LU CHIN IS RARELY at a loss for an anecdote when it comes to the bad manners of the mainland Chinese. Her latest one stems from a recent incident, when Beijing-based Lu was driving to work. A car in front of her slammed into reverse then hit the accelerator, hurtling towards Lu, almost crashing into her Jeep. Lu got out of her car to offer the unruly motorist some advice: it would be wise to take a look at the car behind next time she reversed. 'Well I haven't got eyes in my back!' the woman shot back.
The disdainful driver was obviously not a listener to Beijing Radio. If she had, she would have heard the daily broadcasts on the subject of 'How to be a responsible driver' brought to her by the very woman whose car she had almost written off.
Encounters like this tend to embarrass Lu, an etiquette instructor whose radio tips on basic manners have brought her widespread renown. 'Sometimes, when I'm abroad and I see rude and loud Chinese, I pretend I'm not Chinese by not speaking it,' says the Tianjin-born, US- educated 42-year-old.
These episodes of ineptness, however, must also be reaffirming for her. Four years after arriving in Beijing from the US, Lu set up a non-governmental organisation, the Pride Institute, which aims to combat rudeness and thoughtlessness she feels are prevalent on the mainland.
'What I'm trying to promote is some very basic manners,' says Lu. 'No spitting, no littering, no pushing and no shoving. A lot of people here don't think these are bad manners. They don't mean to be rude; they just need to be told,' she says.
And they are told all of this for free. Unlike the growing number of etiquette gurus on the mainland who charge a fee for their lessons, Lu's classes are free. She wants to target members of society who would normally never have access to this type of service.