Saw some guy in flip-flops, no helmet…run a redlight and he seemed really high or drunk. I followed him for awhile and I’m pretty sure he was drunk. He was running red lights while examining the moon…or something else that was high up and to the left. at first I didn’t realize he was white…I was just chasing him because whenever I see someone riding that stupidly…I like to follow (from a safe distance) and watch.
It’s not the only time I’ve seen some complete moron on the road and followed from a distance only to later realize it’s a foreigner. There was one week where the three stupidist things I’d seen done on the roads were all done by foreigners…three different ones that had no connection to me…other than living near me.
Considering the Taiwanese out number us 10,000 to 1…(I’m just guessing). You’d think that the dumbest person I’d see on any given day would be Taiwanese. Seems the white folk really are outstanding.
Be interesting to know if they’ve been here a long time. I’ve seen some moronic activity from long term expats at the wheel who have been melded into the local system and want to exceed the local standards.
My driving is slipping but one thing I refuse to do is to follow the passing on blind corners local rule and the crossing over double lines rule to make the road more straight. I hate that with a passion. If you disrespect the double line a little then eventually you slip all the way.
My driving is slipping but one thing I refuse to do is to follow the passing on blind corners local rule and the crossing over double lines rule to make the road more straight. I hate that with a passion. If you disrespect the double line a little then eventually you slip all the way. [/quote]
I hear you. I was stopped helping a bike that crashed in the mountains…in the middle of an S curve. While parked safely to the side, a van comes screeching through the S doing a bee line through it. I knew that it was all just a matter of timing for him to not have killed someone.
A few years ago I would have chased him down. Recently though I’ve kind of given up. Not sure which is better.
Back on this specific topic…there was one guy who’d been here a LONG time…possibly 14 years or so. I saw him riding at night with his headlight off. I mentioned it to him and he told me it had burnt out a month earlier. He was riding every night with no headlight. He just laughed and said how he was like the locals .
To not know better due to poor education and lack of government saftey concern…is one thing…but white folks showing this level of stupidity is a whole new dimension of idiocy.
I would have guessed the same, but actually, it’s closer to 700:1 - assuming 30,000 western educated foreigners (that is, not including Asian laborers, who are 10x this number) and 23 million locals (a number which does include all foreign residents)
[quote=“Mordeth”]That’s why I prefer to do my “idiot riding” in the very early hours of the morning…around 6am…much less chance of running into normal folks on the road.
[/quote]
I guess some folks do their “idiot riding” at other times during the day. Doesn’t make them more of an idiot.
[quote=“JMcNeill”][quote=“Mordeth”]That’s why I prefer to do my “idiot riding” in the very early hours of the morning…around 6am…much less chance of running into normal folks on the road.
[/quote]
I guess some folks do their “idiot riding” at other times during the day. Doesn’t make them more of an idiot.[/quote]
Idiot riding is a subjective term. Me going fast on wide open roads at a time when there is little to no traffic…wearing full leathers and obeying all traffic rules other than the speed limit…is hardly comparable to some moron speeding at night in flip-flops, no helmet and blowing through redlights in the oncoming traffic lane.
And yes…driving “badly” when there is no one on the road…and driving badly (truly badly) in rush hour traffic…DOES make someone more of an idiot.
[quote=“Mordeth”]
How so? Spit out what you are trying to say…don’t be afraid of me.[/quote]Dude, if anyone is afraid of you it’s because whatever is wrong with you might be contagious.
sorry Mordeth, please don’t start with the “everybody’s out to get me” bit, that was clearly an above the belt joke, and you asked for it… anyway regardless of the target…
No problem make your jokes. The fact still remains that your pot calling the kettle black remark wasn’t valid. So instead of admitting your mistake and possibly apologizing for a mis-placed insult…you instead turn to comical insults instead…since they don’t need to be based on actual fact. How very creative of you.
IBpotkettleblack was supposed to be funny, because it was obviously coming. If you couldn’t see that, then nevermind. My sense of humor is often misunderstood. IIWY I’d just be asking myself why I was getting bashed all the time.
If ten people tell me I’m drunk I tend to go lay down, but that’s just me. That’s all folks.
I’m sure we all remember when Mordeth fascinated everyone with his tales of ridiing into 7/11 ON his scooter, and driving it around the store to do his shopping. The locals, of course, laughed and thought he was a great guy.
Yessiree, he’s not like those idiot drivers at all.
[quote=“Josefus”]I’m sure we all remember when Mordeth fascinated everyone with his tales of ridiing into 7/11 ON his scooter, and driving it around the store to do his shopping. The locals, of course, laughed and thought he was a great guy.
Yessiree, he’s not like those idiot drivers at all.[/quote]
Come on guys…regardless of what Mordeth has done, it in no way changes the fact that some of us foreigners drive like complete twats.
Driving around the 7-11 on a scooter may be stupid, but you would be unlikely to be hit by a truck because your lights are broken whilst doing it.
There is a difference between plain old malarky and being irresponsible, careless and often wreckless on the road.
[quote=“Big Fluffy Matthew”]We’re always been told to adapt, stop complaining, and that bad things happen because “This is Taiwan”.
So he adapted, isn’t that what you wanted ?[/quote]
What I wanted? No.
You do need to adapt to somethings. Like when you have a roundabout, you can’t follow the painted lanes or you’re sure to have an accident. So instead you need to do a straight line cutting across 6 or 7 lanes in the process. That’s adapting.
Riding with no helmet or foot wear through red lights without properly checking…or riding in the oncoming lane…That isn’t becoming more local…because MOST locals don’t ride that badly. The lowest of the low do…16 year old kids in scooter gangs who sell drugs…and glue sniffing older guys with nothing to live for…and off duty cops…those are the minority who ride that badly…them…and a fair amount of the white folk. I hardly call that adapting.
So I wouldn’t call moving to a foreign country and imitating the absoloute lowest form of driving that can be seen on the roads and is done by a small minority…adapting.
Not following, do you mean like it is dangerous driving on white lines because they can be slippery in the wet ? can’t you just drive in the lane between the white lines, isn’t that the point.
or
do you mean when driving at speed it is all but impossible to keep off those pesky lines when trying to keep in the lane and risk loosing it (front or backend)? how about slowing down.
or
do you mean staying in lane people will think you are exiting early and pull out in front of you, as they have bumper in front right of way.
or
do you mean driving in the lane is dangerous because people will cut in front of you regardless? yes there is a tendancy for this.
Cutting across all the lanes is the right thing to do in Taiwan when adapting to the local system.
BTW: apart from RenAi/DunHua is there any other roundabouts in TW ? I don’t get out enough.
quote from the twowheels mag, april issue: The Peter Principle states that people get promoted to the level of their incompetence. In accordance to this principle, many people ride to the level of their incompetence. There has been much said about motorcycle safety, much written about rider training, capacity limits, speed limits and power-to-weight restrictions, and finally much discussion of attitudes. Despite all of the above, however, motorcyclists continue to crash. etc etc
nothing to add.
just one thing: what makes you think that white motorcyclists are better educated in riding a bike than anybody else? ever been to europe? plenty of crazy riding there. and so i could name any country. sure we should give an example how to do it, but every idiot still serves as a sample how not to do it.
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