Bus Stop Bungle

Bus stops. I hate bus stops.
The buses have to cut across the bike lane then load and unload passengers into it (and anyway, on this occasion, spot the car parked in the cycle lane / bus stop.
So do you get caught up in all that - or do you overtake the bus on the outside, dodge the 3 girls jaywalking past a police car, get cut up by a red moped, get squeezed between said cop car and a black sedan while trying to get back into the cycle lane then get squeezed between the next bus and a taxi - only to have the cycle lane vanish at the next bottleneck anyway?

Drummer Girls (OK, Ladies)

Public spaces in China get used for all sorts of groups in the mornings doing tai chi, fan dancing, wushu, ballroom dancing and drumming.
These gals have usually just packed up as I pass their rehearsal space in front of a department store but one day last week
Wingman's school bus came early so I got a head start and caught their last few bars.

I Love the Smell of Adrenalin in the Mornings

Ah, yes - adrenalin. It works twice as fast as caffeine and it's cheaper than anything they sell in Starbucks. You get plenty of it on a Shanghai bicycle commute to make sure you're fully awake by the time you reach the office.
Did you see that taxi coming? No, nor did I.

Wheelchair Chicken

A man in a motorised wheelchair makes a dodgy left turn, playing chicken with an oncoming taxi. I think I see how he ended up in a chair in the first place!

What's a Computer Delivery Guy to Do?

I often see guys on mopeds delivering computer equipment. But what happens if they have one box too many?
Here, our delivery guy just can't quite fit himself plus all 3 boxes on the bike so heputs 2 boxes on the bike, puts the bike on
a delivery trike then adds himself and the 3rd box to the trike. Presumably he needs the moped to get back again.
Trike guy is game at the start but soon hits a gradient and computer guy has to take a walk.

Rain Again

More like rain at last! Shanghai summers can be hot and sticky but they are usually punctuated by weekly thunderstorms which clear the air for a bit and cool things down. This year it hasn't really rained for weeks so today's downpour is a relief.
Perhaps now we can get the temperature back below 90!In terms of rain capes I count 22 blue, 8 red, 5 yellow, 2 green and a girl in a wet t-shirt (just watch those youtube stats soar!)

No Room on the Trike

So anyway, I was coming up behind this tricycle loaded up with bamboo scaffolding and thinking "well, there goes somebody's neighborhood" but as I passed him I noticed the trike is so overloaded that the poor guy can't even ride it. There's no room on the trike so he's having to push - in fact, that front tyre isn't even touching the ground.

Left is Right, Right?

OK, try to stay with me here.
In China we drive on the right. So at a crossroads junction, when the lights change, the traffic coming towards you but wanting
to turn left will pass you on the left, wait for a gap and then turn left - right?
Wrong! What actually happens is the traffic turning left sees the oncoming cars and bikes and heads straight across their path, passing as many as possible on the right, forcing oncoming traffic into
the center.
Wow, lucky there's a policeman at this junction to keep everyone in line!

It's Too Darn Hot

Yes it's too darn hot. Finally, Shanghai's pollution encrusted palm trees don't look out of place.
If all else fails, get your girlfriend to sit on the back of your bicycle with a parasol.
The Crash Test Dummy, lacking one of these, is taking the (probably cheaper) option and going to work in a cab most days until the temperature drops below 30 again.