Lei got hit by a moped…Lei “punched” the moped driver in the face…

Question: Did Lei get Shanghai’D? or did Lei Shanghai someone else?


I (Lei) am usually pretty impatient when it comes to crossing the street. I don’t wait for the green pedestrian light and just walk when I see no cars; I don’t care if there are bicycles.


One day while walking to work, I actually waited for the green light before crossing the street. As I crossed the street, a moped from the other direction sped into the intersection trying to catch the last second of his yellow light but of course he was 2 seconds too late.


The moped sped through the intersection trying to zigzag around all the cars, mopeds, bicycles that just started to move.


I got the “deer in the headlights” look as he came straight for me. Out of instinct, I put both hands up thinking maybe I can stop him. I don’t know what I was thinking. The moped was at least ~200lb and the guy weighted at least 150lb and both were moving at ~30mph.

Lucky for me he slammed on his breaks…still he hit me in my leg at about 5-10mph. With my hands up in defense fighting position like a boxer, my closed my fist and it connected with his face. The drivers gold rimed glasses fell to the ground. DOH!

Next thing I knew, I had a mashed banana in my hand. I had totally forgotten I had just bought two bananas to eat later.


The moped driver was just as in shock started to scream “why did you hit me? I can take you to the hospital if I hit you but you don’t need to punch me…”


I didn’t know what to do. Was I wrong? Was he wrong? I just wanted to get out of there because a small Chinese crowd started to gather to get their daily dose of street reality TV.


Luckily for me, I wasn’t really hurt but I held my leg in agony hoping the sorrow on my face will make him feel bad and leave me alone.


After a few seconds, without looking back I walked away with an exaggerated gimp down the street. Under my breath, I was say “I hope the guy doesn’t come after me… I don’t have time to waste by getting into a typical Shanghai oral-street-battle.”


Now that I look back, things happened so fast I hardly remember everything. It wasn’t funny at the time but any bystander probably got a good laugh out of this one… I know I would have enjoyed it more it if wasn’t me who got hit.

So did I get Shanghai’d or did the moped driver? Guess it was a lose-lose situation.


Life lesson:
• 10 years ago I was taken to the police station in Beijing over a $1.5 damage dispute with a cab driver. I knew I wanted nothing to do with China’s traffic issues ever again. ONE DOLLAR and FIFTY CENTS!!! That event 10 years ago wasted at least an hour of my free time. This is why after I was hit by the moped, I wanted to get away ASAP. Ask me another time about the $1.5 dispute.

• My roommate and I took “Self defense for men” back in college at BU. I think that’s where I learned my defensive stance against the moped and probably where my right hook developed. Who ever said that a college education was a waste of time?