A list of experimental observations (structural, spectroscopical, on transport, isomerization, chemical reactions, etc.) on pristine and doped polyacetylene, (CH)x, which are not compatible with the accepted planar structures and the current theoretical models of charge transport in (CH)x, is compiled. It is proposed that (CH)x is helical and that certain defects (short cis segments) in trans-(CH)x behave like heavy solitons. These assumptions are shown to resolve all the above paradoxes.