Don't walk on green but stand, wait and hope

The first time it happened, an elderly Beijinger gently but firmly pressed his hand across my chest and pushed me back to safety. (Thank you, kind stranger.) Later, I did the same thing when an obvious newcomer stepped from the curb to cross the street when the light turned green.

If you're a pedestrian in Beijing, a red traffic light means stop. A green light means stop, look, wait for a large group to advance from the curb, push yourself into the middle of the group, and then, go.

Drivers here turn right on red, or rather, careen right. Hence, the herd mentality I was urged by a Beijing guidebook to adopt when crossing city streets when the light turns green.