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In general, Shanghai is a safe city with a relatively low crime rate, although petty crimes are on the rise within the city. Often working in groups of two or three, pick-pocketers focus on crowded tourist hotspots, markets, and other expat-popular areas like Hengshan Lu and Huaihai Lu. Scams are also increasingly common so watch out for attractive strangers with promises of great drink deals at ‘authentic’ bars or nightclubs; those promises usually result in inflated bills and demanding managers. Scams rarely get violent and, provided you remain streetwise, you are probably safer in Shanghai than in most other big, international cities.

As for the public transport system, crime is rarely a problem compared to the threat of traffic accidents. Every six months sees about a quarter of a million traffic accidents on China’s roads, resulting in up to 45,000 deaths. Luckily Shanghai’s taxi drivers are improving thanks to recently passed laws banning them from smoking or speaking on the phone while driving. Nevertheless, always wear your seatbelt when riding in the front of the car. If a taxi driver has acted wrongly in any way, call the taxi complaint hotline (6323 2150) and quote the driver number, the six digit number second from the top on the taxi receipt.