Shanghai: One Visit Was Enough (And Then Some).
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Well, here's my story about my trip to Shanghai – it was really a mixed bag of experiences! Let me share some details with you.
I got up early that morning and rushed to Shanghai mainly for the purpose of getting my visa processed.
- I hurried out and noticed that the battery life on my phone was only at 80%, not a good move on my part.
- During the trip, which included riding the high-speed rail (China's super-fast train), I confidently finished writing down the acknowledgments section of my graduation thesis.
- By then, the phone battery had dropped to 60%.
Upon arriving in Shanghai, I just hastily scooped up a few bites for lunch before heading to the Jiushi Business Center (where visas are processed). It was a significant building with many floors.
- This being my first time applying for a visa, I gradually followed all the guidelines without difficulty.
- I felt quite pleased when I said to them, "No SMS notice and no delivery service for me!" Thus, I saved myself exactly 42 RMB.
- However, the place was packed with people that day, and there was an extremely long queue.
- When I finally left the visa center, my battery was unfortunately down to 30%. It was already terrible news for me at that moment.
Then came the big turning point – I made a terrible mistake!
- I was riding a bicycle from a bike-sharing program (one can simply unlock and ride away a nearby bike by scanning a code with such services available in many cities) and ended up going onto the sidewalk, and I was immediately caught by the traffic police officer. Indeed, this was my fault.
- What happened later shocked me: apparently, such bikes cannot be ridden on sidewalks or inside parking areas.
- The policeman offered me some advice on traffic safety laws, but I secretly panicked because my phone battery was critically low, almost dead, and I might have missed my high-speed rail train by then.
- Finally, my mobile device had only 24% battery remaining by the end of the officer's lecture.
️ Travel Tips - Warning & Reminders! ️- Shared bicycle use guideline:
- Never ride onto sidewalks! This is actually forbidden and might end up with some fines or education.
- Be aware of parking rules! In many cities, shared bicycles must be parked inside certain designated spaces with white outlines, and they need to be moved by hand instead of ridden into those areas.
- How to avoid trouble? Before riding, check nearby signboards or just ask local people for further guidance. Otherwise, observe how others park bicycles.
As expected, despite my hustle, I missed my initially planned trip out of Shanghai on the high-speed rail.
- However, it was fortunate that I had not purchased tickets in advance, thereby saving unnecessary costs.
- Eventually, I ended up going back to school on a regular train without air conditioning.
- While staring at the phone screen warning me about the dangerously low electricity level (only %12 left), I kept using it silently praying it would not turn off until the end of the day. My heart was somehow still very brave!
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Just so you know, in Shanghai, pedestrians who jaywalk or run red lights get fined. They use facial recognition, and you'll get an SMS right on your phone telling you to pay up. If you don't pay, while they won't exactly take away your 'right to walk,' it will affect your credit score.
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Good to know.
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As adults, you need to take responsibility for your mistakes!
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Exactly!
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Why is it that when people make a mistake in Shanghai and get fined, their reaction is always 'I'm never coming back'? It's not like it's Shanghai's fault.
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Right? It's clearly their own fault, but they write it as if Shanghai is to blame.
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The main issue was riding right in front of the officer. If you'd just gotten off and pushed your bike for a bit, gotten out of his 'attack range,' then hopped back on, you would've been fine.
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'Attack range,' LOL!
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Honestly, riding on the sidewalk isn't usually a big deal; everyone does it in residential areas, and people aren't super strict about the rules. You were just unlucky to get caught... Wait, you were riding on People's Avenue? Oh, then you definitely deserved that fine, no complaints there.
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As a pedestrian, I find bikes and e-bikes on the sidewalk incredibly annoying and very unsafe. Back in the day, everyone consciously rode in the bike lanes, or would get off and push if they had to be on the sidewalk. I don't know when it became 'no big deal'.
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Hot tip: In Shanghai, for non-motorized vehicles, the first offense usually just gets you a warning, no fine. You only get fined if you're caught a second time after being warned.
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That's misinformation. Fun fact: In Shanghai now, for non-motorized vehicles, things like not wearing a helmet, riding against traffic, or not using the bike lane don't have a first-offense waiver. It's an immediate fine. Only a few specific violations, like carrying an extra passenger, might get you a warning first.
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Hot take: In Shanghai, apparently, following the law is wrong, and if you break the law and get caught, it's Shanghai's fault.
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Exactly. And if you get called out online, you can't even reply. If you try to defend yourself, you're accused of discrimination and being xenophobic.
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You must have been in a really central, downtown area, riding on the sidewalk, and right in front of an officer too.
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Yeah, I definitely won't do that again.
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It's a good thing you came to Shanghai on a bicycle. If you had driven here, forget just fines – I reckon your 12 license points wouldn't have been enough.
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Not really that bad. I drove there last year.
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So the title basically means: 'Okay, I was wrong, but I'm still resentful, hmph!
I'm not coming back!' Is that what you're saying?