Red light runners and pedestrian traffic

Lots of people are preoccupied with their finances and stockmarket while being on the road …

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Somebody said in this thread or perhaps another that Hualien is a way worse than Taipei. I don’t think so, but may be I haven’t visited Hualien long enough. They definitively have less traffic, at least.

Other than the wait-3 seconds-after-you-get-the-greenlight rule, it’s always a good idea to cross with fellow pedestrians (form a pack). A single crosser is less visible and is apt to get hit. It’s all about the numbers. Also, cross perpendicular to the street instead of diagonal, which will likely put you in the driver’s blind spot. When getting ready to cross, pick a spot that’s closer to the corner rather than away from it so right-turning cars will see you early. When crossing a one-way street, check BOTH SIDES for scooters/bicycles, and as you cross, look out for red light runners.

never walk past an alley without stopping or slowing down to see if a car or scooter is coming out. managed to avoid being hit several times by doing that.

[quote=“Lros”]

but there are a couple of futile factors at work here, number 1. they don’t think they are driving badly, unsafe or selfishly[/quote]

This is probably the single greatest truism in all of Taiwan.

BTW thanks for all the comments. I remember now, from reading all of these, that there was a huge pack of pedestrians crossing a busy intersection one day and I was among them when some a-hole on a MC decided he would do his best to weave through us. I ran forward and grabbed his handlebars from the side and stopped him, whilst yelling in his ear to stop his bike.

I have never see such a look of shock on anyone’s face! :sunglasses:

Enforcement with fines/penalties of consequence would quickly improve the situation dramatically. People would quickly learn to drive, pay attention and quit being selfish pricks (at least while driving) if their careless driving is resulting in significant $ out of pocket.

And speaking of selfish pricks, I am not sure why the powers-that-be haven’t implemented such policies. Not only would safety and order be improved to some degree (not that they care much about that), but it would give them additional revenue to piss away and embezzle. Win-Win. Municipalities in the US sure love the revenue generated from traffic infractions, sometimes to the point they create situations where they can write tickets (i.e. poor sign placement for speed changes).

I am astonished that many people walk around staring at the phondleslab while crossing roads, etc.

[quote=“strangelove”]Enforcement with fines/penalties of consequence would quickly improve the situation dramatically. People would quickly learn to drive, pay attention and quit being selfish pricks (at least while driving) if their careless driving is resulting in significant $ out of pocket.

And speaking of selfish pricks, I am not sure why the powers-that-be haven’t implemented such policies. Not only would safety and order be improved to some degree (not that they care much about that), but it would give them additional revenue to piss away and embezzle. Win-Win. Municipalities in the US sure love the revenue generated from traffic infractions, sometimes to the point they create situations where they can write tickets (i.e. poor sign placement for speed changes).

I am astonished that many people walk around staring at the phondleslab while crossing roads, etc.[/quote]

Ahh, Doctor Strangelove, that would be too easy. Unfortunately that logic would involve someone in Government having two, separate, common sense thought processes together. I have tried…I have tried reasoning with the Government regarding this issue many times. :ponder:

If I’m not mistaken, the OP lives in Kaohsiung, where, despite recent laudable attempts by the government to improve the civic and cultural life of the city, the small-town mentality of a large percentage of the population with regard to respect for other road users remains institutional. Just stand on any unpoliced corner for a few minutes and see if you can actually see anyone who is NOT breaking some sort of rule.

Then go and do the same thing in cities like Delhi, Bangkok or Kathmandu, which are in supposedly less developed countries (admittedly, the cities I’ve mentioned are national capitals). People there seem to have far greater awareness of basic road safety as well as respect for other road users.

How come? It’s not rocket science. It’s just a simple matter of enforcing the law. (I once got a fine for riding my motorcycle the wrong way down a one-way street in Kathmandu and didn’t do it again.) I don’t understand why it doesn’t happen in Kaohsiung, and I’ve yet to hear a convincing explanation.

