tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post2118918842913162368..comments2023-10-22T18:25:39.688+08:00Comments on The View from Taiwan: The 45 Minute UlcerMichael Turtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17974403961870976346noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-60295891866396999432009-02-28T00:27:00.000+08:002009-02-28T00:27:00.000+08:00Great post on the traffic hazards in Taiwan... wai...Great post on the traffic hazards in Taiwan... wait... not hazards - this is regular traffic here.<BR/><BR/>My wife (who is Taiwanese) has come to the conclusion that crappy driving is just an outward manifestation of people's selfishness. People who do this (many people here, but not all) are just selfish b@st@rd$ who think they deserve right-of-way.<BR/><BR/>The left-turning dragon describes exactly what's going on! Hahaha... Or it's like you're pulling a straight length of rope perpendicularly...<BR/><BR/>In regards to road rage... I used to get a lot of it when I first got here, but now I've accepted that getting angry only punishes me AND there's nothing that I can do about it. So, I've just adapted the "techniques" that suit my needs; such as gunning it to turn left when the light turns green, and snaking amongst traffic on the scooter.<BR/><BR/>I think that part of the reason Taiwanese don't go road-rage crazy is that not only is it futile (the so-called "controlled" chaos) - but people here are really scared of low-lifes (liu mang), people with power (guan xi), young punks (nian qing ren), and taxi drivers. Why get your butt kicked over routine traffic happenings, eh?<BR/><BR/>And it's too bad you weren't on a mini-bus on a vacation with your camcorder, Michael, otherwise you could've recorded several other phenomena:<BR/><BR/>1. Driving really fast and then when another vehicle gets in the way, instead of braking really hard and jolting your passengers, quickly divert the car to some empty lane or other available space.<BR/><BR/>2. Overtaking gravel trucks on blind corners on mountainous roads on rainy days with bald tires.<BR/><BR/>Scooters really do add the most chaos to Taiwanese roads, however, because any "Zhang San, Li Si" can get one and they follow the rules even less than taxis!<BR/><BR/>Taipei City is a little better than all other places in Taiwan, however, because all rules are strictly enforced. Park on a red line and your car will be towed in minutes! No scooters parking on sidewalks. I've even seen jay-walkers yelled at by traffic cops! There are cops hiding everywhere waiting to give out tickets. And there are many traffic cameras that work! It's great!<BR/><BR/>I'm glad I'm heading back to Canada next year in any case, however!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-31951735608087255752007-09-12T02:59:00.000+08:002007-09-12T02:59:00.000+08:00"...It is a wonder that everyone in Taiwan doesn't..."...It is a wonder that everyone in Taiwan doesn't suffer from intestinal disorders."<BR/><BR/>When I lived in Taiwan, I was told that Taiwanese women have the worst bowel issues in all of East Asia. Seriously!Maktaaqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07199240147294229022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-88757547012566074602007-07-01T20:54:00.000+08:002007-07-01T20:54:00.000+08:00I was down in Tainan this weekend, and they've got...I was down in Tainan this weekend, and they've got to be the worst drivers. In a taxi going from Jhongshan Rd out to Anping, the taxi driver was driving the same as all taxi drivers do (for those readers not in TW, that means doing whatever he wanted, legal or not, safe or not), but he was probably the best driver on the roads. The others, mainly scooters, cars and SUVs were shockingly bad.cfimageshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17311764476271044148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-5659454234627383072007-07-01T05:01:00.000+08:002007-07-01T05:01:00.000+08:00...I have always wondered if Taiwanese driving was....<BR/>.<BR/>.<BR/>I have always wondered if Taiwanese driving was a sort of "controlled chaos". That is, everyone breaks the rules, but there is a "unwritten" rule to follow with respect to breaking the rules. Does that make any sense?<BR/><BR/>Anyhow, I always wanted to see some stats to verify that hypothesis. It seem -- as Michael has pointed out in this post -- that it is decidedly NOT a "controlled" chaos, indeed. Do you have any links to these stats, Michael?<BR/><BR/>It would be interesting to do a similar post from the "pedestrian" perspective. In some ways, I think these people are more at risk than the people in vehicles -- considering that sidewalks in Taiwan are road arteries for scooters trying to get onto the street. <BR/>.<BR/>.<BR/>.skiingkowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05381159852660053893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-34505889501897296282007-07-01T00:36:00.000+08:002007-07-01T00:36:00.000+08:00Hey Michael,Good job on this post. must have been...Hey Michael,<BR/><BR/>Good job on this post. must have been labor intensive.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for using the term "the dragon". I have been doing my best to coin the phrase as it really suits that type of traffic infraction. <BR/><BR/>I live in Tainan and I think I could spend an less than an hour at any intersection and get some good traffic infraction shots. I'll post it if I do and then let you know. It's been something I have wanted to do for a while.<BR/><BR/>Cheers,<BR/><BR/>JohnReal Estatehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03214585876101870323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-78066761014736458572007-06-30T22:18:00.000+08:002007-06-30T22:18:00.000+08:00Great post on Taiwan Traffic Michael. I was going...Great post on Taiwan Traffic Michael. I was going to comment about the crazy forig It does seem to have tamed down a little bit over the last ten years though, at least people are "pretending" to follow the rules now... "it's illegal to turn right on a red, but it's ok to drive on the wrong side of the road..!".Fotozonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00181694049321554803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-54229718498244753772007-06-30T08:30:00.000+08:002007-06-30T08:30:00.000+08:00I've seen lots and lots of road rage here. It's pr...I've seen lots and lots of road rage here. It's pretty common -- face, you know. Just last week I saw a bus cut off a motorcyclist and the guy drove around to the front of the bus, stopped, got out, and yelled at the driver for about thirty seconds. Lots of that sort of thing.