Picture of the Day: Robots Watching You

One of the "robot police" hanging out in Xidan

Security has been stepped up in the whole of Beijing. When you go into the subway station, you don't just have your bag scanned in a machine, but sometimes you may even be wanded or go through a metal detector.

I'm staying in Xidan, the west side of Beijing and it's a commercial area with several shopping malls. Near one of them, Joy City, are several policemen, complete with long stick weapons and German Shepherd are standing by as well as a giant police jeep in dark blue parked nearby.

If that wasn't enough of a deterrent, there are two "robot police" hanging out on the giant pavement. They just stand there immobile, not saying anything, though there are some curious onlookers who stare right into the robots' "eyes".

What a great way for it to get a better scan of your face!

In any event, this need for greater security seems overboard...