Thursday, August 06, 2009

Heaven on the Earth


There was an old, old saying: There is the heaven on the sky; there are Suzhou and Hangzhou on the ground. Hangzhou is known for its scenic lake and harmonic living as the best place to live on the earth, NOT.

Less than a month after the infamous qishima (seventy kilometers per hour) tragedy, another girl was killed by a speeding car on a pedestrian crossing. 'Qishima' immediately became a household Chinese vocabulary because the police cited the driver's words as the actual speed. The case drew national attention because apparent police corruption. Based on online tickets tracking, the driver should have been revoked his driver's license years ago but police accepted money and took care of the rest. After the accident, the Hangzhou police used the driver's words as the actual speed without a survey of the scene. Thousands of people demonstrated in many cities near and far. The driver was sentenced to three years in prison.

While the Hangzhou government was publicly humiliated. The police had to apologize for using Qishima. As a remedy after the tragedy, the Hanghzou government set up 10 'LOVING HEART' pedestrian crossing at most busiest intersections in downtown. These special pedxings are twice broader than ordinary crossings and painted with giant heart shapes over colorful stripes.

Seventeen years old Fangfang Ma was hit by a Prosche Cayenne on one of these 'loving heart' in front of the local TV station in front of hundreds of people.

After the accident, the passenger, a woman, and the driver, a drunk man, switched their seats in front of hundreds of witnesses. Although angry witnesses informed the police, Hangzhou police took only a blood sample from the woman.

Thousands of witnesses threatened to burn the police cars. Only then police took the blood sample from the man. However, the police told the crowd they would submit the sample to a hospital the next morning and that the alcohol test would take days to get a reading.

The driver's name is Zhigang Wei. Zhigang Wei is the son of Minxuan Wei, a Party member and prominent businessman. The woman claimed to be his girlfriend. Witnesses said she was a prostitute of the Jinbihui Nightclub. The license plate of the Porsche is Zhe-A-892E9.

As commentators said, Hangzhou is indeed the place closest to the Heaven. Rich people live in the heaven, and poor people are sent to the heaven.

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