The Lawless Land

Some people refer to Shanghai as the “Wild Wild West” of Asia, or more aptly, “the Wild Wild East”.
I’m not entirely sure what kind of system exists to govern its people, if in fact one does. Shanghai has an air about it, that seems to say With 14 million people, so what if we lose a couple along the way? Shanghaiese people, with the amount of competition that exists in all factions of life, don’t have time to slow don’t, look both ways, queue up, or stop before stomping on their fellow man.

In the west, we are drowning in rules. How we put out the trash, clean up after our dogs, dispose of our waste, cross the street, act in public etc, etc, etc. In Shanghai, the same LAWS exist- those biggies like don’t murder, steal or run around naked- still hold true. However, it seems that by-laws- those itsy bitsy nitpicky ones- don’t exist.

If you feel like pouring today’s dinner down the grate in the road, by all means.
If you own a motorcycle and feel that you might prefer the challenge of weaving around pedestrians on the sidewalk, give it a go.
If you have nowhere to throw out your trash, any bit of ground will do.

The times Shanghai shocks me most, is when travelling around as a pedestrian. Shanghaiese people have the amazing ability to never slow down, no matter what is happening in front of them. Construction workers don’t bother putting up time consuming things such as boundaries, or warning signs, but will simply drill in the sidewalk as people walk within inches of their drill. Neither do they bother wearing such ridiculous clothing such as hardhats, safety goggles or gloves. It’s common to see someone drilling in a slacks and a t-shirt. I’ve gotten in the habit of shielding my eyes with my hands every time I pass one of these construction sites, as in my first week here a flying piece of cement struck me an inch from my eye. The pedestrian walkways are a veritable obstacle course- ten points for avoiding the broken sewer grate, twenty for jumping over the hobo, a whooping fifty to avoid the ten mopeds rushing toward you.

It feels like everyone is under some country-wide deadline. However, I wonder if this society could survive at all, if everyone did slow down. If 14 million people starting saying, “No, please, after you” I could only imagine the pedestrian gridlock that would ensue.

With 14 million people, we probably will lose a couple at long the way. To shoddy construction, rogue motorcycles, and flying pieces of concrete. But I’m sure going to do my damndest not to be one of them.