So the vote is in…
Sell the bike,
Leave Taiwan &
Report myself to child welfare for being an irresponsible parent.
I bet you guys have never had anyone on the back of your bikes, either. What would be worse, your child, friend, girlfriend or wife getting hurt… We hope it never happens to anyone at all. Guess I will wrap my boy in cottonwool, not let him ride his bicycle, go roller-blading, play soccer or TaeKwonDo as I know he can get hurt in all these activities too and I have no control over the other players either.
It’s not about not being able to adapt or not being able to deal with it. Well I only have had to deal with it for 10 years, so I am still only a baby here. Please forgive me for thinking that I had a right to an opinion or feelings about what we all see everyday and express when someone starts a thread about this topic. Some say bad enough to get rid of their bikes and when I agree and relate some stories, you get the “Well if ya don’t like it…” line. OK, I will be a real man and keep it bottled up inside… I will face tomorrow with a new outlook on life and say to myself as someone in another thread put it the policeman said when he saw the car go through the pedestrian crossing and nearly hit a person, “cha bu dor mei guan xi”. That ought fix the problem.
Maybe when I grow up I can be as good as Mick Doohan or Valentino Rossi.
:happybiker:
So we all know that there are alot of bad drivers out there. Sure, we like to complain about it, but why not focus our energies on the more positive side of things, like on what we can do to continue riding and stay alive. On a serious note, here is my 2 cents on how to survive the roads of Taiwan. Since everyone rides differently, we all need to develop a personalized methodology, but here I think is a good template of ideas. (feel free to contribute) #1 : Always pay attention to your surroundings. I always find myself put into danger when my attention lapses, maybe even for just half a second. Read and predict what other people are doing and going to do, and be on the lookout for the unexpected. I believe the more you do this, the more you are developing your intuition, and perhaps even the fabled “6th sense”. #2 : Train yourself to react correctly and quickly to dangerous circumstances. Every time something occurs, think of the best way to approach the problem and avoid it. Then train youself with this knowlege to the point where it’s automatic. Ideally, you want to be able to perform the correct course of action without the need to think about it on the spot, like muscle memory. I find panic to be a huge obstacle to being able to achieve this. #3 : Trust your vechicle and your skills to use it. Know what it and you are capable of, and know how to utilize them both to the best affect. In my experience, good working brakes of are particular importance. I can’t remember how many times i’ve been saved by them. #4 : Develop profiles for where you will be riding. Every road will have varying dangers and styles for approaching it. Understand the various patterns for each type of road. Each time you go riding, adapt your style for where you will be. #5 : Learn from mistakes! Personal mistakes can be important wake up calls for correcting errors, and great chances for development. Even when it’s totally someone elses fault, there is almost always something you could have done to prevent or possibly avoid it from occuring.
[quote=“TaipeiSean”]So the vote is in…
Sell the bike,
Leave Taiwan &
Report myself to child welfare for being an irresponsible parent.
I bet you guys have never had anyone on the back of your bikes, either. What would be worse, your child, friend, girlfriend or wife getting hurt… We hope it never happens to anyone at all. Guess I will wrap my boy in cottonwool, not let him ride his bicycle, go roller-blading, play soccer or TaeKwonDo as I know he can get hurt in all these activities too and I have no control over the other players either.
It’s not about not being able to adapt or not being able to deal with it. Well I only have had to deal with it for 10 years, so I am still only a baby here. Please forgive me for thinking that I had a right to an opinion or feelings about what we all see everyday and express when someone starts a thread about this topic. Some say bad enough to get rid of their bikes and when I agree and relate some stories, you get the “Well if ya don’t like it…” line. OK, I will be a real man and keep it bottled up inside… I will face tomorrow with a new outlook on life and say to myself as someone in another thread put it the policeman said when he saw the car go through the pedestrian crossing and nearly hit a person, “cha bu dor mei guan xi”. That ought fix the problem.
Maybe when I grow up I can be as good as Mick Doohan or Valentino Rossi.
:happybiker:[/quote]
Eh? Defensive a tad? Where is that coming from? Nobody’s digging at you at all. Offering some suggestions is all. You’re having problems, others aren’t, and are trying to offer a few pointers is all.
