On my last few visits to China, I have noticed an interesting phenomenon — the conversion of 3-wheeled motorcycles commonly used by the elderly and handicapped into what I can only describe as fake cars. Someone is making serious money converting these 3-wheeled motorcycles into vehicles that look like they want to be cars when they grow up.
Because they aren’t registered as cars, it seems that most traffic rules don’t apply to them. They can zip up and down the streets and/or sidewalks!
Here are some of the fake cars I spotted on the streets of Beijing earlier this month.
Next time you’re in China, keep your eyes peeled for the fake cars!
Joann,
The other thing that intrigued me are the public bicycles available everywhere by the hundreds. For 1 RMB you grab a bicycle and then drop it off at your destination and it is then picked up and returned to one of the many storage sites. Both that and your wee cars seem valid attempts to deal with their looming traffic nightmare.
John
I love this! Protects the driver from the elements much better than the bicycle ponchos! But the “no rules apply” part…eh, that part is not so great!
You can get your own on alibaba.com
https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/three-wheeled-motorcycle-with-closed-cabin_60528015648.html?spm=a2700.7724838.2017115.64.bfea5769ZzjWVY
Joann, I wouldn’t mind having one of these. It looks like a neat way to get around in traffic. I always wanted but never got a motor rickshaw in Pakistan.