Villagers living near the Badaling Expressway in suburban Beijing have been taking advantage of the daily traffic jams recently by selling water and food to motorists for extraordinarily high prices, reports Beijing Youth Daily.

A small bag of instant noodles that would normally sell for 3 yuan (36 US cents) in town is now being offered to stalled drivers for 15 yuan (US$1.80).

A cup of boiled water costs 5 yuan (60 US cents).

Some drivers complain that the price hike was like adding fuel to the fire, as they were already smouldering over the seemingly endless wait on the jammed road. But some said the prices were understandable as the villagers had to carry the items quite far.

Part of the expressway has been undergoing maintenance, which often slows traffic.

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