I don’t give a flying fuck what you do with your kid. None of my business whatsoever. I simply pointed out that for someone who professes to have such a large degree of difficulty handling the riding conditions here, you might want to think about the way you approach it. That is ALL.
(I was MUCH better than Mick Doohan in my prime by the way – my brilliance was just never recognized. Call it a cruel twist of fate.)
[quote=“TaipeiSean”]So the vote is in…
Sell the bike,
Leave Taiwan &
Report myself to child welfare for being an irresponsible parent.
I bet you guys have never had anyone on the back of your bikes, either. What would be worse, your child, friend, girlfriend or wife getting hurt… We hope it never happens to anyone at all. Guess I will wrap my boy in cottonwool, not let him ride his bicycle, go roller-blading, play soccer or TaeKwonDo as I know he can get hurt in all these activities too and I have no control over the other players either.:[/quote]
Dude, what the fuck?? I have no fucking idea what you’re going on about now. Sandman and I are saying, hey, motorcycle riding is dangerous but don’t blame Taiwan for that. If you’re going to ride a bike, you accept the danger and try to learn as much as possible about the techniques that could save your life.
My wife rode on the back of my bike every day - until she was pregnant, then sold her scooter and bought a car. Hell would freeze over before I would even think about letting a pregnant woman or child anywhere near a motorcycle. But hey, that’s just me, silly old llary.
And I couldn’t give a rat’s ass about how you and your kid live your lives, I don’t judge Taiwanese who put kids on scooters and I’m not judging you. You just sound like a tool when you go on about how many life threatening incidents you come across with your bike and then throw your kid on the back anyway. :loco:
[quote=“sandman”]I simply pointed out that for someone who professes to have such a large degree of difficulty handling the riding conditions here, you might want to think about the way you approach it. [/quote]I might be wrong, but I think you and Sean might be interpreting “close call” differently. I get the feeling he means another vehicle coming a bit close for comfort. It sounds as if you mean narrowly escaping serious injury.
And Sean’s already said that he does try to learn from these close calls.
I think he still doesn’t quite get what people mean by taking responsibility for everything that happens. It doesn’t mean that you have to kid yourself that everyone else is a perfect driver. It’s just about trying to be very honest with yourself. When another driver comes a bit too close to me for comfort, of course I swear at him quietly, but I also look at my own actions and consider whether there’s anything I could have done better.
As for taking a kid on a bike, I wouldn’t like to do it regularly. But I might do it occasionally. My brother takes his stepdaughter for a ride out of Edinburgh form time to time, and she really enjoys it. I know there are Forumosans who do the same with their kids. Of course you should have decent protective gear.
Once again, please forgive me for thinking that I had a right to an opinion or feelings about what we all see everyday and express that when someone starts a thread about this topic. Some say bad enough to get rid of their bikes and when I agree and relate some stories. I will face tomorrow with a new outlook on life and say to myself as someone in another thread put it the policeman said when he saw the car go through the pedestrian crossing and nearly hit a person, “cha bu dor mei guan xi”. I may be a tool, but not that big of one yet, I have only posted on Forumosa just over 100 times… But I am learning how not to contradict a veteran…
Once again, please forgive me for thinking that I had a right to an opinion or feelings about what we all see everyday and express that when someone starts a thread about this topic. Some say bad enough to get rid of their bikes and when I agree and relate some stories. I will face tomorrow with a new outlook on life and say to myself as someone in another thread put it the policeman said when he saw the car go through the pedestrian crossing and nearly hit a person, “cha bu dor mei guan xi”. I may be a tool, but not that big of one yet, I have only posted on Forumosa just over 100 times… But I am learning how not to contradict a veteran…[/quote]Up to you if you want to bow out of the discussion.
Back on topic, anyone else thinking of quitting riding here, or got any suggestions for making riding safer?
[quote=“citizen k”]I quit about 7 years ago. Life’s better without the aggravation. I don’t even drive anymore, unless I have to. [/quote]When I was in Taichung, I had to ride since the public transport isn’t up to much there. Here, I’m riding less and less. I just find it too stressful. I’m an adequate city rider on the whole–reasonable all-round awareness, prediction, and flexibility according to conditions–but I just can’t be bothered these days.
Funnily enough, when I’d first come to Taiwan and was using a bicycle for everyday transport, I didn’t find it quite so stressful. I’m not sure how I’d feel now. The odd times I’ve borrowed a bicycle recently have been alright.
