Driving Immorally a Crime?

Legal General Legal Matters
1

A few years back, I guy I used to work with (mind you, he was a real twit) told me that he’d taken his driving test several times and failed it, etc. and that the questions on the test were nutty. He also said that the book, or study guide, or whatever it is you prepare with, was filled with moral exhortations. He added that it is actually illegal in Taiwan to drive immorally, and the focus wasn’t on law, but rather on exuding good Confucian morals. Now, this doesn’t sound beyond Taiwan, but is it actually true? I’m an MRT and taxi man myself, so I’ve never see the test questions.

Thanks

Ed

2

There was at least one question about being dressed decently when you drive, which would be funny except for the fact that there was no question about not shooting out of an alley at top speed without stopping, yielding, or even bloody LOOKING.

3

They are doing their best impression of sub-atomic particles.

Yes, they dress well. Sandals, wife beaters,…

But you can’t remember any overt references to morality, eh? Maybe it was for a car driver’s license. I suppose that’s a whole other kettle 'o fish from the scooter license. Like I said, I don’t driver here…

Thanks

Ed

4

I’m all of a sudden reminded of all the signs dotted everywhere in and around China which read “Be civilization.” or “Be civilize.”
It makes me laugh. How does anyone know how to be civilized automatically without being shown what it is to be and what the benefits are?
Indeed it’s like the test question which reads something like, but of course grammatically far from English: ‘What is the appropriate attire to be worn whilst riding?’ ‘Clothes which are not upsetting to others and are in fitting with the environment.’

Well what the bloody hell does that mean then? I’m assuming betel nut spit stained jeans and a wife beater if outside Taipei city and if within then a shirt and tie and a gold buckled belt that is drawn up around the nipple line holding up a pair of slightly short trousers and a pair of lacquered shoes with another small gold emblem on the side matched with a pair of dodgy looking socks. But now I’m drawing on my own stereotypes with lack of a concise given example.

Certainly do not wear protective riding attire which may help when knocked off by a mad taxi driver; Oh no, we would never ask people to do such a thing.

There should be an answer option similar to Cuba Gooding Junior’s: if I am killed on a Taiwanese road, I will make
every effort to die like a respectable Taiwanese business man.

5

The written test for small cc bikes had some real weird ones. I failed the first time because I couldn’t clearly understand the English.
I offered some suggestions in the translation but they just smiled and thanked me.

Too bad driving like an asshole isn’t illegal in Taiwan.

6

I’ve got the handbook right now, here are a few samples of the zanier questions:

How does a driver think about his clothes and appearance?
(1) There are no restrictions. (2) He should be clean and dignified. (3) It is not important.

The driver follows traffic rules because… (1) he is afraid of being punished. (2) he has the sense of responsibility, honor for personal and other people’s safety. (3) there is someone to supervise him.

When you see other vehicles or pedestrians misbehaving, you will be angry and feel like fighting or using abusive language or loosing your temper, how do you control yourself? You should (1) be patient and give way. (2) argue with the in accordance with the law. (3) do not speak.

If drivers want to be honored, happy, safe on traffic, they should (1) have a sense of morality and follow the laws. (2) have good driving skills. (3) not drink and smoke.

To ensure the safety of oneself and other people, the driver should always make an effort on cultivating his morality and (1) control himself and help others. (2) control others from flauting other’s physical superiority. (3) find ways to deal with others.

If blood continuously gushes out, this means (1) vein bleeding. (2) capillary bleeding. (3) artery bleeding.

True or False:

Politeness and tolerance are the best virtues of showing driving morals.

I find two drug dealers whispering in my taxi. In order to help my country, I should think up a method to report the police station and not let them escape. (my favorite!)

If I find that passengers are suspicious, I should refuse to take them by pretext.

Alcoholics or drug addicts cannot take the driving test.

7

and what are the answers, dear sir?

8

Isn’t it obvious? :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

9

Yup,

That’s pretty much exactly what I was looking for. Thank you.

Yes, it seems that most suggestions are met with the nod and smile. There’s no reflection, no internalization. Besides, reprinting costs money.

Thanks again for that.

10

A trick question. He should be thinking instead about the road.

Is the question meant to be normative or descriptive? If normative, then ethicists disagree. Chinese philosophy for example has proposed legalist (1) as well as Confucian (2) readings, both of which have influenced the local legal system. If descriptive, then apart from the many drivers who obviously do not follow traffic rules, a wide variety of motivations may be discerned in those who do, including possibly (3) if the driver is married. A technical point: many traffic “rules” seem rather to be heuristic suggestions, and in any case reflect expected driving behavior only imperfectly.

Again, the question confuses normative (“You should…”) with descriptive (“how do you…”) language. Legally speaking, the law is unlikely to require specific emotions such as patience, and it is logically impossible for both sides to give way (1). Arguing in accordance with the law, while perhaps difficult to do from a moving vehicle, is legally acceptable by definition (2). Of course politeness is always a desideratum, and gender-based differences exist for etiquette which may valorize silent submission (3).

What is honored is not necessarily what is safe, and neither course necessarily leads to happiness. Good driving skills are partly inborn (being gender-based), so one cannot blame herself for lacking those.

(This makes me think of Marty McFly drag-racing in those atrocious “Back to the Future” sequels.) Morality may sometimes command us to perform unsafe, or even illegal, driving manuevers. Suppose for example that one is trying to escape the Arnold Schwartzenegger cyborg, and thereby preserve a future for humanity. (There–that was how to do a sequel.) Sometimes, while driving, one has to “put away your scanner” and just “use the force.” Controlling others (2) is not only impossible in the long run, but leads to the dark side. (3) risks being fatalistic, however–I mean, where would we be if John Conner thought this way?

Depends on from where.

11

hey, yesterday i gave a guy the finger and, after shouting at each other while driving our cars down the street, pulled up in front of my house. the police came and didn’t even ask to see my license (which was good because i don’t have one), but said i should apologize to the man or else he could “gao” me or sue me. it made no sense to me, but, not having a license, i said sorry and called it a day.

sued for the finger. i wasn’t threatened with a lawsuit for calling him a tamade baichi because i contended that was clearly supported by the facts. i heard the cop saying something to guy about it would look bad in court if there was a debate about whether he was in fact a bloody idiot.

[quote=“Ed Lakewood”]A few years back, I guy I used to work with (mind you, he was a real twit) told me that he’d taken his driving test several times and failed it, etc. and that the questions on the test were nutty. He also said that the book, or study guide, or whatever it is you prepare with, was filled with moral exhortations. He added that it is actually illegal in Taiwan to drive immorally, and the focus wasn’t on law, but rather on exuding good Confucian morals. Now, this doesn’t sound beyond Taiwan, but is it actually true? I’m an MRT and taxi man myself, so I’ve never see the test questions.

Thanks

Ed[/quote]

12

Umm, Arnie played a good guy in T2. And it was a far inferior film to the Back to the Future sequels. I think these serious errors in your post invalidate your other points.

13

When I first got my drivers license, my uncle who is a priest gave me a little medalian to stick to the inside of my car. It said, “Drive for others as you would have them drive for you.” I thought it was nice. I stuck it on the dashboard of my Vega and have tried to drive by that golden rule ever since.