I assume the desire to skim money from fines is overshadowed by the prospect of public ire at being told to behave like civilised human beings, and therefore a lack of votes at the next election.

let me propose a idea to you. first thing, change the double crossing rule. secondly, fine anyone who breaks this rule or runs a red light and enforce it. thirdly, overhaul their driving system and make it the same as uk’s system. everyone has to pass a new test to earn a new license, anyone who doesn’t = a big ass FINE. this would eliminate over 90% of drivers from the road, nearly all driving problems solved and pollution severly lowered. over 2 people on a scooter at one time = FINE. not giving a pedestrian right of way = FINE. partially running a pedestrian over = massive fine and tv news report to shame their dumb ass.

fines work here, have you seen the subway?? basically, if they wanted to sort it out i know a very easy way how. it could solve a lot of problems over night.

and yea china is worse, but its kind of more retarded. taiwanese have more ability but they are still reckless. i don’t think a taiwanese driver would do this youtube.com/watch?v=CjgT8Af1kGc but they would just as easily run a red light and run over somebody’s child or small dog.

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Well, that’s the point I guess. The people who make the rules never took a driving test to get their license, same as the rest of the population, so they don’t know how to drive any better than the average gravel-truck guy. So they think everything must be hunky-dory.

I kicked a taxi who knocked us off our scooter (stationary in a queue) as he was doing his I’m-a-taxi-I-belong-at-the-front slalom. Long story short, called the police and ended up giving him money because my gf had sullied his paintwork with her blood. This was before I understood that the purpose of the police is not to uphold the law, but to make everything go away with the minimum of work. Your approach appears to be the more sensible one, sadly.

Any lasting damage? I had another taxi park on my foot once. I was pounding on his car, for - I dunno, felt like about half an hour - bellowing at him to GTF off my foot. He just stared at me like I was mental. Eventually he got the idea and rolled back a bit. I suppose I should have done the Taiwanese thing and insisted he carry me to the hospital, but I was in a hurry and just limped off. It felt fine after a couple of days.

It seems to me (from the responses in this thread) 50% of Taiwan’s traffic problems would go away if they sorted out the taxi drivers and blue trucks first.[/quote]

i also didn’t do anything. i guess i was pretty shook up that a car almost crushed my foot.

MRT works because they enforced the rules from the beginning, so no one does stuff like most Western subway systems (like peeing on the platform, trash everywhere, grifittis, etc.). Not sure why it didn’t carry over to traffic, perhaps people are so used to it that there’s no public outcry over that.

But driving on the right side of the road, of course.

We need one of these:

Run the red light? BOOM!!

I see the government posters all over the bus stops. It says pedestrians ALWAYS have the right of way and priority. It’s the law. So… why don’t drivers give a shit. You wouldn’t believe how many times I walk my ass in front of cars when they’re about to run a red light. I usually turn towards them giving them the impression I’m gonna rip their bumper off. Haven’t had too yet.

[quote=“Taiwan Luthiers”]We need one of these:

Run the red light? BOOM!![/quote]

I volunteer for gunner! Just let me sit on an intersection with that…

It’s much easier to establish control in a limited, contained, well-monitored area, and they knew they didn’t want a free-for-all.

If that’s the case most subways in the West should have had easier time maintaining control and prevent homeless people from sleeping there, peeing on the platform or the train, or throwing garbage into the track.

As for the grenade launcher… I had to carry one from the armory to the yard during military service… they wouldn’t let us fire them. Thing weights probably 100lbs and it’s truck mounted. I never seen one go but one former USMC guy told me that the world around him blows up when he pulled the trigger on one of those. It takes probably 3 people to carry one of those. Our Battalion only had one, and obviously it belonged to the Weapons Company.

That’s probably the most fking useless battlefield weapon I have ever seen. He’d have a bullet in his head before getting a second round off.

Maybe good against unarmed soccer hooligans, though.

Those are designed to be mounted to trucks or choppers…