What do people think? Is a pushbike less stressful than a scooter/motorbike, or just the same?
Yes. You mentioned swearing quietly. I’d suggest doing it LOUDLY! Really clears out the old organ pipes. Better oxygen flow means more brain power.[/quote]I do, sometimes! Actually, while in Taichung, I used to get too aggressive on occasion; following people and shouting at them in a vain attempt to make them realise what shitty drivers they were. Sometimes I’d get a weak “piesay”, sometimes a blank stare. Pretty pointless either way.
[quote]I might be wrong, but I think you and Sean might be interpreting “close call” differently. I get the feeling he means another vehicle coming a bit close for comfort. It sounds as if you mean narrowly escaping serious injury.
[/quote]
Well, yes. Perhaps. But “a bit too close for comfort” is what happens many many times on a daily basis. Here, and in every other country in which I’ve ridden bikes (which is many). So to me, equating that with a “close call” is the same as saying basically that every time you get on a bike anywhere in the world your entire experience is a close call. As such, it isn’t saying anything other than what I pointed out earlier – riding a bike is not a safe means of transport and if it gives you that much grief, follow wonder’s lead.
Yeah, same here. I guess I just find it frustrating now. To have to pay attention to everything going on around me for 360 degrees for every split second, just to be able to operate a car seems a little excessive and grates my patience. Most of the time I can avoid it, so I do. Much rather be bumping into pretty girls on the subway than asshats on crotch-rockets.
My experience was to always drive/ride agressively/defensively at the same time.
Both my car and my motorcycle I changed the horns into a 18 wheeler type horns. it does the trick, as some people (girls especially) just turn in front of you, or just stop because they saw a nice dress showcase on sidewalk, and just think it is your problem to stop if they stop!
Now get this, I get rear ended by a scooter (and I am on a car), I get off the car to assess the damage, the girl (yes the girl) picks up her scooter and just ride it off…
Once on my Gixxer 600 I was riding in Taipei and a guy on a scooter trying to needle through the traffic, hits my left side fairing/mirror and kept going without stopping. Needless to say, I caught him up, stopped sideways in front of him, parked in the middle of road, and walked toward him about to give him a few lessons on “courtesy”.
The guy was shaking and was saying sorry non-stop…it was a college student…
People think they will get away if they just keep riding, as I see all the time when cops are trying to stop people on scooters running through red lights, and they just pretend didn’t see the cops, and kept riding forward.
Although I’ve held back contributing here, I’ve wanted to respond to almost every post.
This “near miss” has me,
Rainy day in a my small town, I wait for the light to change to cross the main intersection.
I’m going South to North, traffic to my left is stopped ACROSS the intersection for the light.
I’m halfway across and a white car is approaching from the right, i assume it’s stopping.
It proceeds past the “Stop” line and half way past the zebra pedestrian stripes and stops -
I SWEAR - a foot from my right knee.
I stopped, looked down, passed the umbrella to my left hand and smiling at the tinted window
said and gestured “Whoa” with a feigned smile.
By the time I crossed the road he had his power window down yelling at me out the passenger side.
Before I could decide which would rankle him more - my father’s well learned profanity or effacing
pointing and laughing, the light changed and he drove off.
[quote=“Paulo”]Once on my Gixxer 600 I was riding in Taipei and a guy on a scooter trying to needle through the traffic, hits my left side fairing/mirror and kept going without stopping. Needless to say, I caught him up, stopped sideways in front of him, parked in the middle of road, and walked toward him about to give him a few lessons on “courtesy”.
The guy was shaking and was saying sorry non-stop…it was a college student…[/quote]
I’ve seen a number of scooters smash into someone and just ride away … most memorably someone trying to run the light a little too late, going straight into the side of someone running the light early, and doing an admirable left turn and howling off down the cross street. Both parties at fault – both running lights, both not looking.
But the interesting thing was that the guy who had been hit, who stayed on his feet (with his scooter lying between them), made no effort to give chase. He just picked his scooter up and rode placidly away.
I guess that’s why people keep on driving – they know they can get away with it. If they knew it would drive their victim into a murderous bloodrage (as I suspect it would with many of us), paying damages might seem more attractive.
