to rain heavily. Han wanted to open the window and ask for directions. But he pushed the wrong button and opened the window beside the minister by mistake."He got wet, and I quickly shut the window. I thought he was very unhappy, but he only told the interpreter to tell me to shut the window in a very quiet tone," said Han in a smile."I will work harder tomorrow."



Mr. Zhang Yushan has been working as a taxi driver for 19 years with the Luda Taxi Company. He is extremely busy during the Olympic Games period.



About 70% of Mr. Zhang's passengers are residents visiting Beijing from other parts of the country. Some of them did not buy tickets, but just wanted to visit the"Nest," the"Water Cube," and other Olympic venues; as well sites such as the Forbidden City, and Temple of Heaven."You know, there are several subway lines crossing the city, which is very convenient. Also the shuttle bus is very cheap. I usually drop them off near subway stations or bus stations, and tell them at which stops they should get off." Zhang told us that he does not have communication problems with foreign passengers. By using the GPS voice remote control system he can transfer passengers' messages to his company and have them translated.



"Actually many foreigners can speak several words or sentences in Chinese. Some of them even wish me"good luck" when getting out. Zhang's hard work pays off. He told us he can earn 100 yuan more than usual during the Olympic Games period.



At the main entrance of Winter Less Hotel, Mr. Jia Chuncheng just saw off a 20-year-old girl. He hurries and tunes in the radio to listen to the results of Chinese teams in the games. Mr. Jia learns about the Olympics from the radio. He often talks about Olympic Games with his passengers. Everyday, when he comes back from work, the first thing he does is turn on the television and watch the games.



Mr. Liu shares a cab with Mr. Jia and is doing the night shift. He told us he originally planned to stay at home and rest in celebration for the victory of China's basketball team, given the leading position of the team at the very beginning. The game between Spain and China was close. Jia said,"And I almost had a heart attack." But China ultimately lost. Liu turned on the ignition with a little regret.



By People's Daily Online