As referenced previously, buses, cars, scooters, and bicycles navigate the streets of Shanghai in a symphony of organized chaos and all are higher on the food chain than pedestrians. If you are standing outdoors in Shanghai, you are potentially in the path of one of these modes of transportation and need to be aware of it. Sidewalks are not a place of refuge as they are often used by bicyclists and scooters, and it's not uncommon to see a vehicle on them. Particularly dangerous on the sidewalk is the electric scooter, a.k.a. the silent assassin. While the smell of the gas or the sound of a vehicle/gas scooter/bicycle (99% appear to be from 1943 and are thus very squeaky) can be forewarning on a rear approach, the electric scooter offers none of these luxuries. Without constant 360-degree surveillance, that thing will be at your heels with the only notice being a heart-stopping horn from a meter away to remind you to get out of the way ... on the sidewalk.
Crossing a street is another adventure, some have turned it into art form. In Shanghai, the pedestrian light turning green is not an indication that it is safe to cross, it is merely an indication that it might be safer to cross as cars/buses wishing to proceed straight through the intersection are at least entertaining the thought of stopping. I specify cars/buses because scooters and bicycles rarely stop for anything. When crossing, one must look in both directions regardless of situation. It is not uncommon for vehicles to be on the wrong side of the road or driving the wrong way down a one-way road. Be conscious of anything making a right turn as they don't stop for anything. And maintain a side-to-side surveillance covering as much peripheral territory as possible throughout the street crossing. Stuff will come at you from every direction. If you get stranded and need to cross between cars, a strategy that has worked to date is to identify the most expensive car of the bunch and make your break for it in front of that one. With cars not manufactured in China costing somewhere between 2x and 4x what they do in the States, that Porsche and Ferrari owner are not going to want people guts on their hood.
There is an older generation of Chinese that have mastered the street crossing and the event is something to behold. On numerous occasions, I have been witness to an elderly person pass through a crowd at the curb at a pace that would make the tortoise resemble Usain Bolt, and begin their crossing on the pedestrian red light without the appearance of ever looking up. They make their crossing with gaze affixed to the ground 2 feet in front of them somehow knowing when to stop for a bus to pass within inches at 60kph and somehow knowing when it's safe to proceed. The fact that they're elderly tells me they are good rather than lucky. I aspire to attain this level of unagi.
Riding in a vehicle is another hair-raising experience. Stay tuned for a follow-up when I figure out how to document some of the incredible maneuvers and close calls without offending our driver. Despite personal space issues, Chinese spatial awareness is second to none.
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| The red car would be going the right way in this case. |
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| Pedestrian green light and none of those cars crossing from right to left are stopping for anything. |
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| Sure, back it up down the sidewalk. These three pictures were taken within 5 minutes of each other. |
For those wondering, unagi is actually the Japanese term for freshwater eels.
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