Shanghai's bus benches soon to be finger friendly

Our mom always taught us never to stick our fingers into holes on bus-stop benches. We always thought this was odd advice — we didn't live in a town with a public bus system until our late 20s — but now we know mom wasn't just talking crazy. Since 2002, Shanghai's bus stop benches (pictured) have been trapping fingers at a rate of at least one per year, according to the Shanghai Daily. All the victims had to be "cut free," including a 10-year-old girl in 2004, who we guess has chubbier than normal digits. That led to benches with "safer" kidney-shaped holes being installed at new bus stops (the holes are there for drainage). But the old "unsafe" benches continued to claim curious fingers, most recently on April 22, and over the May holiday warning signs were erected. One thousand holeless new benches made of stainless steel bars are going to replace the old ones — but the company responsible for benches is worried that thieves will steel the new design because "steel bars can be used for much wider functions than dotted steel plates and can sell for a better price on the recycling market."

Things we also learned from the Shanghai Daily recently: Starting Sept. 1, Shanghai's metro trains will be equipped with surveillance cameras, and the proposed extension of Shanghai's Maglev train is still up in the air.