No car repairs or painting in Beijing until after Olympics
by Jeremy Korzeniewski on Apr 17th 2008 at 6:35PM 
The city of Beijing has drawn widely-publicized controversy due to its poor air-quality leading up to the 2008 Summer Olympic games. In fact, the air pollution is at least two to three times higher than levels deemed safe by the World Health Organization at this very moment. To ease the minds of the competing athletes, the city of Beijing is taking steps to improve the situation and has promised clean air for the games. Officials in Beijing have already cut the number of vehicles driving in the city in half by alternating what vehicles are allowed to drive each day and have asked more people to ride bikes. Now, they've banned car repairs and spray painting until after the games are over. We are all for the athletes rights to breathe clean air, but we also have to wonder about the economic cost associated with cutting out all automotive repairs and painting.[Source: Motor Authority]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
2004m3driver 6:41PM (4/17/2008)
Carpool time. Or maybe ride a scooter like most of Vietnam does.
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vdk 10:31PM (4/17/2008)
you make it sound like 'Nam is in China
Greg 12:57PM (4/19/2008)
China's in the PERFECT position to START a trend to BUILD all electric cars. Zero Pollution. Charging stations could be set up every mile. They've already built the world's largest hydroelectric power plant that could SUPPLY all the electrical needs for decades to come...
Question is, how far AHEAD do they want to think ? Or does "success" to THEM mean congested, polluted cities and freeways?
They aren't impressing ANYONE presently, who ELSE thinks China is missing opportunites, by creating positive, well thought out EXAMPLES of what a nation should be like ?
Brandon 6:51PM (4/17/2008)
With all those hurdles, how did they get the right to hold the Olympic in first place?
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nissanfreak87 6:55PM (4/17/2008)
money and politics
tkreicker99 4:23AM (4/19/2008)
Well Brandon, how did China get PERMANENT "Most Favored Nation Trading Status" granted by good old president Clinton????
JunkStory 6:55PM (4/17/2008)
This is good news. Olympics should be held in China and India from now on so that these two polluting countries will finally cutback on the pollution.
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BowserUSC 12:02AM (4/18/2008)
Just so you know the US with its 300 million people pollutes and consumes more that China and it's 1.2 billion or India and it's billion people.
Kaptain75329 10:54AM (4/18/2008)
Which might just be a symptom of our more productive and developed economy. And our air is cleaner. Imagine that.
Judy Zik 12:02PM (4/18/2008)
I remember reading the same stories about air pollution worries when the games were being held in LA in 1984. Funny how quickly we forget.
TheCleaner 7:02PM (4/17/2008)
Sure cut out car spraying, but why repairs? does changing some spark plugs or putting on a new bumper really make the air worse? haha crazy
I wonder what madness will ensue here in the UK in 2012
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brian 7:11PM (4/17/2008)
If cars can't be repaired, they can't be driven. If cars aren't driven, no exhausts!
Tim 9:26PM (4/17/2008)
especially if the repair would have been for an exhaust leak before the cat, fluid leak, faulty EGR system, etc. This Olympics debacle is such a sad mistake in every way.
Chris 11:44PM (4/17/2008)
Does china even have emissions standards? What a mess.
BowserUSC 12:03AM (4/18/2008)
@Chris yes they do have emissions standards on the federal level but local and municipal governments are supposed to enforce them and they usually don't.
hellMode 4:35AM (4/18/2008)
Because if your car is broken the only thing you can do is keep it in your garage.
So, pollution free car is a broken car right?
Jeff Banks 12:09PM (4/18/2008)
I forsee lot of broken cars leaking and burning up power steering fluid, transmission fluid and all sorts of nice things.
Seminole 7:12PM (4/17/2008)
Cheap short term solution to a serious problem.
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Seoultrain 7:18PM (4/17/2008)
Worst. Olympics. Ever.
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letstakeawalk 7:26PM (4/17/2008)
I think that title should go to the Olympics year they decided competitors should no longer compete in the nude...