A That's series where we ask a Shanghai-based somebody to tell us 5 Things specific to his or her life.
Shanghai's massive metro network had 625 subway security checks and more than 5,600 security guards in 2015, according to The Paper. These numbers might sound impressive, but many commuters think security is lax and dismiss these checkpoints as inconvenient and useless. Regardless, there are some strange items turning up in the scans that are completed successfully. We talked with a few Shanghai metro security guards and searched around for the Top 5 weirdest finds.
1. Firecrackers
Firecrackers are hugely popular in China. Even though Shanghai has launched bans against pyrotechnics, some people still try to smuggle fireworks back home. Unfortunately for them, this contraband is often intercepted midway by security guards, who told us that firecrackers of various shapes and sizes are common finds at the metro during Spring Festival.
2. Cosplay props
When big cosplay conventions like ChinaJoy come to town, props and other accessories are all the rage among Cosplay fans. Shanghai security guard Zhuo told us he once found an iron axe during the check, which turned out to be a prop for the popular e-sport game CrossFire.
3. Furry pets
Some pet-owners simply cannot bear to part with their pets, so they try to take them on the metro despite knowing that it is forbidden. Our careful research tell us that cats and dogs are not that easy to hide, especially dogs that bark when poked by the finger of a particularly passionate security guard. However, security guards we talked to admit smaller pets like hamsters are harder to detect if you just put them in a carrier and skip the scan.
4. Fake guns
Earlier this year, two men dressed in black shirts and military style camouflage caught the attention of security guard Wang as he manned the Shanghai metro baggage scanner. As their baggage passed through the scanner, a gun appeared on the screen, giving Wang quite a start. Some extensive questioning revealed that the gun was actually a replica, given to the men by their friends. They just wanted to look cool. Is that a crime?
5. Adult toys
Turns out, some people have good reason to avoid having their bags scanned at security because they contain a stash of their bedroom props. Sex toys and vibrators can be found at the metro station once in a while. Zhihu user "sun, moon, wood" bragged that he was a businessman in the line of adult toys. To illustrate the history of adult toys in China to some clients, he once brought ancient Chinese sex props with him when boarding the metro. Security guards and bystanders were shocked when the silhouettes of certain human body parts popped up on the screen, laughing and letting him go without requiring an explanation. Sometimes, you just gotta let your sex toys do the talking for you...
[Image via Xinhua]
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