# In and out of Taxi **URL:** \ **Category:** Living in Taiwan\ **Created:** [July 11, 2005, 2:18pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/in-and-out-of-taxi/19493 "2005-07-11T14:18:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tango42](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/82dd89/32.png) [@tango42](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/tango42)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 2:18pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/in-and-out-of-taxi/19493/1 "2005-07-11T14:18:33Z")
Got into Taxi. Gave directions in Mandarin and English. Taxi driver says “if you don’t speak Hokkien, you shouldn’t be taking a taxi”. Got out of taxi. Next time will tell taxi driver I am a ghost and will haunt him and his family for rest of eternity… but he understands that… ---
**Author:** ![914](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/9/f14d63/32.png) [@914](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/914)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 2:26pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/in-and-out-of-taxi/19493/2 "2005-07-11T14:26:28Z")
Kewl. ---
**Author:** ![ImaniOU](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/a587f6/32.png) [@ImaniOU](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/ImaniOU)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 3:16pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/in-and-out-of-taxi/19493/3 "2005-07-11T15:16:35Z")
Wow. Is he aware of how much the taxi business will drop if his shallow view is taken to heart? I usually get in and out of a taxi at the smell of betel nut or cigarettes. I figure if I have to pay the same rate anyways, why not wait for something better and have a more enjoyable ride? ---
**Author:** ![Bu\_Lai\_En](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/dc4da7/32.png) [@Bu\_Lai\_En](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Bu_Lai_En)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 3:42pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/in-and-out-of-taxi/19493/4 "2005-07-11T15:42:22Z")
I would have told him “I’m trying to learn Taiwanese. The first word I learnt was GA-NI-NIA” Brian ---
**Author:** ![SuchAFob](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@SuchAFob](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/SuchAFob)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 5:08pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/in-and-out-of-taxi/19493/5 "2005-07-11T17:08:45Z")
I get in and out of Taxis on my own. I have come to decide that if they want to pretend they don’t understand my directions when I have both said them in chinese and showed them the paper I wrote them on, I can take another taxi. And if they do that pretending to think about how to get there thing, I also get out. Taipei is a small city. If a taxi driver doesn’t know his way around, I ain’t gonna ride with him. ---
**Author:** ![Erhu](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Erhu](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Erhu)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 6:31pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/in-and-out-of-taxi/19493/6 "2005-07-11T18:31:42Z")
Once a taxi driver kicked me out of his car because I asked him to turn off the air conditioner. It was the middle of winter and freezing. Oh well, most taxi drivers are pretty nice. I like the ones that drive fast. ---
**Author:** ![21p](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/2/c67d28/32.png) [@21p](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/21p)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 12:50am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/in-and-out-of-taxi/19493/7 "2005-07-12T00:50:48Z")
[quote=“tango42”]Got into Taxi. Gave directions in Mandarin and English. Taxi driver says “if you don’t speak Hokkien, you shouldn’t be taking a taxi”. Got out of taxi. Next time will tell taxi driver I am a ghost and will haunt him and his family for rest of eternity… but he understands that…[/quote] Depending on my mood I would have done the same, or called the police there and then just to see how much of a hassle I could make for the guy. Then call some newspapers, and then get in touch with the Tourist Board. “Racist cabbie refuses to take foreigner because he doesn’t speak Taiwanese”. Could be fun. ---
**Author:** ![Rascal](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/439d5e/32.png) [@Rascal](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Rascal)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 2:51am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/in-and-out-of-taxi/19493/8 "2005-07-12T02:51:26Z")
> [@](#): > > Wow. Is he aware of how much the taxi business will drop if his shallow view is taken to heart? Do you think he will care? ---
**Author:** ![irishstu](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/45deac/32.png) [@irishstu](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/irishstu)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 2:56am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/in-and-out-of-taxi/19493/9 "2005-07-12T02:56:27Z")
[quote=“tango42”]Got into Taxi. Gave directions in Mandarin and English. Taxi driver says “if you don’t speak Hokkien, you shouldn’t be taking a taxi”. Got out of taxi. Next time will tell taxi driver I am a ghost and will haunt him and his family for rest of eternity… but he understands that…[/quote] Excuse my ignorance. Hokkien = Taiwanese, right? Also, is this sort of behaviour common here? Kind of reminds me of some experiences in certain regions of Spain. ---
**Author:** ![914](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/9/f14d63/32.png) [@914](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/914)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 3:07am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/in-and-out-of-taxi/19493/10 "2005-07-12T03:07:44Z")
[quote=“irishstu”]Excuse my ignorance. Hokkien = Taiwanese, right? [/quote] Hokkien is the third most popularly spoken dialect in Taiwan. Mandarin, Fukienese (Taiwanese), then Hokkien. Edit: Fukienese/Taiwanese/Hokkien. Hakka is the third most popular dialect. Sorry for that. Thank god I’m not a surgeon. ---
**Author:** ![irishstu](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/45deac/32.png) [@irishstu](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/irishstu)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 3:09am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/in-and-out-of-taxi/19493/11 "2005-07-12T03:09:33Z")
OK, so when someone tells me I should learn Taiwanese, what dialect are they usually talking about? (I’m in Taipei City, if that makes a difference.) ---
**Author:** ![Big\_Fluffy\_Matthew](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@Big\_Fluffy\_Matthew](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Big_Fluffy_Matthew)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 3:20am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/in-and-out-of-taxi/19493/12 "2005-07-12T03:20:46Z")
[quote=“914”][quote=“irishstu”]Excuse my ignorance. Hokkien = Taiwanese, right? [/quote] Hokkien is the third most popularly spoken dialect in Taiwan. Mandarin, Fukienese (Taiwanese), then Hokkien.[/quote]I thought the 3rd language in MRT announcements was Hakka ? So where’s Hakka then ? This thread is showing one reason why I didn’t want to learn Mandarin, and they said it would never happen. If I learnt Taiwanese (a language that can’t be written down so I can’t read the signs, good one 👍 ) They’ll just change it to Hokien or Hakka or Hoelo, ---
