Superstitious Woman Causes Chaos by Tampering with Traffic Mirror
A woman in Shanghai repeatedly adjusted a traffic mirror in her residential community because she believed it was causing bad luck in her home — a decision that residents say led to multiple traffic accidents.
According to Chinese media reports, the woman’s husband, identified as Luo, said his wife had recently experienced what he described as “bad luck and health” issues. The couple invited a feng shui master to inspect their home, and the master reportedly concluded the traffic mirror was to blame.
The couple believed the mirror resembled a “demon-revealing mirror” that reflected toward their home. Luo said they were unhappy with it facing them, explaining, “We are no demons. We are not happy having a demon-revealing mirror pointing at us.”
As a result, the woman repeatedly bent and twisted the mirror to face another direction. Luo also claimed the mirror was not really in use.
Residents say otherwise.
One neighbor, identified as Li, said the mirror had been frequently repositioned since November 2025, despite repeated repairs by the property management company. She said the altered mirror caused a collision between two cars because the drivers could not see each other.
Another resident said he had grown accustomed to the tilted mirror during the day, but at night visibility was so poor that he began honking and flashing his headlights when driving through the turn.
The mirror was originally installed in 2012 at an angle designed to allow visibility for oncoming traffic in both directions.
Property management attempted to resolve the issue by installing a second mirror on the opposite side of the road so traffic could be safely observed without affecting the couple’s home. While Luo’s wife initially agreed, reports say she later adjusted both mirrors after her family experienced more bad luck.
After multiple complaints, the neighborhood committee invited police on January 21 to explain the legal consequences of damaging public facilities. Police reportedly warned the couple that their actions could constitute a crime and that they could be held responsible for traffic accidents caused by the changes.
On January 22, the property management company permanently fixed the mirror in place with cement.
A neighborhood committee member later said Luo has promised to preserve the mirror’s position for the sake of community safety.
