Chinese media, advertising, and urban life.

Shenzhen Economic Daily received a tip about a sign outside the Shajing Bus Terminal:

A friendly warning for idiot travelers

Travelers' Complaints:

[Woman]: Damn, I got counterfeit money in change again when I took a car along the roadside. What a pain!
[Man]: Shit, I took an illegal taxi today and was ripped off again. They're so heartless!
[Old man]: It's awful, I took an unlicensed cab today and was cheated out of 500 yuan. Fuck!
[Policeman]: Idiots. Why don't you take a car from a regular station? Then your safety will be guaranteed!

Shangnan Police Station Hotline: 27291110

Two different terms are used for unlicensed taxi in the sign. The man uses 野鸡车, a term that frequently appears in southern newspapers, while the old man uses 黑车, which is more common in Beijing.

The newspaper contacted the police station, which said that it was not responsible for the sign:

A station employee said that the warning sign had not been placed there by the police station; it had been designed by the Shajing Bus Terminal. Its intentions were good — warning residents not to take illegal taxis — but the language was a little crude, so they had already asked the station to take the sign down and replace it with a new one. The reporter then telephoned the bus terminal, where an employee said that illegal taxis frequently exited Highway 107 and came to the station to pick up passengers, and that many travelers had been cheated. They thought that the sign could warn travelers and prevent them from being tricked.