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'Love relay' helps stricken cabbie
By Xu Wenwen |
August 28, 2012, Tuesday
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PEOPLE around the country have been moved by a spontaneous "love relay" in Hangzhou after 50 taxi drivers took over the cab of their colleague who had a brain hemorrhage. The cabbies are working together to cover medical costs and household expenses for their colleague.
Xing Xuangen, 52, has been a cabbie for 16 years. One night earlier this month, Xing had a brain hemorrhage after working about 12 hours. Passersby called police.
Xing was sent to the hospital and has been unconscious since the hemorrhage. This week he is going to have hyperbaric oxygen therapy although the blood in his brain has been eliminated. Xing may be bedridden in future, according to Hangzhou No. 3 People's Hospital.
However, every day his taxi is still being operated, driven by his co-workers from Hangzhou No. 1 Car Transportation Company.
"The man stops, but the cab cannot stop," said Wan Li, the driver who initiated the campaign to raise money for Xing and keep his taxi running.
Wan is the leader of Xing's cab squad and was the first person sent to the hospital by the company to take care of Xing.
"During the decade he worked for the company he has never received complaints and has had no traffic violations," said Wan. "We must help such a good person."
While the majority of the company's cabbies didn't know Xing before, they do now. Fifty cabbies have joined together in the "love relay."
"We drivers know what our colleagues feel," said cabbie Mo Xinkui, one of Xing's colleagues. "Many of us did not know him before, but many of us are of similar age and have suffered medical problems in the past. This is why we need to help."
Xing was the breadwinner in his family. His wife has been fighting against breast cancer for seven years and her treatment thus far has cost nearly 200,000 yuan (US$31,457). Every month, the family spends 2,000 yuan on her treatment.
Now the family has to rely on their daughter's salary, about 3,000 yuan per month.
Spontaneous campaign
Understanding the situation, Wan at first called on the taxi company and his colleagues to raise money for Xing and his family. He planned to have a few drivers run Xing's cab when they were free, but to his surprise, all 50 drivers decided to join in.
Drivers from other companies also called and volunteered to help run Xing's taxi.
"It was a spontaneous campaign, and the company has applied for medical aid from the labor union," said Wu A'gen, an official from Hangzhou No. 1 Car Transportation company.
Since August 11, Xing's taxi has been operated from 5am to 4pm by a squad of 50 rotating drivers. The license plate carries the slogan "Love relay - For Unconscious Taxi Driver."
Pan Jie was the first driver to operate Xing's cab. He earned 280 yuan on Xing's behalf. Ping Rongxin, Wan Li, Yang Zhimei, Jiang Huiliang and Zhou Weiming followed.
The cab makes 300 yuan everyday on average, about 100 yuan more than Xing was making. Wan said the reason is simple.
"We work harder on this cab - almost every driver gets up earlier to extend the working time," Wan said.
Cabbie Ding Linfa put his business aside in order to drive Xing's cab. Feng Xiquan, who suffers from asthma, rearranged his schedule to help out. Jiang Huiliang, who had a gall-stone removed two years ago, said he needs to help too because his colleagues helped him in the past. And Yang Zhimei said she has called Wan three times a day to find out what she can do to help. While driving Xing's cab they spread his story to passengers. Some passengers donate money while others said they would be happy to take a turn driving Xing's cab (although this is not allowed).
Now the story is on weibo.
"Lots of people ask me on weibo how to donate money or how they can hire the cab," Wan said. "I didn't expect this 'love relay' would move so many people."
On August 16, Xing received 2,200 yuan from Lin Jian, an engineer from Beijing. It was the first donation from someone outside Zhejiang Province. Soon after, people on weibo started a campaign to donate their "taxi fee" to Xing by assuming they had already taken his cab.
"I am in Beijing, and the taxi fee for my commute is 80 yuan, and I want to donate 80 yuan," wrote one poster. "I am in Guangzhou, the taxi fee for my commute is 128 yuan, and I want to send the money to Xing," wrote another.
To keep up with demand, the website http://gongyi.weibo.com/101040 was established for those who want to donate money to Xing and his family.
In two weeks, Xing's cabbie squad received more than 10,000 yuan in donations and so many bookings for his cab that they needed to use other cabs to handle the backlog. When another cab is used, 10 percent of the revenue is donated to Xing.
Ni Yan, Xing's daughter, is grateful for the support.
