SINGAPORE, Oct 29 — You’ve probably seen people doing the viral Chongqing motorcycle trend on social media — where they ride pillion and pose with style against the city’s nightscape. 

But for Singapore content creator Cheryl Tay and her travel companion, the experience isn’t quite as enjoyable as it appears on screen. 

“We both did the viral motorbike trend in Chongqing and we didn’t have a very good experience,” she said in a TikTok post on Tuesday.

According to Cheryl, it all started when the two of them were approached by a woman near Hongya Cave in Chongqing who offered them a chance to take part in the activity.

Before agreeing to it, the content creator said she asked a few questions — such as whether she would be able to ride the motorcycle herself and if she could choose which partner to ride with — all of which the woman apparently answered yes to. 

After paying a deposit and arranging the appointment, Cheryl and her friend were then picked up by another man at the designated meeting point and brought to an office to change into their outfits for the shoot. 

However, Cheryl was less than impressed with the clothes provided, which she said were “a bit smelly”. 

“I don’t think that they washed it properly,” she said. 

“I felt like I had a hundred people’s sweat on me.” 

After getting dressed for the occasion, the pair was then brought to a roadside, where they met the rider who would be doing the shoot with them. 

And that was when things really started going downhill. 

According to the content creator, they were repeatedly being rushed throughout the experience. 

At one point, her friend said that a helmet was even forced onto her. 

“They were prioritising volume over quality, and it came off in their body language, in the way they speak, in their attitude. They were very very impatient and it kind of ruined the mood,” said Cheryl. 

She added that she even had her own storyline and skit for the video but felt that the rider was not cooperative and made it difficult to execute. 

Her friend also described the rider as “extra aggressive” and intimidating, especially because she did not understand Mandarin and was not used to riding motorcycles. 

“I feel like he was very military[sic]. Come on! It’s kind of scary if you don’t usually ride bikes,” she recalled. 

She further alleged that the rider had handled her roughly while positioning her for the shoot. 

Cheryl also questioned why they were being rushed, pointing out that she and her friend had arrived early and were among the first customers of the night. 

“Obviously I don’t expect you to roll out a red carpet and treat me like a princess, but I’m just saying basic respect,” she explained.  

But despite the negative interactions, Cheryl acknowledged that the final video turned out fine. 

However, the duo maintained that the overall experience has been marred by the poor service. 

“So, the moral of the story here is, please do your research, please do your homework, go online, search and pre-book,” she urged, suggesting for those interested to get references from people who have done it before. 

“Number two, research for the skit you want, such as the storyline, because there’s a standard template of how to do it but you can also change it up a bit and discuss with them prior,” she added, explaining that they did not get to do so as they were being rushed. 

In the post’s accompanying caption, Cheryl also highlighted another point of frustration — being told she could not ride the motorcycle herself despite initially receiving the green light from the woman who approached them. 

To make matters worse, the content creator claimed that she subsequently discovered they had been overcharged. 

“Spend time to do your research and homework! Don’t just go in blind,” she reiterated. 

In a separate video posted on Wednesday showing the completed shoot, the content creator said she had initially wanted to switch things up with her carrying the rider and being the driver instead, though it fell through as the vendor was “too commercialised, impatient and rude”.

“The rider made no effort to create chemistry and it left me feeling shortchanged,” she added. 

AsiaOne has reached out to Cheryl for more information. — AsiaOne