China can be known for its apathy, but nothing quite sums it up like an abandoned vehicle – in the middle of the road – that people have just been going around for more than 20 days.
The van partially fell into a manhole and got stuck, so the driver decided to abandon it. Of course, being Shenyang, the traffic implications have been, shall we say, significant.
Although the manhole has the city’s name on it and is marked “municipal administration drainage”, Shenyang authorities are refusing to accept responsibility, instead suggesting the driver pursue the case in court. That might make sense, but it doesn’t change the fact the road is still partially blocked by an abandoned vehicle. For his part, the driver rejected the city’s position and is seeking RMB 200,000 ($32,200) in compensation.
As the only warning given to drivers about the faulty manhole cover was a squashed traffic cone, the unnamed driver remains confident he has a good case. And he maintains he’d lose the case if he moved the van, saying:
I can not move the car, because then I would not have anything to reason with!
Leverage indeed. We wish the driver the best of luck. And wish the drivers attempting to drive around his minivan the best of patience.
