By continuing you agree to eChinacities's Privacy Policy .
Sign up with Google
Sign up with Facebook
Q: Have you ever done anything JUST because you knew you would get away with it in China?
Yeah, foreigners can sometimes get away with stuff... above Chinese people. Especially in lower Tier cities because they are afraid of turning on the spotlight. I was on a business trip to Xi'an one trip and talking with a taxi driver...
He seemed extremely well educated for a taxi driver and we got along very well between our mix of Chinese and English. He was telling me how a few years ago the government pretty much demanded each taxi driver pay taxes and took all their cars (well allowed them to buy it themselves but it didn't make any sense). Anyway... to the point... we were swapping stories when I told him that one time about six of us foreigners rode around on motorcycles (none of us had a proper motorcycle license) and we stopped in front of a police station. We bought some beers and started drinking and a police officer came out... he looked us up and down and said, "Can I help you?"
We started talking to him in Chinese and he was very happy. "Are you riding these motorcycles?" he asked. "Yes, we are..." we replied, as we took another sip of the beer. His reaction... "Okay, just slow down a little (man yi dian)."
When I told the taxi driver this, he burst out laughing... "Yeah, that's our worthless police." he said. "Man yi dian...."
I felt a little guilty as it was obvious we abused some laws because we were foreigners... but we also take a lot of slack like people whispering, shouting "wai guo ren/lao wai" and sometimes we need to cut loose, right? I honesty think sometimes Chinese like it because it not only entertains them but shows them that you can show a little backbone and get away with it.
Btw, the same night we also saw a guy in a Benz SUV driving like shit (cutting people off, running red lights), so we decided to intimidate him a little. We circled his SUV and followed him like we were going to gang bang him on the road (like a triad hit or something). He quickly pulled over and shouted as we passed... it was pretty funny.
So, what have you done and got away with it simply because you could? Did it feel good?
This is a great question. I usually try to follow the rules and keep my head down as much as I can. At the train station security I sometimes play a game where I try to walk right past the people with the metal detector wands without letting them frisk me. Now those people are completely useless anyway but they typically make a point of pretending to check everyone. I just walk right past them.
Now I have a couple of friends with much better stories:
Friend 1: He lived in a city with a river splitting it in half. There was a lot of rain over a period of time and the river started to flood. The school he worked at was closed for a few days due to the flooding. The problem: he lived on one side of the river while all of his friends lived on the other side. He didn't want to miss out on three days of drinking and fun during an unexpected vacation from work. So my friend starts to cross the bridge on foot but there is a police officer blocking anyone from crossing. My friend spoke enough Chinese to get the point but he feigned ignorance, waved at the police officer and spoke to him in simple English - basically the officer was frantically trying to make him turn around while my friend was smiling and saying "Hello, nice to meet you, I like China, you're my friend" or something like that. The officer had no clue how to deal with this situation as it was a tier 3 city with few foreigners. Eventually the officer gave up and my friend crossed the bridge.
Friend 2: He was traveling by train but didn't have his passport with him. The ticket checker tried to prevent him from boarding. They brought an English speaking person over to explain that he needed his passport to take the train so my friend started shrieking hysterically in Spanish and pointing to the train ticket. He kept yelling in Spanish until the ticket people didn't know what to do with him and they let him board the train.
Robk:
Hahaha... that always works doesn't it?
Once they bring over the English translator you switch to some other language... and get even angrier that they brought over the wrong translator... classic lol.
This is a great question. I usually try to follow the rules and keep my head down as much as I can. At the train station security I sometimes play a game where I try to walk right past the people with the metal detector wands without letting them frisk me. Now those people are completely useless anyway but they typically make a point of pretending to check everyone. I just walk right past them.
Now I have a couple of friends with much better stories:
Friend 1: He lived in a city with a river splitting it in half. There was a lot of rain over a period of time and the river started to flood. The school he worked at was closed for a few days due to the flooding. The problem: he lived on one side of the river while all of his friends lived on the other side. He didn't want to miss out on three days of drinking and fun during an unexpected vacation from work. So my friend starts to cross the bridge on foot but there is a police officer blocking anyone from crossing. My friend spoke enough Chinese to get the point but he feigned ignorance, waved at the police officer and spoke to him in simple English - basically the officer was frantically trying to make him turn around while my friend was smiling and saying "Hello, nice to meet you, I like China, you're my friend" or something like that. The officer had no clue how to deal with this situation as it was a tier 3 city with few foreigners. Eventually the officer gave up and my friend crossed the bridge.
Friend 2: He was traveling by train but didn't have his passport with him. The ticket checker tried to prevent him from boarding. They brought an English speaking person over to explain that he needed his passport to take the train so my friend started shrieking hysterically in Spanish and pointing to the train ticket. He kept yelling in Spanish until the ticket people didn't know what to do with him and they let him board the train.
Robk:
Hahaha... that always works doesn't it?
Once they bring over the English translator you switch to some other language... and get even angrier that they brought over the wrong translator... classic lol.
Not yet, it's harder to get inside a cement factory to 'cover up' some business dealings - too many people around. Automated plants like in the west will allow me to 'bury the hatchet' with some people and continue on my merry way.
Oh! Yes I have, come to think of it. Why don't you and Mike come over for dinner and we'll discuss it?
Robk:
I have enough stories to last more than a dinner. Did you know in Georgia, when they have drinks and need a leader to lead in toasts... they elect a honorable person called a "Tamada" (yes written and sounds exactly like the swear word in Chinese... "Hey you guys smarten up! Let's toast to happiness, I am the tamada...?" it's hilarious when you tell Chinese this.. 
I have always been on my best behavior in China... not perfect behavior but better than back home.
All of the bad habits I picked up in China that would not be acceptable elsewhere
I think about the only thing I have done, or certainly do with any regularity, is walk around the city streets at night drinking a beer. Yeah, I know it's nothing here in MK, but no way u can do that in the States anymore!
