ShangHai Recommendation!

[PuTonRen]

Dear Bros,

Since we are on the topics of con job, please allow me to relate one encounter of a good friend in Beijing (Sorry, this is Shanghai Thread, I know). It happened some years ago in the notorious bar street, "San Li Tuan" in the Chao Yang District of Beijing.

He has just been posted to Beijing, and hoped to have some action. He visited the Bar Street. On arrival, he was surrounded by people who tried to "pull" him into their joints. He finally got into one with the promise by the pimp that the KTV is cheap and that the tips to the ladies would also be low. He did not know that he was in for trouble.

Lead into a small KTV room and with a girl from the joint. The usual singing, chatting, touching, etc. went on for a short while. The KTV girl proposed to give her a Handjob in the room, and went to dim the light. She started with the proposed job, and half way through, three big size thug like guys banged open the door and came in. One of them said that such act (Handjob) was not co-done in the joint, and that he would be reported to the Public Security. My friend was scared, being alone to face the three guys. The thugs then said that they were willing to settle and asked for RMB 10,000. My friend replied that he did not have the money. The thugs then said that they would take Credit Card. My friend had no choice but to give the card.

A short while later, the manager (not one of the three thugs) came in with three slips, two with the sum of RMB 10,000 and one with RMB 8,000 (all Hand-written). The manager put up a show. He said that since they were all Chinese, he would destroy the two with the sum of RMB 10,000 and asked my friend to pay for RMB 8,000 (I never understand why they had to do this??). My friend then said he would report to the Public Security for the rip-off and was willing to risk of being charged. The three thugs then told my friend that he could do so, but before leaving the joint, they stopped him and asked him whether my friend wanted his left or right leg. My friend was really very frighten now, and finally gave in and signed the RMB 8,000 Credit Card slip.

Here comes the interesting part. My friend called the issuing bank of the Credit Card to ask them to stop payment. The Bank did and agree to cancel the card. But, whay my friend found out later was, when he had been issued the new card, a month later, he received a statement for the sum of RMB 8,000.

Dear Bros, lesson learnt? Do not go alone in a new place, do not yield to temptation of promise of cheap joints and low cost enjoyment. Becareful! I have told many of the young and new bros in China this incident, but still there were some of them who fell into such tricks. I have several such events to share with you, but they are of the similar nature.

I hope we shall all learn from experience. This is what I meant in my earlier post that for one successful event, there are on average three failures. This applies to situations which include having constant companion, ONS, etc.

It was great to share, and I sincerely hope that you were not bored by my humble post.

WIth best regards.

[colourwolfy]

Just the name of the place is a big turnoff for me. I'd never go there. Yes, I'm anti-America...

Originally Posted by aces9999

Can only remember one pub off XianXiaLu called WHITE HOUSE I think. Cool colonial building with live band and not bad looking Pei Jiu mei mei. Think owned by Singaporean too.

So bros, start the balls rolling?

:>

1. White House off XianXialu

[colourwolfy]

Lao Gong = Lao Ban = $$$ ......... Very true.

You either pay with money, or pay with time and energy... probably with yourself being bitten in the end. Indeed, nothing is free.

I am a hopeless romantic myself, and like to imagine things when I meet a pretty girl. But I've learned to halt at the right time. An advice especially to those who are attached or married here. Don't do things that will hurt the girl, hurt yourself, and worst, hurt your partner. Clear cuts are the best.

Originally Posted by PuTonRen

I cannot see how I could trust a lady who can call me Husband during the first meeting. I think to the ladies, most if not all, Lao Gong = RMB or best US$.
....
However, experience tells me that nothing is really Free, it is when and how you have and will pay for it eventually.

[SGPshanghai69]

Originally Posted by colourwolfy

Lao Gong = Lao Ban = $$$ ......... Very true.

You either pay with money, or pay with time and energy... probably with yourself being bitten in the end. Indeed, nothing is free.

I am a hopeless romantic myself, and like to imagine things when I meet a pretty girl. But I've learned to halt at the right time. An advice especially to those who are attached or married here. Don't do things that will hurt the girl, hurt yourself, and worst, hurt your partner. Clear cuts are the best.

Dear Bro Colourwolfy & Putongren,
Couldn't agree more with u guys there with regards to the local gals here!
All the PRC gals r the same la......just like going to a KTV, u been to 1, u been to all...all sama sama la....abangs.
Cheers.
Regards.

