Foreigners that are negative about Taiwan yet still live here

Just try crossing the road at a busy intersection…Don’t need to be a driver to figure things outB

The actual comment was on the number of assholes one encounters in Taipei traffic, an experience that can’t really be appreciated from the safe confines of an enclosed vehicle.

I don’t get it. I feel like other countries are weird when pedestrians just slowly walk across the road without looking. Most cities are like this way in my experience.

Trol

Why am I a troll? I really don’t think the driving is bad.

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Well, actually this depends on what you compare it with. This is bad driving for me because the things I see are not the kind of things I would expect from civilized people. But perhaps here “it’s normal” because well… it’s the way it is… here.

I don’t know how Taiwan compares with wherever you come from in USA, but compared with my country/city, this is horrible.

One of the problems is that the city traffic may look like a First World country’s, but it’s not very different from traffic in countries like India. Bicycles, scooters, and cars pulling off and crossing the streets/roads from side to side, randomly. Cars and motorcycles going super fast surrounded by super slow cars and scooters… absolutely nobody respects the minimum safe distance… cars waving in and out of lanes like if they were scooters… what else… lots of idiots without helmet, super load mufflers, people jumping traffic lights, people stopping in the middle of a curve for checking the phone, nobody using the mirrors (just checking what’s in front of them, never what’s behind), not using or misusing the blinkers, smokey exhausts, collapsed roads everywhere, potholes, blue truck and tuned car mad drivers that lost their brains in some traffic accident, lots of idiots doing U turns anywhere really…

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I guess I’m just used to it? I don’t mind driving here besides scooters and crappy cars in my way or possibly bumping into my car.

Taiwan has two magics: one, wearing down inexorable complainers to become quiet conformists, and two, by hourly frustrations turning content smooth citizens to squeaking teeth and bones.

By everyone working on treadmills, 10 dollars should have earned Taiwan 12, but it ain’t.

Don’t see a problem with a rant or two, as long as it’s not a chronic complainer . I rant online on the Reddit Canada subreddit too when the subject calls for it it so it is not just Taiwan focused ranting. Moving to another country just exchanges one set of problems for another.

Case in point, Taiwan has really cheap unlimited 4g plans but in Canada, they upped the price to close to $100 for 4gb data. Highway robbery and collusion. But back home I don’t have to deal with immigration and pollution issues. Or being told I’m a foreigner and can’t get something. But you trade for excessive high pricing of food hydro and water, insurance Costs, taxes, slow medical care, and horrible climate. But then my salary was good. Big tradeoffs everywhere

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Yup, I fit in with the local drivers too now. Traffic here doesn’t bother me in the least. And you can get to places pretty quickly too since lane filtering is allowed

i wouldn’t want to know those overly negative complaining types. not a good influence.

although its normal to complain about some things. the culture shock stages go from having nothing to complain about, complaining about everything, and then finding a balance. having nothing to complain about is worrying too, that means you probably haven’t fully settled in and accepted the negative points yet. got the blinders on.

i have accepted that i have a better life here than back home but some things are always going to annoy me. such as pollution, brain dead driving, dog problems ect.

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You wrote a post a couple of years ago about this little flying fucker. It was hilarious, may be you should link it here :slight_smile:

PTSD is kicking in!

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I’m on the scooter everyday and drive on the weekends and @mad_masala has been on the roads here longer than me, I think I can vouch for him and say that we’re both used to it, but getting used to something doesn’t mean that the state of traffic is not bad.

Source: Have you turned on the news? 90% of segments are traffic accidents.

I mean there not exactly a plethora of news in Taiwan. I’ve seen way more accidents in the US because people don’t pay attention feeling safe vs here where everyone is always paying attention.

I can understand why people think it’s bad when they’re used to driving from other countries.

But moving on from that. What else do people who come here seem to be not happy about?

http://www.totaltaipei.com/snow-mountain-tunnel-traffic-cameras/

small mise en bouche

Thanks for pulling back the conversation, very moderator of you…make sure Tempo gives you a gold star when you see him.

Honestly, anythign and everything under the sun. You can scroll down a few times on the main page and find threads devoted to these reasons.

People in Taipei not as friendly
Typhoons
Weather
Can’t find good cheese

I was thinking more social issues.