Shanghai Traffic Rules

Right of Way
Whoever gets there first is right in your way.

Green Light
Keep going, liberal use of horn/bell may help prevent right of way.

Red Light
Phase of light most patriotic to China, often evoking strong emotional responses in the hearts of those encountering this colour.

Stop Light
What, in Shanghai?
No such thing; not to be confused with "hong lu deng" (red green light), i.e. and aesthetically pleasing, multicolored light which pedestrians may ignore.

Traffic Jam
Neither you, nor those around you are trying hard enough to find a non-linear path to continue your journey.

Flashing Green Light
The light is about to change, speed up before it is too late.

Flashing Red Light
Same as flashing green light, chabuduo; according to industrial engineers, making lights flash may be the best method to save money on electricity, short of turning the lights off altogether.

Flashing Blue Light
Time to change sunglasses, or you may be on an airport runway. (Note that right of way does not hold on airport runways)

Head Lights
What you flash to prevent right of way; most vehicles have two settings, off and brights.

Sound of Policemans Whistle
Immediately act innocent and clueless about what you are doing. (Being a foreigner helps here with the clueless factor). Do not under any circumstances admit that you can speak Chinese.

Policeman Motions you to go
This is your big chance, so grab it fast; sometimes but not always strong enough to overcome right of way.

Cutting somebody else off
Smile if you did it by accident, and accuse the other party first if you did it purposefully; or was it the other way around?

Road
Where pedestrians walk without looking; after all, feet were created well before bicycles and cars.

Sidewalk / Pavement
Where drivers and cyclists go when the main road becomes congested with pedestrians; also good place to park cars, bicycles, relatives with lawn chairs.

Gridlock
Multiple drivers exhibiting nearly identical right of way skills having a chance encounter.

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