I have a question. I have to make a long journey from one end of Taichung to another in a short period of time once a week. Everytime I make it to my class with only seconds to spare. This is because I work at two different schools. There are many places along my route where I have to turn left. Some of these places have police officers directing traffic. If I make the left hand turn directly, will those police officers get me in trouble 
? I have seen others do it with absolutely no problem.
Technically you may turn left at any intersection where left turns are not prohibited and which do not have a left turn box for small motorcycles.
On most minor intersections you should first be looking out for a round blue sign which shows that small motorcycles must box before turning left. If you do not see this sign, then approach the intersection and look for the box for you to stop and turn in. If you see no box at all then you may presume you can turn left without stopping.
Once again, motorcycles do not always have to box before making a left turn.
[quote=“sulavaca”]
Once again, motorcycles do not always have to box before making a left turn.[/quote]
But if you see the little box…but no blue sign, one should assume this is a “must box” intersection, correct?
correct. Especially as the authorities often do a half hat job of putting signs in visible areas.
if you think an intersection is too crowded don’t do it, some asshole is always coming on high speed and not seeing you. You might find some side streets with less traffic and red lights, I do the same here. I always try to avoid the gongyi lu by driving through the side streets.
The police standing around are unlikely to do anything, because they have been told to stand at the intersection and direct traffic. If you robbed a bank in front of them, they wouldn’t do anything. I have seen a serious accident just shy of an intersection before, and the police could have easily walked over to deal with it, but instead they called in another unit and continued to carry out their arm waving and whistle blowing assignment.
Add to the fact that if that really wanted to book you, they’d have to get on their bikes and chase you, by which time you’d be long gone.
Aside from that, I never use those boxes if I can get away with it partly because on two occasions, I have seen the carnage after a truck had ploughed into one of those squares. You’re a sitting duck and you have nowhere to go.
On scooter, I used to directly turn left at a place where there was no sign and no box - but there were other people doing the two-step left turns - and one time, the guy directing traffic (wasn’t a police officer) was like, “Hey! You must do the two-step turn.”
To which I replied, “But there is no sign and no box…”
“Yeah, everyone else is stupid. Only you’re smart!”
“Oh, okay, sorry.”
And then I went and did the two-step turn. Of course, he was really nice about it and just being sarcastic.
In regards to Super Hans’ comment, well, you are a sitting duck at the box… but, turning left where there is no left-hand turn lane feels pretty dangerous, because cars will just drive past you like there’s nothing there (scooters are so easy to ignore). So, I do feel the box is safer, and I prefer to be closest to the sidewalk (on the far side of where a truck would ram into), or well behind the crosswalk (back from the cross-street). Like, if a truck’s coming, I’m gonna get off that scooter and run down the sidewalk. I wonder if there would be a psychological block to stop me from dropping my shiny new scooter? I hope not!
[quote=“shawn_c”]On scooter, I used to directly turn left at a place where there was no sign and no box - but there were other people doing the two-step left turns - and one time, the guy directing traffic (wasn’t a police officer) was like, “Hey! You must do the two-step turn.”
To which I replied, “But there is no sign and no box…”
“Yeah, everyone else is stupid. Only you’re smart!”
“Oh, okay, sorry.”
And then I went and did the two-step turn. Of course, he was really nice about it and just being sarcastic.[/quote]
Actually according to your story and road regulations he was just being wrong about it along with everyone who was using an imaginary box.
The road where I live is a good example. If you were to stop in an imaginary box at Wenlin and Zhongzhun intersection, then you would be stopped in the road waiting to be broadsided by the traffic from behind. The safest way to turn, is to just make the left turn. There are police every day at that intersection, pointlessly waving their light sticks, but they don’t stop scooters from doing the ‘dai-zhuan’ and they also allow scooters to make the legal left turn. It’s sort of a free for all in this case with bikes going either side…and meanwhile the man in uniform keeps waving his flashing stick…
[quote=“shawn_c”]On scooter, I used to directly turn left at a place where there was no sign and no box - but there were other people doing the two-step left turns - and one time, the guy directing traffic (wasn’t a police officer) was like, “Hey! You must do the two-step turn.”
To which I replied, “But there is no sign and no box…”
“Yeah, everyone else is stupid. Only you’re smart!”
[/quote]
Woulda nodded my head, smiled and said “dui!” and not boxed 
[quote=“Super Hans”]The police standing around are unlikely to do anything, because they have been told to stand at the intersection and direct traffic. If you robbed a bank in front of them, they wouldn’t do anything. I have seen a serious accident just shy of an intersection before, and the police could have easily walked over to deal with it, but instead they called in another unit and continued to carry out their arm waving and whistle blowing assignment.
Add to the fact that if that really wanted to book you, they’d have to get on their bikes and chase you, by which time you’d be long gone.
Aside from that, I never use those boxes if I can get away with it partly because on two occasions, I have seen the carnage after a truck had ploughed into one of those squares. You’re a sitting duck and you have nowhere to go.[/quote]
I might consider not boxing at this one intersection, even though it is a major one because I have to get to my next job on time. I hope it is worth the risk.
