Life on the MRT

True, but that’s not news now.

I know HSR is in debt, but I remember reports about the MRT in debt as well. Maybe this is old news? I tend to not keep up on current events or watch the news here on a regular basis in Taiwan. It’s either bad news or just fluff pieces that are there to grind your gears. Most of my news actually comes from here when people update some threads and/or create new ones.

It is just so annoying that during the Golden Years, so many opportunities were wasted. Now, we are going through the starving cows period, and they are trying to catch up when it is too late.

I heard a new MRT announcement today at Taipei Main, telling people to move to the center of the car so others can get on.

Thumbs up!

(But will this actually help? Somehow I’m not optimistic…)

[quote=“Chris”]I heard a new MRT announcement today at Taipei Main, telling people to move to the center of the car so others can get on.

Thumbs up!

(But will this actually help? Somehow I’m not optimistic…)[/quote]

It will probably take a year for people to notice the announcement and another year for people to actually follow up.

[quote=“ranlee”][quote=“Chris”]I heard a new MRT announcement today at Taipei Main, telling people to move to the center of the car so others can get on.

Thumbs up!

(But will this actually help? Somehow I’m not optimistic…)[/quote]

It will probably take a year for people to notice the announcement and another year for people to actually follow up.[/quote]

Hate to harsh your buzz, but they’ve been using that one for a long time, although you don’t hear it that often.
It’s slightly less effective than that queue lanes on the platform and the No Food signs on buses.

It is just so annoying that during the Golden Years, so many opportunities were wasted. Now, we are going through the starving cows period, and they are trying to catch up when it is too late.[/quote]

I feel your pain Icon, I also spent years wondering what the hell they were doing (interesting to see the finance minister admit the only thing Taiwan can do t attract people now is to make it really easy to get a work permit…he actually admitted that). The airport MRT was supposed to be operational something like 10 years ago! Corruption and political shenanigans interfered. However it will be better late than never in my book. It’s a difficult project having to combine two modes of function.
Also new terminal design has been selected and should be built by 2020, Taoyuan airport is already much improved from the bad old days of not so very long ago.

[quote=“headhonchoII”]
I feel your pain Icon, I also spent years wondering what the hell they were doing (interesting to see the finance minister admit the only thing Taiwan can do t attract people now is to make it really easy to get a work permit…he actually admitted that). The airport MRT was supposed to be operational something like 10 years ago! Corruption and political shenanigans interfered. However it will be better late than never in my book. It’s a difficult project having to combine two modes of function.
Also new terminal design has been selected and should be built by 2020, Taoyuan airport is already much improved from the bad old days of not so very long ago.[/quote]

Sorry for going a little off topic, but I’m curious as to what you guys think how acquiring a work visa can be more relaxed? Personally, I think that having a university degree is bare minimum, but what can be more relaxed or completely taken out? No need for 2 years of experience in the relative field/master’s degree?

New terminal design? A terminal 3 for Taoyuan Airport? Or are they renovating terminal 1?

Terminal 1 has already been renovated. In my humble opinion it looks great.

Terminal 2 remains largely unchanged–though the basement level is pretty decent, and based on a recent visit it seems they are almost ready to go with the Airport Line Station there.

I’m assuming that HHII is referring to the design of the as-yet unbuilt Terminal 3. Some details and nifty photographs/breathless video of the winning design are posted here:

taoyuan-airport.com/english/ … da1f39063d

Guy

A couple of weeks ago I saw an old guy, maybe 60 or so, blatantly reading the smartphone of the young lady next to him as she held it up to her face. She gave no sign of detecting him but it was obvious enough for me to notice, sitting almost opposite and facing their way. He then started staring down at her legs - she had a fairly short pair of shorts on. After 4 or 5 stations of this - alternating his stare between her phone and her legs - he shifted to the priority seat immediately in front of his former one, so that he should now face me, exactly opposite, but instead he turned to stare back down the carriage, past the young lady. Then he stared down at her legs again. Then he leaned in towards her so that his head was almost over her knees and stared up between her legs. At this she quickly pulled her phone away from her face, lowered her head a little to get closer to his level, and gave him daggers for a couple of seconds, forcing him to withdraw from her space and, finally, look my way, although he avoided looking at me. I was staring at him with my mouth open in shock, wondering what to do, when he suddenly stood up and walked quickly away up the carriage. The lady shot a glance around - whether to see if anyone else had noticed or simply to check for other perverts, I have no idea - and then smartly resumed her addiction.

[quote=“ranlee”][quote=“headhonchoII”]
I feel your pain Icon, I also spent years wondering what the hell they were doing (interesting to see the finance minister admit the only thing Taiwan can do t attract people now is to make it really easy to get a work permit…he actually admitted that). The airport MRT was supposed to be operational something like 10 years ago! Corruption and political shenanigans interfered. However it will be better late than never in my book. It’s a difficult project having to combine two modes of function.
Also new terminal design has been selected and should be built by 2020, Taoyuan airport is already much improved from the bad old days of not so very long ago.[/quote]

Sorry for going a little off topic, but I’m curious as to what you guys think how acquiring a work visa can be more relaxed? Personally, I think that having a university degree is bare minimum, but what can be more relaxed or completely taken out? No need for 2 years of experience in the relative field/master’s degree?

New terminal design? A terminal 3 for Taoyuan Airport? Or are they renovating terminal 1?[/quote]

You are right , it could hardly be made any easier to get a work permit. Icon was just mentioning that they are doing this all so late when many of the chances for investment have already come and gone to other place like shanghai, Singapore or HK.

Mighty observant of you . I am usually lost in space in public and pretty oblivious of those around me. If I was the old fart though, I’d just look at her legs, the heck with what she had on her fone. It must have been pretty tantalizing reading.

Looks like the Taoyuan Airport MRT is delayed again.

focustaiwan.tw/news/asoc/201602230018.aspx

[quote=“nonredneck”]Looks like the Taoyuan Airport MRT is delayed again.

focustaiwan.tw/news/asoc/201602230018.aspx[/quote]
They don’t want Ma Ying-jeou to cut the ribbon.

My, my, what a surprise.

The new target date was announced:

http://focustaiwan.tw/news/asoc/201603200017.aspx

Only one year delay… :whistle:

I wonder how many more hong bao they’re going to milk it for before they finally give it the go ahead.

I suspect efficiency will magically increase after May 20th and they’ll be able to cut those extra 15 seconds of travel time they claim was the reason they couldn’t open it sooner. :unamused:

Best news of the day: Taipei’s MRT will apparently be abandoning the idiotic line numbering scheme they introduced in 2014 in favour of the colour names that have been commonly used since the system’s inception: the brown line, the red line, the blue line, the orange line, and the green line. See, wasn’t that easy? Details are posted here:

http://focustaiwan.tw/news/asoc/201604110015.aspx

Guy

[quote=“afterspivak”]Best news of the day: Taipei’s MRT will apparently be abandoning the idiotic line numbering scheme they introduced in 2014 in favour of the colour names that have been commonly used since the system’s inception: the brown line, the red line, the blue line, the orange line, and the green line. See, wasn’t that easy? Details are posted here:

http://focustaiwan.tw/news/asoc/201604110015.aspx

Guy[/quote]

The station numbering is similar to Japan each station has an independent letter and number code. Makes it easy to get around and also let you know how many stations you are from your exit.