A Traffic Jam Like No Other

If you think your commute is bad, take heart: a nine-day, 100-kilometer traffic jam recently befouled the Beijing-Tibet Expressway. It was reportedly caused by “maintenance construction,” although the road is often troubled by traffic. Local residents took advantage of the traffic jam by hiking up food prices charged to truck drivers. “Instant noodles are sold at four times the original price while I wait in the congestion,” says one truck driver. “Not only the congestion annoys me, but also those vendors.” Although the jam was predicted to last through September, recent reports indicate it’s already cleared up. [%comments]