Shanghai Motorcycle Driving School - complicated question

[xiaofei]

Here's an update:

I went to the Cheguansuo in Hamilu today. Unfortunately, it is only possible to do this kind of buerocratic stuff during the work hours Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. So I had to wait until our company shuts down due to power blackout, which did not take that long.

After taking the pictures, doing the 体检, paying several small bills and waiting for two hours in building #1 the unfriendly officer (why are they all dick heads? Ok, the girls at the 体检 weren't.) told me I should go to Beijing first and change the passport number on my driving license. Then I could come back and change the address in Shanghai...
Gee, what an uncomplicated process. Why have access to other cities' system in the same country, if you have some annual vacation left, can buy cheap flight tickets and just fly there?! But for the really lazy people, who prefer to use their vacation for family time and their money for PM2.5 masks we still have agencies, who do their guanxi-magic for just half the price of the air fare.
Sometimes I hate this country... ok, most of the time.

So that's the next step: tomorrow i will shunfeng my old and new passports together with my Beijing DL, an original Paichusuo Dengji Biao (police registration) and a one pager description of the situation (情况说明) in my best Putonghua to a trustful agent in Beijing I just googled. He claims he can do it and shunfeng everything back in two days for just 800 precious RMB. (They have an English website, so that's enough for me to trust him with my passports and residence permit.)

Ahh, China, what a lovely country. Too bad they don't sell firearms here. I could have used some today.

[braillce]

Lol yea, stupid laws everywhere... They probably send one dude on a train so it's only 800 RMB...

I also feel the urge of discharging a firearm at times, since u're in shanghai there's a shooting range on the north side of Hongqiao rd, between Huaihai rd and Panyu rd, it's between 8 and 10 RMB per 22LR round, there ain't bigger, which is lamely overpriced and underpowered but hey, we're in China.. Bad news is u'll need ur passport, or ur driving license lol...

[ZMC888]

Lol yea, stupid laws everywhere... They probably send one dude on a train so it's only 800 RMB...

I also feel the urge of discharging a firearm at times, since u're in shanghai there's a shooting range on the north side of Hongqiao rd, between Huaihai rd and Panyu rd, it's between 8 and 10 RMB per 22LR round, there ain't bigger, which is lamely overpriced and underpowered but hey, we're in China.. Bad news is u'll need ur passport, or ur driving license lol...

I was thinking about swords....medieval broadswords.

[xiaofei]

So I sent my documents to this agent guy (Mr. Kevin Lu of cn-visa.com). We agreed on the phone that he would get everything done, send the documents back to me and then I would make the money transfer. As usual, it did not happen like this... He received the docs, claimed to have finished everything 3 hours later and sent me a message, that I should transfer the money now. TIC.
After a fruitless discussion over the phone, he agreed that I would send a friend to pick up my stuff. Cash on delivery (with pick up instead of delivery) so to say. After all, I couldn't go there myself to kick his butt, because I had no travel documents... I only have one friend left in Beijing whom I trusted this task and he was not really enthused to meet Mr. Lu, but eventually (after promising to treat him a full Peisan Ktv experience) he agreed. Later that day I did more VPN-aided google research on Mr. Lu and only found positive results among lots of self-praising ads. Since some search results dated back to 2006 or so, I figured he is long enough in business to not only trust him my documents, but also my money. (Yes, I haven't learned anything in China.) So I transferred the money and he immediately sent me a confirmation and promised to send the docs the next day. He did. They arrived and looked good. Anyways, I am yet to evaluate, if the new driving license is genuine or just a Taobao fake. I will know after the next blackout comes, my office shuts down and I can go to the DMV during work hours again.
Stay tuned.

Regarding Mr. Lu I am not sure, if I can recommend his services. He seems to get things done, but doesn't stick to his word. You may decide for yourself, if you want to have business with him. Regardless of the outcome, I will still slap him in the face next time I go to Beijing.

[ZMC888]

I know a former colleague who got a motorcycle license because he taught a policeman's daughter. So TIC and it certainly possible you've gotten yourself a real license. Fingers crossed 80% chance.

[xiaofei]

I successfully changed the address. It only took one hour, 10 RMB and I could take the new DL home already.
Of course nobody at the Hamilu DMV knew, if or when a translation of the second test is coming. But I spoke to the beautiful Jane Shao at Yiqi Motorcycle Co. next to the DMV and she confirmed that it is only 800 questions, multiple choice, one correct answer.
Challenge accepted.

Now I must pause for a two weeks lung recreation trip home, then I will baoming at Junti Training centre on 19th April.
I won't give up so easily.