<BR/><BR/>MichaelMichael Turtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17974403961870976346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-61547724250263830072007-06-30T08:14:00.000+08:002007-06-30T08:14:00.000+08:00"One thing that surprises me is that amongst the a..."One thing that surprises me is that amongst the anarchy it's only the foreigners that seem to get serious road rage."<BR/><BR/>In anarchy, there is order. If everyone drives in the same manner, then everyone knows what to expect from their fellow motorists. It's only the outsiders who would naively assume rules will be obeyed and courtesies shown. Hence, the road rage when these things don't occur.<BR/><BR/>Actually, I have seen Taiwanese drivers lose self-control at times. I remember seeing one middle-aged female scooter rider spit in the face of another middle-aged female scooter rider because the latter cut off the former by going through a red light at a busy intersection.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-71890625481445220642007-06-29T18:22:00.000+08:002007-06-29T18:22:00.000+08:00And I think it's bad in Taipei! A great post indee...And I think it's bad in Taipei! A great post indeed.<BR/>One thing that surprises me is that amongst the anarchy it's only the foreigners that seem to get serious road rage.<BR/>Does anyone offer sustained pressure for getting the police to actually start doing their job? Perhaps a group of people who have lost loved ones? An uppity mayor? Anyone?!! <BR/>Something else that literally gets right up my nose is the smokey scooter/bike problem. These selfish oafs contribute magnitudes more pollution than everyone else. Where's a petition to sign? A pressure group to join? Apart from shouting Chinese obscenities at them (not massively effective) What can be done?.https://www.blogger.com/profile/00149149710618430861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-77198632142077383852007-06-29T16:06:00.000+08:002007-06-29T16:06:00.000+08:00Man, you people have NO FAITH in me. :} I didn't t...Man, you people have NO FAITH in me. :} I didn't take pictures while driving. I just put a video camera on the dash, and then captured some stills from it.<BR/><BR/><BR/>MichaelMichael Turtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17974403961870976346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-49899816653398918712007-06-29T13:20:00.000+08:002007-06-29T13:20:00.000+08:00Good article, Michael. But here's some food for th...Good article, Michael. But here's some food for thought.<BR/>What about those crazy people who take photographs while they're driving?<BR/>Now that is really dangerous.<BR/>LOL.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-80974032018979184402007-06-29T13:18:00.000+08:002007-06-29T13:18:00.000+08:00I read that Taipei County has suggested pedestrian...I read that Taipei County has suggested pedestrians to walk against the traffic, for exactly the reasons you pointed out. Since the no sidewalk problem won't be fixed anytime soon, it's good to see the pic of the lady walking against the traffic. <BR/>That way no one can steal your purse, camera, or umbrella from behind either! <BR/><BR/>spencerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-48043979891543101172007-06-29T12:43:00.000+08:002007-06-29T12:43:00.000+08:00Driving one-handed while taking pictures with your...Driving one-handed while taking pictures with your other hand? Tut-tut!<BR/><BR/>I do that all the time, actually! I am still trying to get a shot of a driver who doesn't wnat to wait in the left turn lane and drives up to the front completely blocking the lane for drivers who want to go straight.<BR/><BR/>Back to cameras in cars, in the not-too-distant future most vehicles with be fitted with cameras front and back. It will be interesting to see how having cameras in cars influences driver behaviour and also driving insurance rates.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-25384643496358064352007-06-29T11:24:00.000+08:002007-06-29T11:24:00.000+08:00All those pictures and not a single one featuring ...All those pictures and not a single one featuring a child not wearing a helmet? I'm stunned!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-78956618433594528212007-06-29T11:17:00.000+08:002007-06-29T11:17:00.000+08:00Where I come from in the U.S., the traffic lights ...Where I come from in the U.S., the traffic lights go like this: red, left turn, green, sneak any left turns you can at the end of the green, and then red. Here, all I’ve seen is red, green, double dragon, left turn, red. <BR/><BR/>So while I admit to having no knowledge of traffic planning, it still seems to me that it is better to get as many of your left turners out of the way first, and then go to green. Is it done this way anywhere in Taiwan?Chaonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09716593360671034412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-53958866726269661242007-06-29T07:39:00.000+08:002007-06-29T07:39:00.000+08:00Great post. Taiwanese people are living in a state...Great post. Taiwanese people are living in a state of collective denial about traffic problems. <BR/><BR/>I think the recent bus accident on Yangmingshan provides a good example. The media were so quick to assume that the reason for the accident was mechanical problems. Well, first the media should wait for the police to finish their investigation. But it was never really considered that maybe the bus driver was going too fast or driving in an unsafe manner.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-33619223169434584492007-06-29T05:00:00.000+08:002007-06-29T05:00:00.000+08:00Jet packs, Michael. They're the way of the future...Jet packs, Michael. They're the way of the future.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com