Deaf mute gangs and Slip-ons

The ingenuity of criminals in Shanghai never ceases to amaze me. It's never funny when one is a victim of thieves and crooks but I've got to admit that the oddity of some of the crime here is - well, odd. Take this story about a criminal gang of deaf mutes.

I've written before about the aggressive street shoeshine mongers in Shanghai but they've taken it to a new level. Today, as I was walking in front of the Shanghai Foreign Affairs Office a shoeshine man reached out and grabbed my leg as I walked by and tried to take my shoe off my foot in mid-stride. The only way I could keep my slip-off shoe on was to push my foot down onto the pavement. In doing so I accidentally crushed the man's fingers. Guess I'll have to start wearing lace-ups or gluing my loafers on.