Shanghai District

Shanghai

People

Bicycle Repairman

Since China is filled with bicycles, you would expect she has a cottage industry for “on-the-fly” bicycle repair. During the bicycle equivalent of rush hour, you can spot many an entrepreneur on street corners assisting, for pay of course, the unfortunate comrade who ran over a nail. Although their equipment is archaic, their industriousness allows them to get the job done and at very good prices, that is unless you happen to be a “lao wai” (foreigner). For the inexperienced lao wai, prices are often double or triple. Ah, but for the experienced, they can be the same or lower, especially if you are respectful and throw in a little Mandarin tongue.

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