Enforcing the law can be sweaty work
Print Edition
THIS is Li Junwei’s first summer working as a traffic policeman.
The 23-year-old has been enforcing the law at the busy intersections of Huashan Road at Nanjing Road W. and Yan’an Road M. near Jing’an Temple since April.
Li dreamed of becoming a policeman when he was interning at the airport as a college undergraduate, but the job is proving to be much more challenging than he expected.
“On a scorching workday I drink four to 5 liters of water and don’t feel like going to the toilet at all,” he said.
On a morning shift, Li arrives at his assigned intersections by 7:30am and his blue shirt is soaking with sweat within half an hour.
Over the next two hours, he waves and whistles at cars, urging the traffic to move along. A parasol has been erected in the middle of the intersection of Huashan Road at Nanjing Road W. to provide a little shade for him, but he is moving around so much that he rarely uses it.
When the rush hours are over, Li patrols on a motorcycle to deal with traffic offenders, but finds the seat too hot to sit on.
When it’s 35 degrees Celsius, the temperature of the ground can exceed 50 degrees, causing the soles of his shoes to become unglued.
“Sometimes I wear winter boots when working because they have thicker soles that are less likely to come unglued in high temperatures,” he said.
Sunscreen is another problem.
“The cream melts fast, and melted sunscreen on the face and body only adds to the discomfort,” Li said.
But the hardest part of his work is dealing with law-breaking drivers who swear at him and insult him.
“I wish people could be a bit more understanding,” Li said.
To stay in shape, Li said he jogs for half an hour after work every day.
“I love my job, and it’s rewarding for me and my colleagues to see the traffic move more quickly with fewer offenses committed by drivers,” he said.
Jing’an police officials said they’re trying to make life more bearable for traffic officers during the summer by distributing water and alternating their posts between busy and less busy intersections.
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