[SGPshanghai69]

Originally Posted by colourwolfy

Just the name of the place is a big turnoff for me. I'd never go there. Yes, I'm anti-America...

It's ideed owned by a fellow Singaporean, I personally knew him in person as well.
Not that it's a spectacular place to be as the prices for drinks there r extremely expensive! The gals or GROs (Guset Relation Officers) r pretty yet sad to say to pay that kinda of prices which is equivalent to paying at a KTV, no big diff!
Just my 2 cents worth of opinions bro, sorry!
Cheers.....
Regards.

[Van Basten]

Originally Posted by PuTonRen

Dear Bros,

Since we are on the topics of con job, please allow me to relate one encounter of a good friend in Beijing (Sorry, this is Shanghai Thread, I know). It happened some years ago in the notorious bar street, "San Li Tuan" in the Chao Yang District of Beijing.

Here comes the interesting part. My friend called the issuing bank of the Credit Card to ask them to stop payment. The Bank did and agree to cancel the card. But, whay my friend found out later was, when he had been issued the new card, a month later, he received a statement for the sum of RMB 8,000.

Dear Bros, lesson learnt? Do not go alone in a new place, do not yield to temptation of promise of cheap joints and low cost enjoyment. Becareful! I have told many of the young and new bros in China this incident, but still there were some of them who fell into such tricks.

WIth best regards.

Yep i vouch for bro PTR! it's the same everywhere in china.... really u cant go cheong alone if u r new! too bad nobody warned me about anything beforehand so i was curious n shit! practically the same tactic used as described by bro PTR here... I think they all use the same method to rip foreigners. damn tulan when i kena rip like a carrot head.

but luckily due to a bit of luck i kena conned only a few hundred rmb phew

bro, if only u warned me 1st.. but funny leh... u said yr fren still had a bill of rmb8k even though he cancelled his card, that means the bank is in cahoots with the Ktv? sorry me dont really get that part...

n another thing... the ktvs arent really safe to cheong alone from the looks of it... but wat about those Pubs or discos where u just drink n chit chat with the pei jiu mm? generally less likely to get chopped?

[junior_cannibal]

Bros

To be able to chiong safely in China would require some common sense that one should practise wherever one goes. Always remember that there is no such thing as free lunch. For newbies, the safer way to have fun is to go to the more established joints, pay a little more but chiong safe. Unless u r wif some locals, otherwise, dont binge by going to the local joints that may seem cheaper.

[PuTonRen]

[QUOTE=

bro, if only u warned me 1st.. but funny leh... u said yr fren still had a bill of rmb8k even though he cancelled his card, that means the bank is in cahoots with the Ktv? sorry me dont really get that part...

n another thing... the ktvs arent really safe to cheong alone from the looks of it... but wat about those Pubs or discos where u just drink n chit chat with the pei jiu mm? generally less likely to get chopped?[/QUOTE]

Dear Bro,

Thank you for vouching for me. It was indeed a true incident. If I had known you earlier in my early days in China in Beijing, I would definitely relate the incident to you. I would have even volunteered to bring you around Beijing so that you would not be conned.

About the amount of RMB 8000, sorry that I had not been clear in my last post. My explanation would only depend only on my fading memory. I remember he told me that after cancelling the card, nothing happened. He was subsequently been issued with a new card from the same bank (based in Singapore). The amount of RMB 8000 appeared than on the Statement of his new card. I am not a "Bank-man" and hence am short of good knowledge how the system works. Please excuse me!

There is multitude of possibilities to con people, and they are only limited by the imagination. In the opened place, like in a Disco or a Pub, the chances you got conned could be less. However, I have heard of incident that people got conned in a Pub in Suzhou. In some pubs, there would be girls accompanying you, she might order drinks (and god knows what are in those drinks) or ask you to buy them drinks. At the end of the night, the manager of the Pub presents you a bill with exorbitant amount, what can you do?

I know better how to react in Beijing. Indeed, in one incident when I was asked by a friend to help him, I learnt from the Public Security there and then. When you are in such a place where you are asked to pay an exorbitant bill, for your safety, pay up. Do ask for receipt telling those people that you would need it for whatever purpose. After having left the place safely, go to a Public Security Station to make a report. The Gong An will then accompany you to the joint and deal with those guys. In the case that I was asked to accompany my friend, he got most of his money back (if my memory does not fail me, out of the RMB 6000 he paid, he got about 2/3 back). The manager of the pub even had the gut to explain to the Gong -An with a matter-of-fact attitude that there was a mistake in billing. This incident did not happen in San Li Tun, but at a small KTV in quite a secluded spot of Beijing.

