Opinion | Shanghai includes fare dodgers on credit blacklists
Those who try to ride Metro for free risk being denied loans and jobs, but some say campaign doomed to fail because tickets are too expensive
Anyone who has taken the subway in Shanghai recently would have noticed posters. Adorned with cartoon characters, the notices warn Shanghai Metro patrons against riding the trains without paying for a ticket: "Ride free one time, feel shameful and regret it for your whole life".
Passengers found to have boarded a train without a ticket - or using a fake concession card - will have their personal details included in the city's credit blacklist. Concession cards are given to the elderly or disabled, so they can ride for free.
Shanghai's subway system is among the world's longest, at more than 420 kilometres, and perhaps one of the busiest, used by seven million passengers each day. It is also well known for the number of people who avoid paying, employing a variety of tactics.
Some vault the toll gates, others worm their way through the three rotating bars, while others - usually young couples - do the two-for-one trick, clasping each other tightly and passing through with just one ticket.
But the real number of fare dodgers is certainly far higher.