"I don't know what to say but thanks," she said.
If you want to help, call Wan at 138-5713-2362 (Chinese only) to take the cab, or donate online.
Xing Xuangen, 52, has been a cabbie for 16 years. One night earlier this month, Xing had a brain hemorrhage after working about 12 hours. Passersby called police.
Xing was sent to the hospital and has been unconscious since the hemorrhage. This week he is going to have hyperbaric oxygen therapy although the blood in his brain has been eliminated. Xing may be bedridden in future, according to Hangzhou No. 3 People's Hospital.
However, every day his taxi is still being operated, driven by his co-workers from Hangzhou No. 1 Car Transportation Company.
"The man stops, but the cab cannot stop," said Wan Li, the driver who initiated the campaign to raise money for Xing and keep his taxi running.
Wan is the leader of Xing's cab squad and was the first person sent to the hospital by the company to take care of Xing.
"During the decade he worked for the company he has never received complaints and has had no traffic violations," said Wan. "We must help such a good person."
While the majority of the company's cabbies didn't know Xing before, they do now. Fifty cabbies have joined together in the "love relay."
"We drivers know what our colleagues feel," said cabbie Mo Xinkui, one of Xing's colleagues. "Many of us did not know him before, but many of us are of similar age and have suffered medical problems in the past. This is why we need to help."
Xing was the breadwinner in his family. His wife has been fighting against breast cancer for seven years and her treatment thus far has cost nearly 200,000 yuan (US$31,457). Every month, the family spends 2,000 yuan on her treatment.
Now the family has to rely on their daughter's salary, about 3,000 yuan per month.
Spontaneous campaign
Understanding the situation, Wan at first called on the taxi company and his colleagues to raise money for Xing and his family. He planned to have a few drivers run Xing's cab when they were free, but to his surprise, all 50 drivers decided to join in.
Drivers from other companies also called and volunteered to help run Xing's taxi.
"It was a spontaneous campaign, and the company has applied for medical aid from the labor union," said Wu A'gen, an official from Hangzhou No. 1 Car Transportation company.
Since August 11, Xing's taxi has been operated from 5am to 4pm by a squad of 50 rotating drivers. The license plate carries the slogan "Love relay - For Unconscious Taxi Driver."
Pan Jie was the first driver to operate Xing's cab. He earned 280 yuan on Xing's behalf. Ping Rongxin, Wan Li, Yang Zhimei, Jiang Huiliang and Zhou Weiming followed.
The cab makes 300 yuan everyday on average, about 100 yuan more than Xing was making. Wan said the reason is simple.
"We work harder on this cab - almost every driver gets up earlier to extend the working time," Wan said.
Cabbie Ding Linfa put his business aside in order to drive Xing's cab. Feng Xiquan, who suffers from asthma, rearranged his schedule to help out. Jiang Huiliang, who had a gall-stone removed two years ago, said he needs to help too because his colleagues helped him in the past. And Yang Zhimei said she has called Wan three times a day to find out what she can do to help. While driving Xing's cab they spread his story to passengers. Some passengers donate money while others said they would be happy to take a turn driving Xing's cab (although this is not allowed).
Now the story is on weibo.
"Lots of people ask me on weibo how to donate money or how they can hire the cab," Wan said. "I didn't expect this 'love relay' would move so many people."
On August 16, Xing received 2,200 yuan from Lin Jian, an engineer from Beijing. It was the first donation from someone outside Zhejiang Province. Soon after, people on weibo started a campaign to donate their "taxi fee" to Xing by assuming they had already taken his cab.
"I am in Beijing, and the taxi fee for my commute is 80 yuan, and I want to donate 80 yuan," wrote one poster. "I am in Guangzhou, the taxi fee for my commute is 128 yuan, and I want to send the money to Xing," wrote another.
To keep up with demand, the website http://gongyi.weibo.com/101040 was established for those who want to donate money to Xing and his family.
In two weeks, Xing's cabbie squad received more than 10,000 yuan in donations and so many bookings for his cab that they needed to use other cabs to handle the backlog. When another cab is used, 10 percent of the revenue is donated to Xing.
Ni Yan, Xing's daughter, is grateful for the support.
"I don't know what to say but thanks," she said.
If you want to help, call Wan at 138-5713-2362 (Chinese only) to take the cab, or donate online.
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