A Nanjing traffic policeman who pushed a broken-down bus with his bare hands under the scorching sun has become an internet celebrity in China after the story was picked up by national media, in the process revealing 34 years of conscientious service.
It was during the boiling-hot, morning rush hour of 12 August, when Qiao Zhongwu, 57, from the fifth squadron of Nanjing’s eighth traffic police brigade, performed the deed that would at last make him famous.
As usual, Qiao was on duty at a junction on Guxiong Lu in southwest Nanjing. At about 7 am, a bus suddenly broke down in the left-turn lane, blocking the road for other left-turning vehicles behind. Qiao immediately communicated with the driver, and learning that the bus could not start, simply said, “You steer, I will push, let’s get the bus to the side of the road together”.
Even an empty bus weighs several tons. With Qiao pushing as hard as he could, the bus started to move slowly across the intersection. Even though it was still early, the bus body was already hot from the sun, and soon Qiao’s hands had turned red, reported Nanjing Daily this morning.
At this point, the silhouette of the old policeman all alone pushing a bus impressed passers by, and three took it upon themselves to help. Even with their help, it took 10 minutes to get the bus to the side of the road. Qiao was left gasping for air, as beads of sweat dripped from the tips of his hair. He had not noticed his hands were burned.
A passing citizen posted a photo of the scene online, which was quickly picked up on by the People’s Daily, Xinhua News Agency, Central Radio’s Voice of China and several TV stations. While it may have been the bus-pushing effort that caught their attention, it turns out it was Qiao’s many other examples of selfless dedication to duty that brought him fame.
The area of Nanjing for which Qiao is responsible is Meishan, well known for its factories, mining and frequent traffic accidents involving ebikes. Qiao felt he had seen one too many, and took the initiative to make public safety awareness brochures from the live traffic accident cases that crossed his desk. After work, he would bring his assistants to residential communities, enterprises and schools, to better inform the public. This year alone, Qiao’s efforts have reached more than 10,000 people, greatly reducing the number of e-bike traffic accidents in the Meishan area.
Then there came Covid. With the outbreak early this year, Qiao gave up his Chinese New Year holiday to undertake front-line investigation and epidemic control, as well as handling the transfer of suspected patients. Qiao and younger officers would eat and sleep in police cars, while formulating their procedures and specifications for interception, temperature measurement and transfer. When encountering feverish persons, Qiao showed no fear in escorting them to hospital.
From 29 January to 22 February, Qiao inspected in excess of 5,000 vehicles and more than 10,000 people, transferring five with fever. All without PPE of any kind.
Speaking with reporters, Qiao said, “I will retire 3 in three years. As long as I’m still at work, I will continue to shine and contribute as much as possible”.
