Why is it said that the traffic jam in Haikou is an "open class" on urban civilization?

People’s Daily reported on February 23 that a heavy fog that has not been seen in 67 years has been lingering in the Qiongzhou Strait for many days. The three major ports in Haikou have experienced intermittent suspension of shipping, and this has kicked off the worst stranding of vehicles leaving the island in the city’s history. Since the 19th, more than 10,000 vehicles have queued up at the port every day, and the image of a traffic jam stretching for several kilometers is quite magical. The air ticket supply is also tight for the return trip, and the highest price of air tickets to Beijing and Harbin is even close to 20,000 yuan. Hainan, this treasure island that you don’t want to leave once you come here, has become a “place that is hard to leave once you come here” in reality.

Haikou traffic jam picture from People’s Daily

In order to cope with this big test, Haikou, which is at the center of the whirlpool, launched a first-level emergency plan and mobilized the whole city. All government departments quickly stepped into their roles. All civil servants made way for stranded vehicles and took a day off on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year. Even citizens, enthusiastic companies, volunteers, etc. also acted simultaneously to devote themselves to serving and protecting returning passengers. Even citizens who were unable to return home normally due to congested roads, although they had minor complaints, still provided empathetic understanding and warmed the hearts of stranded passengers on their way home. A series of emergency measures, a series of heart-warming actions, and a warm feeling in the heart not only calmed the emotions of stranded passengers, but also stimulated the goodwill of local citizens. It deserves the media evaluation of "nationwide mobilization to warm the road home."

A rose with someone leaves a lingering fragrance in your hands. “You can still get a packed lunch in a traffic jam, an unprecedented experience”, “I praise the local government’s emergency response capabilities”, “Hainan has beautiful scenery and beautiful people”... These voices from stranded passengers also convey their understanding of Haikou’s crisis management and emergency response Approval of disposal. Providing water, meals and giving way to tourists is not a city's obligation, but it embodies the humanistic care in the government's emergency response mechanism and the mutual help in private welfare. It demonstrates the heritage and warmth of a city. It can be said that despite the traffic jam, this civilized city has withstood the civilized test of emergencies.

However, we also saw some unsatisfactory pictures. Videos of stranded vehicles honking their horns collectively and garbage strewn along the traffic jam went viral on WeChat Moments; a stranded passenger insisted on asking for four portions of hot porridge when a volunteer stated that each person could only receive one. After being refused, he angrily threw the porridge at the volunteer. Another stranded passenger was discouraged from smoking at a gas station, so he chased the volunteer... Needless to say, the quality of some passengers did not pass this civilized test. "We are always used to hurting the people closest to us. Because our ability is limited to hurting those around us." This popular saying is widely circulated in the circle of friends, although some have waited ten or twenty hours It is understandable for travelers who are stranded for even longer periods to feel impatient, but it makes no sense to vent their bad emotions to the nearest enthusiastic person. The fog-locked strait is a force majeure. Just like we don’t tolerate tourists causing chaos at the airport when flights are delayed due to weather conditions, we don’t view low-quality behavior as rights protection.

The fog can block the way home for a while, but it cannot block the light of humanity in the heart. Some stranded passengers were impressed by the volunteers' heart-warming services and joined the ranks of volunteers; the incident of collective honking of stranded vehicles' horns that once caused controversy gradually disappeared; tourists crossing the sea used their mobile phones to record the moments of volunteers' heart-warming services... many Positive feedback proves that as long as emergency measures are effective, crisis management is kept up, volunteer services are normalized, and information push is timely and comprehensive, we can prevent the spread of irritability due to "blocked roads" and allow passengers to take over and pass on the warmth. There's always more.

Some people say that the traffic jam in Haikou is not only an "open lesson" in urban civilization, but also an "enlightenment lesson" in emergency response. Haikou’s experience in this incident is worth learning from many tourist cities. However, it is not a reflection on crisis prevention and a reflection on scientific development. Winter tourism in Hainan is popular every year, and the flow of people in popular cities is high. Even if there is no heavy fog, traffic jams are not uncommon. Can government departments make better judgments in advance, and can meteorological departments provide more accurate warnings? When a city becomes so popular for tourism that the flow of people oppresses the experience, should it consider regulating and limiting the flow of people, or should the focus shift from the construction of the tourism "hinterland" to the construction of the transportation "neck"? The gathering of tourists during festivals is becoming more and more frequent. How to implement paid vacations without worries in reality... The straightening of question marks will pave the way for a wonderful travel experience.

As the dense fog weather has weakened, airlines have increased their transportation capacity, Guangdong Ferry has come to support, and on-site guidance has been effective, and the "blockage" in Haikou has gradually eased. In this process, whether it is regrets and shortcomings, or progress and efforts, it leaves every participant, bystander, and especially government administrators thinking: people are on the journey, but also on the journey of their hearts. Cooperation is needed.