Policemen back on bicycles a welcome sight

When I was young, the policeman who made the deepest impression on me was Ma Tianmin, the hero in a 1959 movie. Always ready to help others, he missed appointments with his fiance so often she almost broke up with him.

In those days, bicycles were still a rare means of transport few could afford.

According to National Bureau of Statistics, every 1,000 Chinese bought only 1.1 bikes in 1957 and 1962. In 1980, every 100 Chinese owned only 9.7 bikes. That was one reason I was drawn to Ma: He always got around on a bicycle.