I spend a lot of time complaining about Shanghai, so I wanted to take time out to mention something I love about this city. Besides the yams. Yes, the motorcycle taxi.

There is no better way to see the city than on the back of a motorcycle taxi. After nearly a year in Shanghai, I am no stranger to perilous driving, but the motorcycle drivers take peril to an entirely different level: driving against traffic, on sidewalks, and between lanes. On a recent rainy trip, my driver raced another motorcycle through a series of alleyways, cut off a steamroller, and outran a cop. At the ride's end, the driver gave me a 5 RMB discount on our negotiated fare because I was "so brave."