Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, August 10th - Title: The Road Life of Traffic Police Officer Meng Kunyu
Meng Kunyu is a traffic police officer with the Xuanwu Traffic Brigade of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau's Traffic Management Bureau. This young man has a strong pursuit; he is passionate, down-to-earth, and tenacious. In the eight years since he joined the police force, standing at his post, he has watched the flow of vehicles and crowds, maintaining order and assisting the public, dedicating his youth at the intersection where he serves.
Eight Years in One Place
The Peace Gate crossroads in Beijing's Xuanwu District is Meng Kunyu's post, just one kilometer away from Tiananmen Square. For eight years, Meng Kunyu has been stationed here. On his first day standing in the middle of the road, seeing the continuous flow of vehicles and people like waves, Meng Kunyu said: "I was dazed at the time, all I could hear was the buzzing noise."
Afterward, he sought advice from his teammates on managing traffic at the intersection and handling accidents. Now, none of the traffic accidents he handles or the violations he corrects have led to any complaints or reviews, and he has been named a "Young Model Law Enforcement Officer."
On summer days when the temperature exceeds 36 degrees Celsius, the asphalt road seems to be emitting white smoke. Little Meng said: "Standing in one place for too long makes your feet burn. Sweat soaks through my police uniform, flowing down my back into my pants." Surrounded by noise and exhaust fumes, Meng Kunyu directs traffic with standard gestures, focused and serious.
On every rainy day during those eight years, Little Meng has stood on the road directing traffic. People in cars eager to return home impatiently honk their horns, and no one pays attention to the traffic police ensuring smooth passage in the rain.
The Peace Gate crossroads sees dense vehicle traffic. To improve the intersection's capacity, Meng Kunyu conducted detailed investigations of the surrounding environment, traffic flow, and vehicle patterns, summarizing a method of combining patrol posts with fixed posts, and coordinating between officers and traffic assistants, increasing traffic efficiency by 15%.
Standing at that intersection, Meng Kunyu checks for illegal vehicles, directs traffic, and assists people in distress. Over the past eight years, he has received honors including First-Class Merit once, Second-Class Merit once, Third-Class Merit three times, among 14 accolades. Facing these achievements, he says: "This is just my first stop in life."
A Leader with Nearly 40 Years of Police Experience
Li Xiaobin, who has nearly 40 years of police experience, is Meng Kunyu's superior and the Political Commissar of the Xuanwu Traffic Brigade. When introducing Meng Kunyu, he likes to use the term "child." He said: "This child hasn't done anything earth-shattering, but for eight years, he has diligently held his post and consistently done well in every small task."
Two "Homes"
Meng Kunyu often says: "The intersection where I stand is my home." However, he frequently neglects his own parents' home.
During an accident, Meng Kunyu sent the injured Mr. Liu to the hospital and arranged his admission procedures. Afterward, Mr. Liu would not sign any documents related to the accident without consulting Little Meng first. They became close friends across generations, and every morning at 7 o'clock, the elderly man would wait for an hour at the roadside near the intersection to chat with Little Meng.
Last year, the elderly man passed away, and his daughter Liu Lihua tearfully said: "Grandpa treated Little Meng like a grandson." Many people around him have received help from Little Meng. They have developed a habit of looking for Little Meng on the road while buying groceries or exercising in the morning before leaving peacefully.
In October 2008, while on duty with his team, Meng Kunyu noticed a taxi stopped by the roadside. The driver, Master Zheng, was covered in blood and shouting "Robbery, save me!" Three individuals were fleeing. Without hesitation, Meng Kunyu rushed forward and grabbed one of them. The assailant swung a dagger and stabbed back. As Meng Kunyu dodged, he firmly held onto the attacker's knife-wielding hand. Subsequently, his teammates arrived and subdued the assailant. He then quickly sent the injured Master Zheng to the hospital.
The intersection where he stands is Little Meng's "home" every day. His other home, he only returns to once a week. Little Meng humbly admitted that he feels deeply guilty about not doing enough for his mother. During the Beijing Olympics, Meng Kunyu was assigned to patrol the Olympic Village and the Olympic Center Zone. At the same time, his mother was hospitalized due to breast cancer cell metastasis.
The hospital where his mother was staying was far from the Olympic Center, yet Little Meng managed to visit her daily, "glancing at her briefly before leaving." After surgery, upon receiving a text message from his father assuring him everything was fine and urging him to focus on work, he couldn't help but burst into tears.
Guardian of the Crossroads
Li Xiaobin said: "This child treats his work as a career and is good at thinking while working." Over the past eight years, Little Meng suggested setting up a green channel to assist critically ill patients and even made his own bus route maps to hang at the crossroads to help people find their way.
Years ago, while working overtime, a man frantically parked his car next to Little Meng, pleading: "My child was scalded by boiling water, we need to rush to the Children's Hospital immediately." However, it was peak traffic time, with heavy vehicle flow and slow-moving traffic. Knowing how crucial time was for rescuing the child, without saying much more, Little Meng reported to his superiors and drove ahead to clear the way. Within just four minutes, the child was delivered to the hospital entrance.
Seeing the child's father's tearful face, Little Meng thought perhaps many people needed a lifeline. With this realization, his heart could not settle. After conducting research and interviews, based on Little Meng's suggestion, the Xuanwu Traffic Team established a life-saving green channel support group, capable of quickly transporting patients to the Beijing Children's Hospital, Fuwai Cardiovascular Hospital, and Jishuitan Hospital. Currently, the support group has undertaken over 50 escort missions, saving precious time for critically ill patients.
Near the Peace Gate crossroads, there are 29 bus routes, and every day many passengers ask for directions. Sometimes within an hour, he answers inquiries from 120 people. Meng Kunyu began visiting the nearby bus routes, designing and making four-sided bus route indicator signs to hang at the intersection, making the bus routes clear at a glance.
Little Meng's work is quite ordinary; for eight years, he has been repeating the same tasks of patrolling, night checks, and handling violations and accidents at the same location. These trivial details fill his life. In his spare time, he also enjoys playing online games, singing with his teammates, and admires idols like other young people. He said: "Actually, I'm very simple, I just do things, and don't think about anything else."