Punishment
Today, I got in trouble with the Chinese police. But don’t worry, the story isn’t actually that exciting.
It’s rather pathetic actually — I forgot to check in with my local Police Station immediately after arriving in Shanghai. Without official documentation from the police, I can’t renew my visa.
I only discovered my stupid mistake after arriving at the station on Sunday to get some paperwork. The stern-looking officer at Window 5 refused to hand any of it over. Instead, he gave me a queue ticket with a phone number and the name “Zhou” scribbled on the back. I was told to call Zhou during the week to schedule an appointment.
“But why do I need to speak to Zhou? ” I asked. “Can’t I just get the forms now?”
“No,” the officer replied. “You need to get punishment first.”
The word “punishment” made me fear the worst. Would I be thrown in a back room and interrogated for three hours? I’d heard of it happening to expats before
Luckily for me, “punishment” just ended up being a 300 RMB ($50 fine), lots of paperwork and a DMV-like experience at 8:30 in the morning. A slight inconvenience.
It won’t happen again, China. I promise.
