I am trying to impress to the new foreigners coming into Kaohsiung the importance of having a license and an ARC before renting a scooter.
Can someone tell me some horror stories about illegal scooters/ no license issues you’ve had/heard of?
Also what are the laws for having no license/papers?
They are planning on renting scooters from Louis. I would also like your stories about him, I have heard bad things, but I want the stories.
Another thing, who is Truman?
[quote=“angelmae3995”]I am trying to impress to the new foreigners coming into Kaohsiung the importance of having a license and an ARC before renting a scooter.
Can someone tell me some horror stories about illegal scooters/ no license issues you’ve had/heard of?
Also what are the laws for having no license/papers?
They are planning on renting scooters from Louis. I would also like your stories about him, I have heard bad things, but I want the stories.
Another thing, who is Truman?[/quote]
I have heard of no horror stories regarding paperless scooters, other than the benefit of not getting speed camera and red light tickets 
But I assume if you had an accident that could do you in.
I will say this much. A few weeks ago I came up to a red light. The cop noticing a foreigner in the crowd made it a point to walk over to me, go behind my scooter and type in the license number into a handheld computer. The scooter is in someone Else’s name so he just walked away after, but if the scooter was stolen and paperless, I’m sure he would have grabbed me right quick. When I was in Taiwan 3 years ago the cops here couldn’t care less about paperless bikes, but it certainly feels like enforcement in the south has really been stepped up. Not too much fortunately 
, but definitely more than before.
Truman is a mechanic that is on Shirchuan Rd (sp?) who just so happens to speak good English. I went to him once but I found that I could get better prices at other local mechanics near my house. But if you need someone to speak English with to explain the problem, he’s your man. He seems nice enough (this was 3 years ago)
Lastly I have seen this Louis guy renting scooters online. What is he all about?
I know there is a guy that goes by Rens that sells bikes and offers to store them for you till you get an ARC. It seems somewhat useless to give someone your money to simply park the bike for you. And his prices don’t seem cheap but I am not sure if you can negotiate with the guy or not as I have not done business with him.
[quote=“dan2006”]
I have heard of no horror stories regarding paperless scooters, other than the benefit of not getting speed camera and red light tickets 
But I assume if you had an accident that could do you in.
I will say this much. A few weeks ago I came up to a red light. The cop noticing a foreigner in the crowd made it a point to walk over to me, go behind my scooter and type in the license number into a handheld computer. The scooter is in someone Else’s name so he just walked away after, but if the scooter was stolen and paperless, I’m sure he would have grabbed me right quick. When I was in Taiwan 3 years ago the cops here couldn’t care less about paperless bikes, but it certainly feels like enforcement in the south has really been stepped up. Not too much fortunately 
, but definitely more than before.
Truman is a mechanic that is on Shirchuan Rd (sp?) who just so happens to speak good English. I went to him once but I found that I could get better prices at other local mechanics near my house. But if you need someone to speak English with to explain the problem, he’s your man. He seems nice enough (this was 3 years ago)
Lastly I have seen this Louis guy renting scooters online. What is he all about?
I know there is a guy that goes by Rens that sells bikes and offers to store them for you till you get an ARC. It seems somewhat useless to give someone your money to simply park the bike for you. And his prices don’t seem cheap but I am not sure if you can negotiate with the guy or not as I have not done business with him.[/quote]
I don’t need to buy, I have a brand new, bought with cash scooter in my name.
I don’t think he stores them, I think he puts them in his name.
I had my own troubles with Louis, but because they have never heard of other stories they won’t believe me.
Got pulled over last week, cop wanted my regisration, but never asked for my lisence…the former they care a great deal about, the latter not at all.
I got pulled over nearly a year ago. They asked me for my license, at the time I was still on international license, in the process of testing for a Taiwanese license.
He asked in Chinese if I had a license and at first I did not understand. When I said I didn’t he said we would have a problem, but then I told him I had the international, after I understood, showed him and he let me off with a warning.
It was at the intersection of Makadao Rd and Hexi Rd. I turned left at the intersection to get onto Makadao. The motorcycles can go on makadao light was green, but I got there when the Hexi Rd was red, so I should have waited at the red light then gone into the motorcycle turn box and waited for the next light.
The cops like to lay in wait at that spot often.
Ive been on an international license now for a while.
Was pulled over a month ago and the policeman asked for my license. I showed him the international one and the translated page where it shows that it is valid in Taiwan and he said it was ok and that he was aware of this license type and told me to be more careful next time.
I’ve always been asked for my license. However, I always wear a full helmet so they usually don’t notice that I am a foreigner until later. I’m glad I had a license because the nice cop informed me that it would have been a $6,000 ticket.
I don’t know about you guys, but I’d never SIGN a ticket. Not that an officer has ever even tried to give me one. But let me put it this way, how many of you can actually READ what the ticket says? I know I sure as hell can’t. That ticket is a contract.
Do you know what that contract says? I know I don’t. How do I know that “contract” states that I have to give up my first born child, when I sign it? Simple, I don’t. I’m sure they can’t shoot you, or take you to jail, for not signing it. Even if the
foreign affairs police shows up to deal with the matter, and assured me that the contract says that I don’t have to give up my first born child, I still wouldn’t sign it.
Besides, how many of us drive with the intent of commerce? Meaning do you drive a taxi? The only reason to have a license is to say “I’m not responsible for my actions, and I want mommy and daddy government to be responsible for my actions.”.
That’s the only reason why people with a license can be insured for their vehicles. Otherwise, insurance wouldn’t work. How can a 3rd party be responsible for what you do. Short answer, they can’t.
So I guess the answer to the posters question is to impress upon his/her friends is that unless “the friends” want to be personally responsible for their actions, they’d better get a license so “the goberment” can take responsibility for them. Inform them
on how “sue happy” Taiwanese people have gotten, and if they aren’t insured that they can foot the whole bill for when they make a mess.