**Author:** ![irishstu](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/45deac/32.png) [@irishstu](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/irishstu)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 3:52am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/in-and-out-of-taxi/19493/13 "2005-07-12T03:52:53Z")
Am I blind, or did you edit “Fukienese (Taiwanese)”, 914? If I’m blind then apologies. So in fact even if tango could have spoken Taiwanese, this wasn’t good enough for the taxi driver? Hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![stan](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/51bf81/32.png) [@stan](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/stan)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 4:12am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/in-and-out-of-taxi/19493/14 "2005-07-12T04:12:06Z")
Taxi drivers are final proof that the invasion had begun. What invasion you may ask? The alien invasion I’d say. The other night I took a cab home from a great night at the Tavern. Even all the Hougaardens I had couldn’t calm me down when the fu#\*er drove like an absolute bastard. We had numerous ‘near misses’ – people on scooters, other cars, and pedestrians. He just went like a madman, glazed over eyes… Swear to God it took all my self-control not to punch him in the mouth! :fume: What, beside beetlenut and whisby are these guys on? ☹ I honestly hate some of the \*\*\*\*ers!!! :fume: OK, Stanley will get back to work now. No more ranting about something that can’t be changed. ---
**Author:** ![Dangermouse](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Dangermouse](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Dangermouse)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 4:55am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/in-and-out-of-taxi/19493/15 "2005-07-12T04:55:08Z")
I hate taxi drivers. I try my best not to take them; why should I pay money to a group of people who for the most part have no regard for anyone else outside their car - and even the people in it. When I lived in Kaohsiung I needed to take a taxi. He stopped, I got in and then he did the famous taxi U-turn without looking and clipped a scooter. Got out of taxi. ---
**Author:** ![redwagon](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@redwagon](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/redwagon)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 5:18am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/in-and-out-of-taxi/19493/16 "2005-07-12T05:18:17Z")
Well, I guess the cabbie is getting his own back for being punished for speaking Taiwanese in school etc. I do know a few Taiwanese who refuse point-blank to speak Mandarin, the ‘language of the oppressor’, and while it’s a PITA I do understand the position. If the cabbie is willing to take the drop in business, then that’s his perogative. :idunno: Why would anyone care what cabbies think anyway? I think the EPA should force most of them to have their jaws fused in the interests of reducing noise pollution. 😉 BTW, I wonder how many Taiwanese could accurately pronounce all of Taipei’s street names in their own dialect anyway… ---
**Author:** ![21p](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/2/c67d28/32.png) [@21p](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/21p)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 8:00am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/in-and-out-of-taxi/19493/17 "2005-07-12T08:00:39Z")
No-one would think it reasonable for an Irish cabbie in Dublin to turf out a Tawianese tourist in Dublin because he couldn’t speak Irish. But the opposite is OK. And perhaps the Irish have suffered even more as Irish has almost completely been displaced by English. But you’re right. It’s just some hick cabbie. I’ve had lots of wonderful cabbies and almost no trouble with them. ---
**Author:** ![fee](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/f/77aa72/32.png) [@fee](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/fee)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 11:54am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/in-and-out-of-taxi/19493/18 "2005-07-12T11:54:54Z")
> [@](#): > > Hokkien is the third most popularly spoken dialect in Taiwan. Mandarin, Fukienese (Taiwanese), then Hokkien Can someone (914) please clarify this? From Wikipedia: “The Hokkien (dialect): a Chinese dialect, often called Minnan or Minnanhua (Southern Min), a member of the Min dialect branch, similar to Taiwanese.” So, people in Taiwan speak Fukinese and Hokkien? Or are they pretty much the same thing? And what about Hakka? I though Hakka was the third most popular dialect in Taiwan? > [@](#): > > I do know a few Taiwanese who refuse point-blank to speak Mandarin, the ‘language of the oppressor’, and while it’s a PITA I do understand the position. Right, but doesn’t this stymie communication. Will these people speak in English to others? Will they use any other language, but Mandarin, to communicate? Or do they speak only Taiwanese in every situation? > [@](#): > > If the cabbie is willing to take the drop in business, then that’s his perogative. Agreed. If speaking Taiwanese is more important making money to this person, then I would be more than happy to respect his wishes and take my business elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Bu\_Lai\_En](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/dc4da7/32.png) [@Bu\_Lai\_En](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Bu_Lai_En)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 2:45pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/in-and-out-of-taxi/19493/19 "2005-07-12T14:45:05Z")
Fukianese = Minnanhua = Hokkien = Hoklo - all commonly referred to as ‘Taiwanese’ - the mother tongue of the large majority of people on Taiwan. (There are subtle differences in meaning amongst those terms, but they are all terms for the same language - the third language is Hakka). Brian ---
**Author:** ![maoman](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/maoman/32/702_2.png) [@maoman](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/maoman)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 2:52pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/in-and-out-of-taxi/19493/20 "2005-07-12T14:52:42Z")
> [@Bu Lai En](#): > > Fukianese = Minnanhua = Hokkien = Hoklo - all commonly referred to as ‘Taiwanese’ - the mother tongue of the large majority of people on Taiwan. (There are subtle differences in meaning amongst those terms, but they are all terms for the same language - the third language is Hakka). I concur with Bu’s statement. [Next page](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/in-and-out-of-taxi/19493.md?page=2)