For a while there I had the coolest bike in the city. Extra sized basket, two bells, slight rust on the handle bars, it was a beast.

Well that’s all gone now. I left it parked on Tongren Lu for about a week and was amazed to find when I’d got back that it had been stolen! How someone managed to break my 35RMB lock I will never know, but I suspect the police should be looking for some kind of Chinese version of Ocean’s 11.

I discovered this shocking crime on Saturday night but have only just felt able to write about it without breaking down into tears (my bottom lip is quivering as we speak). The one silver lining is that it provides a tenuous link to use the following two photos of vehicle customisation:

Gloves on bikes

Essential cold weather bling for the cyclist in Shanghai, WoAi was talking about how you know if it’s winter in Shanghai - I reckon it’s when the scooter lads attach these Wookie paws to their handlebars.

Lucky car

This is the kind of thing that you don’t want to see on a car number plate.

Never mind wishing me Good luck- how about you stop applying Hello Kitty lipgloss using your Hello Kitty vanity mirror for 10 seconds and watch the road, you scatty mare.