[quote=“shawn_c”]
In regards to Super Hans’ comment, well, you are a sitting duck at the box… but, turning left where there is no left-hand turn lane feels pretty dangerous, because cars will just drive past you like there’s nothing there (scooters are so easy to ignore). So, I do feel the box is safer, and I prefer to be closest to the sidewalk (on the far side of where a truck would ram into), or well behind the crosswalk (back from the cross-street). Like, if a truck’s coming, I’m gonna get off that scooter and run down the sidewalk. I wonder if there would be a psychological block to stop me from dropping my shiny new scooter? I hope not![/quote]
I’ll be honest I prefer the stupid two turn left and at most intersections it makes sense to do it anyway. If you make a standard left turn you are going to be stopped at the next light in 100meters (slight exaggeration). So I’ve never seen the reason to wait in the center of a busy intersection and then kamikaze across the intersection. I will take a standard left if traffic is light and there is good visibility regardless if there is a box.
[quote=“Abacus”][quote=“shawn_c”]
In regards to Super Hans’ comment, well, you are a sitting duck at the box… but, turning left where there is no left-hand turn lane feels pretty dangerous, because cars will just drive past you like there’s nothing there (scooters are so easy to ignore). So, I do feel the box is safer, and I prefer to be closest to the sidewalk (on the far side of where a truck would ram into), or well behind the crosswalk (back from the cross-street). Like, if a truck’s coming, I’m gonna get off that scooter and run down the sidewalk. I wonder if there would be a psychological block to stop me from dropping my shiny new scooter? I hope not![/quote]
I’ll be honest I prefer the stupid two turn left and at most intersections it makes sense to do it anyway. If you make a standard left turn you are going to be stopped at the next light in 100meters (slight exaggeration). So I’ve never seen the reason to wait in the center of a busy intersection and then kamikaze across the intersection. I will take a standard left if traffic is light and there is good visibility regardless if there is a box.[/quote]
Yes, I totally agree with you!
Also, I feel that the two-step left turn has less change of being broad-sided than does waiting on the centre line of a really busy intersection… the only time I’d directly turn left at a really busy intersection (box or no box), is if I were at the front, and could join the dragon-procession turning left as soon as the light turns green.
Whole Lotta Lotta, well, do what you must… but be extra-vigilant. Take care of yourself.
[quote]Whole Lotta Lotta, well, do what you must… but be extra-vigilant. Take care of yourself.
[/quote]
I can’t guarantee that I will do it. I talked to my first job about the situation and they said they might be able to let me go a tad early. Even then I will still be cutting it close.
Then ask your first job to let you go a bit early, and ask the next one to let you arrive a bit late.
Reason #1: I used to rush to a job, and what happened? I got five speeding tickets in one month. Five x $1200 = $6,000… thus, I would’ve made more money on that day just by not going to the class!
Reason #2: If something happens to you, even something small like spraining your right wrist, well, it’s going to be a hell of a lot more inconvenient.
I would say, sure, take the direct turn, but at least, don’t get tunnel vision!
[quote]I would say, sure, take the direct turn, but at least, don’t get tunnel vision!
[/quote]
That is how most Taiwanese drive. On the thread The Taiwanese are the Best Drivers in the World, they show accidents with people running red lights and getting hit, but the person going through the green light is driving with tunnel-vision and there is an avoidable accident.
[quote=“Whole Lotta Lotta”][quote]Whole Lotta Lotta, well, do what you must… but be extra-vigilant. Take care of yourself.
[/quote]
I can’t guarantee that I will do it. I talked to my first job about the situation and they said they might be able to let me go a tad early. Even then I will still be cutting it close.[/quote]
the part of the equation that I don’t understand is that most likely you are getting stopped by another red light in 100m’s if take the direct left.
That surely won’t be the case. How many traffic lights outside of KHH are actually in sync?
Answer:
Zero traffic lights.
Pot luck all the way…
[quote=“Super Hans”]That surely won’t be the case. How many traffic lights outside of KHH are actually in sync?
Answer:
Zero traffic lights.
Pot luck all the way…[/quote]
I apologize then. I was unaware that KHH was the only city in Taiwan that had all N/S streets turn green within a 2km radius while the E/W streets had red.
[quote=“Abacus”][quote=“Whole Lotta Lotta”][quote]Whole Lotta Lotta, well, do what you must… but be extra-vigilant. Take care of yourself.
[/quote]
I can’t guarantee that I will do it. I talked to my first job about the situation and they said they might be able to let me go a tad early. Even then I will still be cutting it close.[/quote]
the part of the equation that I don’t understand is that most likely you are getting stopped by another red light in 100m’s if take the direct left.[/quote]
This is one reason why I can’t understand why some people speed through many red lights only to have to stop at the next one and I catch up with them anyway.
The thing is at the next major intersection after the one I am talking about, I have to make a right hand turn. That means I only have to check and see what is coming at that intersection.