Yeah, foreigners can sometimes get away with stuff... above Chinese people. Especially in lower Tier cities because they are afraid of turning on the spotlight. I was on a business trip to Xi'an one trip and talking with a taxi driver...

 
He seemed extremely well educated for a taxi driver and we got along very well between our mix of Chinese and English. He was telling me how a few years ago the government pretty much demanded each taxi driver pay taxes and took all their cars (well allowed them to buy it themselves but it didn't make any sense). Anyway... to the point... we were swapping stories when I told him that one time about six of us foreigners rode around on motorcycles (none of us had a proper motorcycle license) and we stopped in front of a police station. We bought some beers and started drinking and a police officer came out... he looked us up and down and said, "Can I help you?"
 
We started talking to him in Chinese and he was very happy. "Are you riding these motorcycles?" he asked. "Yes, we are..." we replied, as we took another sip of the beer. His reaction... "Okay, just slow down a little (man yi dian)."
 
When I told the taxi driver this, he burst out laughing... "Yeah, that's our worthless police." he said. "Man yi dian...."
 
I felt a little guilty as it was obvious we abused some laws because we were foreigners... but we also take a lot of slack like people whispering, shouting "wai guo ren/lao wai" and sometimes we need to cut loose, right? I honesty think sometimes Chinese like it because it not only entertains them but shows them that you can show a little backbone and get away with it.