The advantage BART has is that English is both the local and international language. Taiwan, ever touting its drive to be internationalized, should include English announcements. Just like Thailand does.
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And many other places. I wonder what percentage of subways around the world don’t have English announcements nowadays. 
Ah but then the next move is they would come for Taiwanese…why have Taiwanese broadcasts? Almost all Taiwanese speakers understand mandarin too.
Hakka people are a significant minority in Taiwan and want the same rights as Minnan people and Waishengren native mandarin speakers.
It’s cultural. Mandarin was forced on people, it’s only fair to have pushback against that. Mandarin had only been a significant language here for less than 70 years.
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Trip going to Taoyuan airport via MRT was good and saves time.
lol brilliant. i saw some people with an amp playing music on the tube last time i was in london a few months ago. they were playing lame busker type pop music though so it wasn’t entertaining like these guys, more of an annoyance.
Not at all surprised the MRT staff responded so quickly to the girl fainting. This system is unbelievably well designed and well staffed.
Night and day difference from taking the T every day as a teenager growing up in Boston, MA, USA, where knife fights and other assorted hooliganism were a monthly or even weekly occurence, and I remember the train sitting in the station after an altercation once for 30 minutes before the police finally arrived.
MRT driver collapses and later dies. Knowing Taiwan, I say overwork.
So I’m on the red line heading into Taipei City earlier this evening. Amidst the usual antics (middle-aged obasans rushing to grab seats as if they had just found water in the Sahara; an old guy with a walking stick stopping and standing distractedly right at the foot of an escalator), I spotted a kid with a brush cut and a middle aged woman with a cart full of veggies getting on at Jiantan.
I didn’t think much about them, until I saw the woman repeatedly guzzling water from a bottle while riding the train. Hmmm, she doesn’t look like a tourist with that cart. I wonder what’s up?
The next time I spot them, they’ve stood up to move to the front wall of the carriage, in the front car of the train. The kid is pulling down his pants! Holy sh*t! I thought. I’ve seen this in videos. It’s actually happening here on the MRT!!!
The woman, who I can only presume is the kid’s mom, was holding something–a plastic bag? a bottle? Thank god I couldn’t see. When the kid was done his business, right there on the MRT–in a system where large clean washrooms are available in every fckng station–the woman went back to her (now occupied) seat, which was graciously given back to her. Meanwhile, she had left her cart loaded with stuff at the front of the carriage, and it now predictably careened south as the train moved forward. Thank goodness she was able to grab it before it hit someone.
What a piece of work.
Guy
must be chinese huh
She spoke Mandarin. Draw your own conclusions.
Guy
Take any video?
No smartphone, sorry.
Amazingly, I didn’t see anyone else taking a video. The MRT security system though will have a nice close-up of the action. 
Perhaps we can anticipate updated announcements in four languages:
Please do not eat, drink, chew betelnut, or urinate while riding the Taipei Metro System. Thank you!
Guy
Stay vigilant. Don’t let safety make you complacent!
The three men had been nabbed for theft and were detained in June last year, but were released on bail in February with restriction on their movement, police said.
Let’s hope it’s more punishment this time around.
I don’t think of Taiwan as a place full of pick pockets. Hope it stays that way.
Chances of hitting the (200NT receipt )lottery might be higher haha
An award-winning photo taken at Zhongxiao-Xinsheng station.
Here’s the full story in Chinese: http://news.ltn.com.tw/news/local/paper/1110867
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Boy, you’d think they’d like a do-over for the size of the blue line platform at Zhongxiao Xinsheng. Compare it (pictured above) with the size of the orange line platform at the same station–or the size of the City Hall platform…
Guy
Oh dear God no! The new platforms at our Tapinglin station will have disco lights! 
