Crafted from a seatbelt-like material, this particular piece of mobile metis is a strap the driver uses to close the sliding side door from the driver’s seat instead of having to get out and walk around. This was observed on one of the many “bread-loaf vans” (面包车) that serve as a local transit solution in this suburban neighborhood surrounding one of the spurs on the metro line. While this door-closing strap was present in all of the vans I saw, they are not “standard” – that is, they do not come with the van itself, but are (seemingly universally) added on afterwards.

Below, a 面包车 in motion: