The police are getting serious about not crossing that white line. Cops are giving out tickes for being “slightly” over the white line, maybe 2 centimeters. They are using photos to prove it.
What’s next? Ticketing for driving on the sidewalks? For riding the wrong way down the street? For driving through night markets? For carrying your whole family one on bike? For riding a scooter with an umbrella or cell phone in one hand? For letting your little children ride without a helmet?
And who still wonders why no one respects the police in Taiwan? This is why I believe using a camera is a cowardly way to ticket people. If the policeman has the self-respect to give that ticket in person, then he should. But instead, this new trend of using a camera is just a way to make more money for little violations that are so innocent. It is designed to make money from basically law-abiding citizens. But they rarely pursue drivers for murderous driving because it is not profitable. Instead, they use cameras which encourage this kind of cowardly behavior.
Fair enough, time they start doing something about the scooter menace including stopping on top or behind the white line. Somewhere that line has to have a reason …
Quite common in Germany, too: your tyres touch it, you are asked to pay (when caught).
That said I do agree there are worst offenses, but that doesn’t mean they should let slip other things through, should they?
Rascal, I just don’t think there is justification for that. I have ridden a scooter for six years now in Taiwan, and I consider myself a respectful driver in the midst of complete disrespect for human life. My only tickets have come from “honest mistakes,” where there was ambiguity or extreme legalism like this. There have been times when I deserve a ticket, but no cop would dare get on his bike and chase me down to give me a ticket. Police in America would never give a ticket for this. The reason: They are preoccupied with “keeping the peace” and giving tickets to people that need them, not doing it soley to make money.
My point is that in Germany (and America) I have the ability to stop before the line. If I don’t for some reason, mercy usually comes into play with the cop in light of the circumstances.
In Taiwan, driving is so unpredictable that being four inches here and there is unavoidable. To get safely from one point to the next one must trust moving objects more than the law. (Besides my other bike is longer than the white boxes. How would I ever be in compliance??) The fact that cops are exploiting this to make money is pathetic. Taiwanese (and Chinese culture in general) tends to make rules that can not reasonably be adhered to. That way all are guilty by default and the authorities can pick and choose who they want to prosecute for political or monetary reasons.
My other point was that using a camera is sooooo Chinese. Chinese don’t like confrontation, so what better way to give tickets than with a camera? There’s is little chance that a cop would give a ticket for this in person. This is why I think cameras are a cowardly way to enforcement.
I also don’t subscribe to “well, it’s about time” argument. I prefer to look at the source of the problem at hand.
Let’s face it - the box em in idea wasn’t all that bad - but come on - the box is generally way too small for the volume of traffic. And while I’m whingin’ - these stupid scooter lanes - in the middle of the road - illegal for cars to cross - locking off lanes causing accidents - bullshite, pure unadulterted bullshite…
Are you sure this ticket was for not being in the “box”?
Why is the helmet circled? Usually, and this is the voice of experience here , the licence plate is circled or the helmet if it is not a real “helmet.”
This fellow is certainly not out of the box.
However, the broader issue, corrupt and inept police is a worthwhile one. I was in a traffic accident (hardly qualified as such). It was not my fault and the police was of no help whatsoever. It seemed easier to them not to give a shit and let the Taiwanese off the hook. I managed to wring some compensation out of the other guy, however this was because my inlaws, not because the “police”. :x
I think it’s for being over the line alright. Seen a couple of guys getting a ticket for the same one morning last year, like this guy they were touching or barely over the line. Funny thing is the same cop was at that same junction all summer and never bothered about it, then for one week ticketed everyone over the line. I never seen anyone complain about the injustice of it, although I suppose fair is fair, they were breaking the law.
I wonder if they have quotas they have to meet every month.
I agree that it’s a way for them to make money. At home, our local court building was paid for by traffic tickets, and at the end of the month, they would set up speed traps.
I still think those tickets would be a good idea, would be a start. And then they could go on fining those a** that ignore red lights and endanger rightly street-crossing pedestrians (in front of the police station!). Happens about every time I cross the street in front of my apartment, and the green light for pedestrians is only on for about 10 seconds anyway. If they want to use a camera, why not? Just get started, for heaven’s sake. Don’t you think it’s pathetic that they need four guys on the street to stop the cars and make sure nobody crosses a red light when classes are over in the buxiban next door (mind you, it’s the crossing of Tingchou Road and a lane, not like Keelong Road/Roosevelt Road)?
Doesn’t have to be Germany where pedestrians will probably wait for a green light at two at night in the middle of nowhere (as my Swiss uncle loves to joke), but it’s so dangerous to ignore red lights. As it is dangerous to drive on walkways, go the wrong way, have children riding without helmets etc. etc.
But as Taiwanese are quite focused on money (one of my applicants actually stated “making money” as her hobby in the resume, and we all know that cheap prices here are often preferred over quality), wouldn’t a large number of such tickets change something in the long run? I’ve been wondering about that.
That guy is WAY over the line… if an articulated lorry was to come from the right, he could trip it up with his front tyre and it would career into the bridge supports and bring the whole highway down on top of those unfortunate taxi drivers…
NT$900 ? They should lock him up and throw away the key.
