The humble Beijing Super Pass (Yikatong / 一卡通). If you want, you can even grab a variant that works in Tianjin (this involves buying the card; no refunds allowed). Subway rides for CNY 2. Bus rides as low as CNY 0.40. Payment on taxis (well, a few anyway) without the hassle for change. Works in quite a few corner shops -- Quik, and a few Wu-Mart and Olé shops as well. Gets you your movie tickets. Gets you into your P&R parking lot and pays the parking fee as well.

The best invention since sliced bread.

And now, to our alarm, a target of mass returns.

That's right -- the Olympics are over. They're (as in the tourists) returning the Super Passes like mad. Crowds have overwhelmed quite a few Super Pass service spots that do returns. Queues go for 2 hours a pop. Not good.

Read the first paragraph. Again. And again.

Realize that people with the card go through the Subway faregates with virtually no effort. They are spared the queuing up in front of manned ticket counters or trying to fake their way through an auto ticket machine.

Understand that this is the new way to pay. No more super-dirty banknotes back. No more mei ling qian (no change).

So why are you throwing your Super Pass back to their makers?

Hey, I've an Oyster Card at my place... I never know when I'll go back to London!