Airplanes in the Sky, Su-E on the Ground

There has always been a saying on the internet: "Airplanes in the sky, Su-E on the ground." (Note: "Su-E" is the license plate prefix for Suzhou, Jiangsu).

I used to think this was somewhat of an exaggeration. Impatient drivers are everywhere, and bizarre road maneuvers are certainly not exclusive to Suzhou. But after staying in Suzhou for a while, I realized this phrase isn't just an insult; it's a very down-to-earth observation of local traffic.

Suzhou doesn't have an airport, yet everyone on the road drives like they're a captain.

Some change lanes like they're taking off—stomping on the gas and throwing the car body sideways in an instant. Some drive like they're steering a boat, drifting back and forth between two lanes. And some treat the turn signal as a "rear car accelerator"—the moment the light blinks, the car behind immediately speeds up, as if being a second slower means missing the most important flight of their life.

Su-E plates are like canals. Not because the traffic flows smoothly like water, but because some cars are driven literally like boats. They don't pay much attention to red lights, traffic markings, or how lanes and intersections are supposed to work. Wherever there's an opening, they squeeze in, as if the asphalt isn't a road but a body of open water where they can drift freely.

Then came Su-U (Suzhou's secondary plate pool).

Initially, I thought Su-U was just a supplementary plate code introduced because Suzhou ran out of Su-E numbers. Later, I realized that the only thing capable of defeating a Su-E might actually be a Su-U.

Lately, people online don't talk about Su-E and Su-U as much. It's not because they suddenly became well-behaved. It's more likely that the behavior of certain Li Auto owners has dropped to an even lower level, drawing all the internet fire to themselves first.

Take the car below, for example.

The car was parked in the underground garage lane, right in front of the emergency exit. Directly above was the green exit sign, and right below was a car parked steadily. At that moment, rules, common sense, and fire lanes all became mere background noise.

This isn't a parking skill issue.

People who park their cars in such spots must feel very reassured: I'm only stopping for a moment, others should be able to bypass me; I'm just making it convenient for myself, and if something really happens, it might not happen right here; I'm only taking up a tiny bit of space, the rules won't be that strict.

A lot of issues on the road are not because people don't know how to drive, but because they are too good at making excuses for themselves.

So the saying "Airplanes in the sky, Su-E on the ground" probably needs an update now:

Airplanes in the sky, Su-E on the ground; and the only thing that beats a Su-E is a Su-U.