I was waiting for the bus at about 6 o'clock when everyone goes home after work. I got out my camera and began taking pictures. I was behind a concrete column, so most of the riders didn't see the tall foreigner lurking about taking their pictures.
It was a good spot because about 100m away there was a pedestrian crossing. The cars had to stop but the bikers just weaved through, so I often didn't have cars to contend with in my pictures. The streets look empty, but they're not.
This first picture is of a man delivering propane. A lot of kitchen stoves are run on propane, and you just get a new container when the old one runs out. This man can hold four, two on each side. I imagine when he's got a full load they're pretty heavy.
Here's a guy carrying a pole, or maybe some mouldings. Either way, it's pretty long! He's got them in his front basket, and is holding them while he negotiates three lanes of hectic traffic.
The focus of this picture is not the bike, but the motorcycle. Notice there are three people on it. Look closely...the woman is holding a six-month old infant! I'm pretty used to this by now, but it sure gave me a start when I first saw parents with newborns riding motorcycles.
Once you're old enough to hold on, you can sit on the back of your mom's bike. This boy is mixing it by facing backwards. He's got a padded seat and a bar to hang on to, which is more than some have. Sometimes they sit directly on the uncomfortable rack!
This rider is transporting televisions. He's got two tied to his rack, but I think if he had to, he could get a few more on there. I think I've seen six TVs on one bike! He's most likely a recycler, paying the owners for their old TV. He'll then bring it to a recycling centre, and will be paid to drop it off. Definitely a hard way to make a living.
This looks to be a plaster worker. He must bring his own bucket and ladder to work it seems. There are a lot of workers riding with ladders this way in my neighbourhood.
If you don't have a bike to transport your ladder, just take the bus! This was the strangest thing I've ever seen anyone bring on a bus. Everyone on the full bus is looking at him, wondering what's going to happen. Chinese people are rarely surprised by what people bring on the bus, but these passengers sure look curious. And I sure wish the guy in the white shirt wasn't in the middle of my picture.
If you don't have a bike and would rather not take the bus, you can hail one of these three-wheeled motorcycles. They're more expensive than the bus, but cheaper than a taxi and are popular with students going home from school. I have never taken one, since I've seen one tipped over on the road. If you brought a ladder on this vehicle, tipping would be inevitable!
Here a woman sits side-saddle on the man's bike. I understand that only a man's wife or girlfriend is allowed to ride the bike this way, but I've also seen friends transporting eachother using this method.
Folding bike! I think this woman is riding the smallest wheels I've seen...it almost looks like a clown bike. This type of bike is good if you live in a high appartment building, since it will fold into a very carry-able package.
This man is piloting a three-wheeled bike that is very popular. It's the pickup truck of the bicycle world. He's got recycling in the bed, so I figure he's on his way to the recycling depot, along with the guy riding with the TVs.
I managed to take this woman's picture without her noticing. She's changing her baby's diaper on the street! She's pretty hard-core. She did it really quickly too, so she must be used to chaning diapers on the fly.
The way she's sitting on her honches is very popular here as well. Men and women of all ages will sit this way whenever they are in one place for awhile...at bus stops, while playing cards on the sidewalk, or eating dinner in a parking lot.
China's bikes...always interesting!
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