Sea of Scooters

I got this in a forwarded email recently. I actually translated this about two months ago, but haven't had a computer until now. Searching for the text on the internet, it apparently came from the China Times on 2005-11-04. See original Chinese text here or here.

"Wow! That's astonishing. So many scooters." Driving past Providence University, people are astounded to see the parking lot near the school's entrance. A dark mass of almost 4,000 scooters. School officials say that it is the largest parking lot of any college or technical institute. Even overseas universities are awed by the sight.

With such a large parking lot, not just finding a space, but even finding where you parked is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Guo Yuanhao, a student of the businessment managment department, says that he often sees students walking around the parking lot because they have forgotten where they parked. Wu Kexuan, student of the information management department, says that the parking lot makes you realize the importance of friends, because when you can't find your scooter, you can get a group of friends to help you search.

When Providence University President Yu Minde was invited to speak overseas, he suddenly thought of introducing the school's parking lot. As expected, it astounded the foreign students and left a deep impression. In foreign countries, you rarely see so many scooters parked in one place.

With almost 4,000 scooters parked together, security is a concern. If a thief comes to steal a scooter, people can't be sure whether he is a thief or a scooter owner. For safety, the school has installed a system of security cameras surrounding the parking lot. Police also especially strengthen their patrolling in the area to avoid giving thieves an opportunity.