Shanghai, as a city that is aiming for international status, is more liberal and tolerant than any other mainland Chinese metropolis. As a result, it can be a confusing environment for the visiting business traveller. While little is discouraged in terms of dress styles, social interaction is still rather conservative. Public displays of affection between platonic same-sex friends and heterosexual couples are common, however homosexual relations aren’t quite so open. A wander around the streets will leave you thinking that anything goes in terms of public hygiene (kids pooping on the sidewalk, taxi drivers taking a leak behind a tree, businesswomen in expensive suits spitting on the street), yet the mouth is one place the Chinese are demure about. Never pick your teeth, chew your fingernails or place your fingers in your mouth as this is considered rather bad manners. Walking down the street is a potential hazard, so keep an eye out for cars, buses, taxis and trucks that run red lights or jump the curb to avoid a collision. Also, the narrow roads of Shanghai can’t accommodate the city’s many bicycles, motorcycles and mopeds, so they often travel along pedestrian areas. You need eyes in the back of your head.