Fake Market and the Shanghai Subway

Ok - long day of class - my mind is shot. Pictures good - complete sentences bad.

The subway is very clean, very user-friendly (everything is in Mandarin and English), and cheap (4RMB a ride).

Buying tickets:


Entrance Gate:


TV's showing how long till the next train arrives:


The subway trains are one long compartment - no doors or separate cars. This is from one of the non-rush hour rides.


I know it's hard to see, but this guy has 12 motherboards in boxes (US street value of ~2000US). I guarantee you would not see this on a US subway without armed guards.


And GOOGLE!


The fake market is located underneath the Science and Technology Museum, right off the #2 (Green) subway line. Everything is fake (or on the off chance it's real - it either fell off a truck or was over produced). Also a surprise - it's more of a mall - with 'legit' looking stores, AC, and *lots* of people willing to sell you crap you don't need.

Vendor "iPhone - you want?"
Me "I have a real one"
Vendor "Oh - mine only copy. You still want?"
Me "No, but thanks for the honesty"


Lot's of iPhone models I didn't know existed:






It's real! Really:


Gibson Les Paul's - Only 4200RMB!


One last story. Even though I didn't need it, I decided to negotiate with one of the vendors for a two piece Northface jacket ('Gortex' shell and fleece liner). He started the price at 1000RMB. After 5 minutes of negotation, I had him down to 230. I walked away from his shop and rejoined my group. He *followed* me for 10 minutes, continuously asking me 'What your best price?'. Decided to have fun with him - I kept negotiating. Got him down to 174RMB before he started screaming and swearing at me saying I was wasting his time. Ah - the fun of negotiating when you don't really care about the outcome :) As the man was running back to his shop I yelled back at him to have a good day. Pretty sure he didn't care, but the other shop owners were laughing with our group at him. Everyone understands a good laugh!