Altercation with a truck driver

Life Cars & Motorcycles
1

Hi, had an altercation with a truck driver yesterday evening. At the time I just though “what a dick”, but now I’m a bit shook up after thinking how badly it could have turned out.

First up, I should say that I’m a relatively inexperienced driver. However, I am very slow and cautious, and have driven on this stretch of road hundreds of times before.

I took the exit off highway 3 to Taipei, and was driving down the exit ramp in the left most lane, ready to turn left. At the end of the exit ramp is a 3-lane T intersection, with traffic lights. The lights were green so I picked up speed going down the ramp and started to turn left pretty quickly; it’s a very tight turn.

As I was turning I noticed a large 8 wheeler truck to the my right. Guess i was going too quickly as I drifted very close to him and to sharply turn the wheel to move away. I finished turning before him and straightened up, but I guess I cut into his path as again I was too close and had to pull the wheel sharply to prevent a collision. After we’d both finished turning the road was clear ahead, so I accelerated ahead of him and moved into the middle lane in front of him, as I needed to turn right very soon.

Now that he was immediately behind me, he turned on his LOUD truck speaker system and began blasting my car with Chinese. I couldn’t understand what he was saying, but it sounded angry and mocking, probably insults. I moved into the right-most lane in preparation to turn right, but he slowed down and followed me, driving next to my car, still continuing the shouting on the loud speakers.

Eventually the right turn lane I was in slowed to a halt, so he stopped his truck in the middle lane next to my car, holding up all traffic behind him, just to continue to scream at me. I just looked straight ahead and kept driving, didn’t acknowledge it at all. Eventually after about 5 minutes I turned right and he continued straight, but I think if we had stopped at lights at any point he would have got out of his truck.

I’m shaken as the situation could have got ugly real quick. Also I could have caused an accident (I never felt in danger, but I admit I probably caused him to step on his brakes)

Anyway I’m wondering what the hell was he saying? Was he trying to goad me into getting out of my car? What was the best way to handle this situation; should I stick my head out the window and apologize next time?

I though Taiwanese people were the friendliest in the world, but looks like that doesn’t apply on the roads.

2

It sounds like he was just venting his frustration at what he saw as your bad driving. Maybe better that you didn’t understand what he was saying. :slight_smile:

If he wanted to escalate, he probably wouldn’t have hesitated to hop out of the cab with a baseball bat and start smashing your windows in. If you think you were at fault (or just want to diffuse the situation), the standard way to show contrition (visually) is to do the Taiwanese “salute/bow.” Just do a military-style salute combined with a half-bow, and say “sorry, sorry, sorry” if he can hear you.

3

I just imagined OP having another altercation ang going:“HEIL HITLER” while saying sorry.

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4

Not recommended. You’d probably have to roll down your window to have enough room for the “heil.”

5

congrats on finally finding out that taiwanese are much less than friendly on the roads. he was probably shouting ‘hey i am driving a big truck, you are driving a little scooter or car so you better not fuck with me or i’ll run you over and end your life for a laugh’

6

You haven’t been paying attention to the complainants of Taiwanese driving, have you?

But in this case, it sounds like you were the bad driver (look like you have assimilated in Taiwan :slight_smile: ) I can picture you swerving into his lane and almost causing a wreck.

7

I think you can be one of the nicest person in life but when you get behind the wheels…no one is above road rage. It’s not exclusive in Taiwan. At least guns aren’t legal here for civilians. When I drove in Texas I always had a gun in the car because everyone else had a gun in the car. And you just try to avoid doing stuff to antagonize others even if they are at fault. Plenty of people who become a psycho when they get behind the wheel. Myself included if I get behind a nice sports car. Everyone with normal cars should bow down to me and move out of my way :joy:

8

I accept it was totally my fault. But conversely, it would have been clear it was an accident; there’s no way someone in a small car would intentionally under-steer and drive into a truck!

I see people intentionally acting like idiots on the roads every day; cars changing lanes or pulling out without looking is so common I don’t even think about it anymore! Seems like I’ve just joined them in the Taiwan sh*tty drivers club.

9

I hope you had a dash cam, just have recording constantly while driving around this country.

I think your response was as good as it can get, props to you for keeping your cool bud. I think you would have escalated it even more if you gave him a look or a responded to him in anyway.

Driving around Taipei is one of my biggest peeves here.

10

Sadly, that is the probably the only way to survive while driving in Taiwan.

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11

So glad I finally got a dash cam, it also has GPS which is sh*t but warns me when speed cameras are coming up and shows 7/11s and some other stuff on the map.

I have a question, back home we go by the rule of “right of way”. So if I am driving straight on a straight road, I have right of way and anyone who turns into the road and into my path is at fault if we crash,

Now I have read online that in Taiwan they say “you’re responsible for what happens in front of you”.

So if a car turns into my lane he is in front of me and if we crash it would be my fault?

Cars, buses or scooters ALWAYS cut in front of me at intersections, it’s like if they just get their nose of the car into my path I am meant to slow down or stop for them. I just don’t understand it. And i drive like 20km/h up to 40km/h because these fools keep doing it. I am ultra-defensive when driving. Often I am driving like 20-25 and a scooter will just BLAST past me out of some side street that if i was driving the speed limit (50KM/H) I would literally END that human.

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