In fact, I am not a good FR writer, and seldom post FR of my own adventures. I could probably write more reports of unfortunate incidents if I have the time.


As a foreigner in a Country, we ought to be more careful. I learn to be very humble and always behave in a low profile way. Please excuse me if I have painted a discouraging picture that China is very dangerous. In fact, every where is dangerous, Every year, I spend a good 10 months overseas, and I can tell you that this is very true. I am careful and always listen to good advice. Every bit of information that a brother gives me, I digest and absorb the lesson. Over 10 years in China, I have a lot of funs and a humble amount of good adventures, but very seldom got into any trouble. It is wise to remain as a Pu Tong Ren (like my nick) when you are overseas, especially in a place that we cannot rightfully call ours.

My 2 cent worth

[PuTonRen]

Originally Posted by junior_cannibal

Bros
For newbies, the safer way to have fun is to go to the more established joints, pay a little more but chiong safe. Unless u r wif some locals, otherwise, dont binge by going to the local joints that may seem cheaper.

What Bro junior_cannibal said is very true. I would add that "Unless u r with some brothers here who have been there long enough, do not venture into joints that promise cheap and fun".

In Shanghai, outside the Ramada Hotel facing the Nanjing East Road walking mall, when you step out from the hotel, there will be pimps who will approach you and promise to bring you to cheap and fun joints with beautiful girls, etc. Do not ever follow them.

When you are at the walking mall, at times, two (usually) young girls would approach you, pretending to ask for direction. Do not pay notice to them at all, Whatever your answer is, they will try to strike a conversation with the final aim that you will follow them to a restaurant or cafe of their choice and buy them drinks or dinner. Once you are all in the cafe or restaurant, and have ordered food or drinks when you are not paying attention, they will disappear leaving you to pay for the bill the amount of which can buy tons of what you have ordered - see, another form of con job.

Anyway, do enjoy yourselves when you are in China. A peice of old man advice, please do not hurt your love ones at home who might have to attend to the family (children and/or your parents). In time of distress, they are the ones you can fall back to, but not those who call you "Lao Gong" after few encounters, or worst, one encounter.

My 2 cent worth.

[DumbAss]

Good old man advices Bro PTR. Seldom see you post so many at one go.
I agree with you on those overnight "Lao Gong".
Had too many "Lao Po". But the one true love is at home. The one who give me beautiful kids!
Those in PRCs all have hidden agenda. "$$$"
Pay now or Later but pay eventually. Nothing is free.
So when will you be back in SHA?

[shengge]

Dear Bro PTR,
I see that you are really an Old Bird in China, not only Shanghai. Like many other bros here, I don like KTV unless for business purposes. These days, I prefer to bring customers to HC recommended by bros here, after all, that is what they are after for.

To add on to your list of advise, don ever trust those taxi driver that can bring you to some nice place as well. Formerly, (as shown in the TV) there was taxi driver always waiting outside the peace hotel; picking passengers from mainly foreign chinese, whereby they know most of these people like to go KTV.

Same old story the gals will order special drinks, the most common one is red wine with sprite whereby not known to many foreigners. Well, after you got cheated, there were even people to make sure that you gone back directly to the hotel then making police report.

Well, just need to be extra careful whenever you are outside.

Cheers!

[Van Basten]

Thank you for vouching for me. It was indeed a true incident. If I had known you earlier in my early days in China in Beijing, I would definitely relate the incident to you. I would have even volunteered to bring you around Beijing so that you would not be conned.

There is multitude of possibilities to con people, and they are only limited by the imagination. In the opened place, like in a Disco or a Pub, the chances you got conned could be less. However, I have heard of incident that people got conned in a Pub in Suzhou. In some pubs, there would be girls accompanying you, she might order drinks (and god knows what are in those drinks) or ask you to buy them drinks. At the end of the night, the manager of the Pub presents you a bill with exorbitant amount, what can you do?

I know better how to react in Beijing. Indeed, in one incident when I was asked by a friend to help him, I learnt from the Public Security there and then. When you are in such a place where you are asked to pay an exorbitant bill, for your safety, pay up. Do ask for receipt telling those people that you would need it for whatever purpose. After having left the place safely, go to a Public Security Station to make a report. The Gong An will then accompany you to the joint and deal with those guys. In the case that I was asked to accompany my friend, he got most of his money back (if my memory does not fail me, out of the RMB 6000 he paid, he got about 2/3 back). The manager of the pub even had the gut to explain to the Gong -An with a matter-of-fact attitude that there was a mistake in billing. This incident did not happen in San Li Tun, but at a small KTV in quite a secluded spot of Beijing.

