Taiwanese 2nd World-ism (Rant)

My in-laws are visiting from Sydney and I wanted to show them Taroko Gorge over the weekend - book a plane ticket down Friday night and hotel. Hotel all OK over the phone as my eldest daughter has pretty good Chinese. Now as to the plane tickets…

Internet: domestic plane tickets only available more than 30 hours before the flight! Is this the Taiwanese steam-powered internet? I know that I can get an International e-ticket same day to Singapore but not to Hualien, obviously this is too much for the local travel industry.

I thought I’d try Songshan Airport. Arrive at 1PM yesterday, find the appropriate sales counter to be told that because flights are stopped due to the nearness of the typhoon the domestic computer booking system is shut down too! :fume:

After flights resume (3PM) I can make the bookings and buy the tickets. I hand over 6 passports(Granny, Grandpa, me, Mrs Llama and 2 Llama-ettes). “6 tickets, return to Hualien”. Lots of furious computering and a computer printout with 5 names is produced. I ask “What about mei mei?” Reply “Do you want a ticket for her too?”

I despair. After 2 years of this sort of stunningly illogical behaviour I can only but continue to drink heavily and sigh. No wonder the President’s daughter can have her maid’s wages paid from the public purse, or that lawmakers throwing lunchboxes at each other is acceptable adult behaviour, or telling children they can’t swim on a stinking hot day because the ‘water is too cold’ etc. etc.

I have dealt with indifference, inefficiency and rudeness in other countries but I despair for Taiwan ever really getting its bum into gear to encourage the International Community to see it as a valid nation: not a quaint, inefficient 2nd world backwater that makes a lot of computer chips and LCD screens. (Oh yes, nice food, friendly people etc etc etc)

what do mean nice food? LIAR!

2nd-world country? I wasn’t informed about the upgrade. When did this happen?

3rd world is like this (continuing flight theme)

Brazil - plane loses door in flight :noway:

Korea - plane leaves cabin crew behind :unamused:
times.hankooki.com/lpage/200608/ … 068040.htm

I shake my head everyday at stuff like this and try to wonder how anybody can live with their head shoved up their own ass but…
Then it hit me! For Taiwan to actually lose the whole backwater quaint banna republic thing the people who live here actually have to give a shit about the country and each other, not just wanting to make money and get the hell out as fast as possible.

Let’s see taiwanese people as a whole showing concern for each other and the country at large …
don’t hold your breath.

Not sure about this rant. I take about 20-30 domestic plane trips a year for my job. There is no need to get the tickets from the internet because you just show up and about 15-20 minutes later you are on the next flight to your destination. Hands down the smoothest transportation I have taken in the world.

Personal rant -
Taiwan is NOT a BANANA REPUBLIC.

I have lived and worked in several ‘Banana Republics’ and they were much more pleasant places to live/work than Taiwan.

/rant off

100% agree, taking a domestic flight in Taiwan is as easy as taking a bus. Turn up, quick tour of the counters to see who has the next flight, buy a ticket, you’re done. Previous work trip to Taichung, walk into Taichung airport, straight to counter, upstairs, straight onto airplane, door closes, no waiting no bs.

I like the way they don’t close the doors on these flying buses until they’re skimming down the runway. I guess it allows the hosties to tout for more passengers?

HG

[quote=“TainanCowboy”]Personal rant -
Taiwan is NOT a BANANA REPUBLIC.

I have lived and worked in several ‘Banana Republics’ and they were much more pleasant places to live/work than Taiwan.

/rant off[/quote]

:bravo: :laughing: :bravo:

Some sem to have missed the point of the thread. I think the OP was commenting on the gross deriliction of duty by many in the service industy rather than a comment on the infastructure of taiwan’s transportation system? :unamused:

100% agree, taking a domestic flight in Taiwan is as easy as taking a bus. Turn up, quick tour of the counters to see who has the next flight, buy a ticket, you’re done. Previous work trip to Taichung, walk into Taichung airport, straight to counter, upstairs, straight onto airplane, door closes, no waiting no bs.[/quote]

Sorry this doesn’t work for 6 people on the weekend for a holiday destination. Only just squeezed 6 of us on for our trip. One person off to Tainan mei-wenti!

[quote=“shifty”][quote=“TainanCowboy”]Personal rant -
Taiwan is NOT a BANANA REPUBLIC.

I have lived and worked in several ‘Banana Republics’ and they were much more pleasant places to live/work than Taiwan.

/rant off[/quote]

:bravo: :laughing: :bravo:

Some sem to have missed the point of the thread. I think the OP was commenting on the gross deriliction of duty by many in the service industy rather than a comment on the infastructure of Taiwan’s transportation system? :unamused:[/quote]

Yes, the “I don’t give a bum f__k” tourism service industry.

[quote=“llama_lout”][quote=“shifty”][quote=“TainanCowboy”]Personal rant -
Taiwan is NOT a BANANA REPUBLIC.
I have lived and worked in several ‘Banana Republics’ and they were much more pleasant places to live/work than Taiwan.
/rant off[/quote]
:bravo: :laughing: :bravo:
Some sem to have missed the point of the thread. I think the OP was commenting on the gross deriliction of duty by many in the service industy rather than a comment on the infastructure of Taiwan’s transportation system? :unamused:[/quote]Yes, the “I don’t give a bum f__k” tourism service industry.[/quote]
Oh…well…nevermind… :doh: :homer:

Still not seeing the problem. Half the flights are only three quarters full anyways. Not sure if it applies in this situation but you have to be flexible in Taiwan (many places for that matter). Unfortunately most foreigners here are not. I’ve seen many blow a gasket on the pettiest things.

Still not seeing the problem. Half the flights are only three quarters full anyways. Not sure if it applies in this situation but you have to be flexible in Taiwan (many places for that matter). Unfortunately most foreigners here are not. I’ve seen many blow a gasket on the pettiest things.[/quote]
When the airlines say that the flights are all but fully-booked on saturday and sunday in and out of Hualien when it is school holidays I’m inclined to believe them. Gosh I’d love to tell my employer to be more flexible and let me and my wife have time off whenever we feel like it.

But why are you traveling with a family of 6 on a holiday weekend? This is a crowded island. I know better then to travel alone on a holiday weekend unless I have the flexibility +/- day. How do you think the system would work back home if it had the volume/density as it does here? I think a lot of times logic/being pragmatic breaks down and people automatically revert to “this doesn’t happen back home” mentality.

Hold on – in the first post you mentioned something about not being able to book via Internet less than 30 hours prior to flying.
Does this mean you were seeking tickets for 6 people on a holiday weekend less than a day in advance?
And were then pissed when they weren’t available?

[quote=“sandman”]Hold on – in the first post you mentioned something about not being able to book via Internet less than 30 hours prior to flying.
Does this mean you were seeking tickets for 6 people on a holiday weekend less than a day in advance?
And were then pissed when they weren’t available?[/quote]

No, 48 hours in advance and perfectly happy to be told that tickets were unavailable due to natural holiday congestion.

My problem was with
a) an internet booking system slower than smoke signals,
b) a booking system that closes down for a typhoon and precludes making any future booking, and
c) a booking clerk who can’t count: 6 passports = 5 tickets :loco:

I never expected to be able to make any confirmed bookings due to the fact that it is the holidays and we’d left bookings late.

Anyway we had a great time and Taroko is beautiful and I forgive the Taiwan Tourism Industry for being modelled on Soviet Bulgarian business models.

Huh, I didn’t know Taiwan had turned communist.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_World