As I was waiting to cross the street in Shihlin, I witnessed a scene of unspeakable humanity (OK, it was actually speakable, since I’m going to describe it for you). A policeman was giving directions to a Japanese tourist, in very good English no less. Not only was he cordial and polite, but he looked pretty cool standing there wearing blue tinted sunnies.
Yay, Taiwan! :bravo:
Gubo,
Where exactly in Shilin was this? I think I need to go verify if this policeman is indeed cool in his shades. Man in uniform. Hot damn.
This guy was the coolness. I stood nearby and didn’t say a word or try to bust in to offer help (which wasn’t needed anyway) - I just enjoyed the scene.
It was right next to the Jian Tan Youth Center, on Zhong Shan N Rd, at the base of the Grand Hotel, a few feet from a temple and the Jian Tan bus stop. Oh, and there was a stray dog nearby… and some grass…
Can you give him my email when you next see him? Tell him it’s for research.
Many thanks.
What, and deprive you of the opportunity to meet him in person working the intersection? You’d never forgive me! 
In Chiayi, I teach a student whose father is a policeman. He informed me that he is the ONLY English speaking policeman in the city. He also told me that this is the reason why all the police officers leave foreigners alone (in Chiayi). They don’t speak English and they are positive that none of the foreigners speak Chinese. Ahhhhh… small city livin’! 
I made the mistake of speaking Chinese to a police officer last night and got my first ticket ever(for turning right on a red).
Stick with the ingles…
Rooftop…be sure you have a licence. I got done a few weeks ago for turning left without doing the two - step thingy - 600NT. Then I got a swift fine in the post for not presenting a licence when asked. Cost me 300NT. However, if I hadn’t had a licence at all it would have been 6000NT.
Policemen may look cool but when it comes to dishing out tickets they are positively hot, shades or not.
Yet another reminder to get one! 
Stupidly, I haven’t done that yet.
Thanks Dangermouse, I obviously needed to see that again.
Approximately how long does it take from walk in to leaving with a license when you go to the place on Chengde?
[Your moderator would like to point you towards the Vroom Vroom Forum which is literally exploding with answers to your question, yes literally exploding, we’ve only just cleaned MJB from the windows]
Rooftop wrote:
Mayor Horse said not ever so long ago that that law would not be vigorously enforced since it was pretty much a shooting fish in a barrel law.
When that happens to me, I speak English and then, standing there, watch the light cycle and point out all the other people running red lights, stopping in the wrong place or turning right on a red (to name a few). Get outraged that they have the gall to stop you, a foreigner, and not anyone else. Run out and try to stop the first person that turns right on a red (you’ll be standing right in the police nailing zone). The cops will be glad to let you go ASAP.
Thats funny, I lived in Chiayi for 4 years and I know 4 police officers there that speak English. One of them is my wife’s relative.
I’ve also met other police with some English skills as well in Chiayi.
But did any of them look like Agent Smith?
Thats funny, I lived in Chiayi (Jiayi) for 4 years and I know 4 police officers there that speak English. One of them is my wife’s relative.
I’ve also met other police with some English skills as well in Chiayi (Jiayi).[/quote]
What?! 
Why would he lie? All together, I have lived in Chiayi for 3 years and he is the only police officer that I have met that has spoken ANY English. Did he mean “fluently” speak English? I guess I have to drive a little more carefully now. 
Thanks for the info Satellite TV!
Thats funny, I lived in Chiayi (Jiayi) (Jiayi) for 4 years and I know 4 police officers there that speak English. One of them is my wife’s relative.
I’ve also met other police with some English skills as well in Chiayi (Jiayi) (Jiayi).[/quote]
What?! Why would he lie? All together, I have lived in Chiayi (Jiayi) for 3 years and he is the only police officer that I have met that has spoken ANY English. Did he mean “fluently” speak English? I guess I have to drive a little more carefully now. Thanks for the info Satellite TV![/quote]
Perhaps he doesn’t know of any other officers who may speak English. Perhaps he is being proud of his own abilities. It’s not likely that he starts up English conversations with other Chiayi police officers. We are not talking about being fluent, we are talking about people being able to communicate in English.
I’ve met a lot of foreigners here and some of them have excellent Chinese language skills. I’ve never held a conversation with them in Chinese, unless another Chinese person was involved and the conversation was in Chinese. I can’t tell by looking at your face what languages you speak.
My brother-in-law is a foreign affairs policeman in Chiayi and speaks great English. I’ve gone for dinner with him and his policeman buddies and the we all spoke English the whole time, about 5 or 6 policemen there.
Are English-speaking policeman one of the signs of the coming Apocalypse?