My 2 cent worth[/QUOTE]

wa lau... all the bros here really very gd advice... yes i vouch for bro PTR again the part about keeping receipt and then making police report this is what a local told me to do as well...

those china consters the most amazing thing really is that they can very obviously con u n still so matter of factly make it sound as though they r rite! the behaviour of the china man... they really intrigue me as to the mentality... but i ll have a lot of time to find out. will be around here pretty long...

but bro which pub in Suzhou? convenient to publish here? oh shit man it will be quite dangerous for me then...

[Van Basten]

Originally Posted by shengge

Dear Bro PTR,

To add on to your list of advise, don ever trust those taxi driver that can bring you to some nice place as well. Formerly, (as shown in the TV) there was taxi driver always waiting outside the peace hotel; picking passengers from mainly foreign chinese, whereby they know most of these people like to go KTV.

Cheers!

yes again.... true advice! the f**k taxi driver was the 1 who got me there into the shit! not bad leh... me still sin chiao 1 or 2 encounters i already learnt all this but unfortunately 1st hand! burnt!

anw thks again for all this advice..... sigh really the PRC girls alot of them got hidden agendas = $$$

too bad lah... but then again, I got no beautiful kids at home like bro dumbass n i figure i probably cant hurt any1 emotionally back home too much

[PuTonRen]

Originally Posted by DumbAss

Good old man advices Bro PTR. Seldom see you post so many at one go.
I agree with you on those overnight "Lao Gong".
Had too many "Lao Po". But the one true love is at home. The one who give me beautiful kids!
Those in PRCs all have hidden agenda. "$$$"
Pay now or Later but pay eventually. Nothing is free.
So when will you be back in SHA?

Dear Bro DumbAss,

It is always nice to hear and learn from you. I know in HZ, you are the man. You know, once I nearly went into a trap when I was strolling around West Lake when a young and attractive girl approached me telling me that he was a tour guide. After one minute of chatting up, I found that I know better than her. Later, my friends told me that she could be aworking lady and probably there to con me.

I was trying to arrange a trip to HZ as I do not know the place well enough, and also hopefully to learn from you about HZ. But, I failed as I need to go to Kunming, Chongqing, Chengdu and Xiamen. If I go to HZ, I would need to apply for a VISA, This is also because I forgot that my one year VISA has expired and did not apply for one.

You are very right, Bro, I seldom post so much in one go. I have just finished two big reports and commented one more submitted by my staff, and felt kind of Burnt-OUT. Therefore, I have decided to write and read different things. In addition, I also hope to share my humble experience. I think you would agree with me that over the year, you and I must have seen many unfortunate incidents in which many of our country men were conned, and sometimes, families broken. I suppose I would like to do my bit, if not for our country-men, it would be for their families. I am also glad that you share the sentiment that family is really what we should precious.

Looking forward to see and learn from you in Hangzhou again. It was a fantastic experience to be with you during our last encounter. Please send my regards to your partner.

[PuTonRen]

Originally Posted by Van Basten

anw thks again for all this advice..... sigh really the PRC girls alot of them got hidden agendas = $$$

too bad lah... but then again, I got no beautiful kids at home like bro dumbass n i figure i probably cant hurt any1 emotionally back home too much

Dear Herr Van Basten,

Yes, many PRC ladies, but not all, have the hidden agenda. I suppose we cannot really blame them as they market their youth for money, or in search of a rich foreign husband or "Carrot". One lady, whom I know for quite sometime, and was working in a KTV in Chengdu, told me once that , or rather advised me that we should not play game with them. She said that she worked in these places by marketing their youth and body, and knew exactly what they wanted. She added that she would go all out to achieve what she set out to obtain. So brothers, I agree with her, we cannot beat them in this game. Even with my humble knowledge of them and China, I am also careful and fortunate enough not to fall into any emotional traps. Like Bro DumbAss said, we have a family and beautiful kids at home in mind keep our mind clear.

You mention that you cannot hurt anyone because you are not married. I beg to differ. Please do remember that hurting yourself is bad enough to hurt those back home who love you. However, if you claim that no one loves you at home, then I rest my case.

My 2 cent worth.