Police are real rubbish in Taiwan. The laws are partly to blame, though. For example:
Had a problem with a fraudulent ponzi scheme in Tainan using my company’s logo (identical) and name (identical except they replaced an “o” with an “a”.) "They are not breaking the law I am told. Why? Because the name is not exactly the same. What about the logo? (And this is where the police are at fault.) Don’t give a monkey’s.
Your comments about the box maybe valid in general but not in the above case, there is more than enough space behind him so he does not need to stand on the line our out of the box. For me this is sheer ignorance displayed by most motorists in this city (or country).
Of course most police in Asia is inefficient, lax and corrupt. Using a camera or not is really of no concern, in fact it’s a good way of proving the offense. Perhaps it goes along well with the Chinese tradition of not confronting someone, but I bet in Europe and the US you are also sometimes fined based on a picture without that you have been stopped (read: speed traps). Is that also cowardly?
IMHO it’s more efficient as you not need to interrupt traffic to pull him/her over. And here the policemen would have a lot of work to do if they want to stop all offenders …
In fact perhaps the cops should get a bonus for every summons they issue, thus they could legally boost their salary and have less objective taking bribes and hopefully will take their job more seriously for the safety of all of us.
The current state of affairs, a typical example given by Iris, is not acceptable.
Unfortunately people (motorists) don’t care unless you go after their wallet, so slapping them with a hefty fine seems to be the only viable solution to me.
Also, look at the traffic lights – oops, no traffic lights in sight. So the lights had already changed to green and Galley Gong was moving off in total accordance with the rules of the road. Your word against the cop’s.
The cop, on the other hand, was clearly taking photos AFTER the lights had changed.
[/quote]In fact perhaps the cops should get a bonus for every summons they issue, thus they could legally boost their salary and have less objective taking bribes and hopefully will take their job more seriously for the safety of all of us.
The current state of affairs, a typical example given by Iris, is not acceptable.
Unfortunately people (motorists) don’t care unless you go after their wallet, so slapping them with a hefty fine seems to be the only viable solution to me[quote]
Jesus, it’s bad enough already when they are trying to make their new year’s bonus. Being a cop in Taiwan is a lowly ranked job, almost on a par with the military.
They are ‘sniveling little feckers’, who don’t have respect for locals or foreigners. If they made a bonus with every ticket we may aswell give up driving altogether. The laws are so open to interpretation that they could slam you for almost anything.
Officer:You parked on the sidewalk.
Me: There’s nowhere else to park
Officer: Law says it’s illegal here’s your ticket
Me: What
Officer: Let me see your ID
Me; Ok
Officer: (Checks back to station on mobile phone–yes they don’t use the radio!- ahh says international driving licence is illegal)
Me: What
Officer: That’ll be ten zillion dollars (and I get 10% of everything, isn’t this a great job)
Me: Kick the S%^T out of officer
As it is each squad has a quota to fill so they can finance their own local government. If they were financing themselves what would be the point of a police force-…certainly not catching criminals and protecting the population. It may be more efficient in catching scooter offences but in actuality reduces the overall lawabidingness of the average citizen and his/her trust in government. [/quote]
Actually, I believe there are two separate fines for this: one for crossing the line and one for touching it.
See? This guy should have run the red light; the cop wouldn’t have time to take his picture, and wouldn’t have chased him.
Tickets are purely for making money, not for maintaining order or the safety of the general public. I once saw a car run a light that had already changed red for about 5 seconds (quite a long time!), and almost hit a police bike going with the green. The policeman on the bike just looked at him for a second and went on his way.
I think these regulations should be enforced, but only after the much more dangerous violations are brought under some sort of control. I get pulled over for… being a motorcycle, and then two minutes later I’m almost plowed into by some Dumas in a Mercedes.
Is it also monetary reasons why motorcycles seem to be (note: SEEM to be) pulled over/ticketed much more than cars? Or is it the whole fear of people with money/connections idea…?
Personally I’m waiting to get ticketed for driving in the cars-only lanes. I’ll calmly explain to the cop that there are two lanes which motorcycles can use. One of which is completely blocked by an illegally parked car, and the other of which is completely blocked by an illegally double-parked car. And then I’ll show him where he can store this wonderful ticket.
Tow away all the arses blocking traffic before you start giving out tickets for people who have to go around them.
Right now, the strength of enforcement is directly proportional to the amount of money the cops can skim for themselves. Thus, pinching motorists for noddy traffic violations or squeezing money out of tennants for minor violations of building codes (yeah, such as stopping a dance party at a night club because the font size on the exit sign was a smidgen too small).
The point is, if you ask police officers to supplement their salaries through “arrests” or some such, they will go for the easy targets, not the hard-to-catch big criminals. And because the monetary fines for the easy targets are so small, they will have to generate a huge volume.
Therefore, Mr Big gets to carry on as usual and all the ordinary citizens get pinched for having a wheel of their bike 2 centimetres over a white line.
Truly absurd idea, Rascal, perhaps the looniest to come from these forums, yet.
Which is quite an achievement. I congratulate you.
, the licence plate is circled or the helmet if it is not a real “helmet.”