I’m trying to understand why so many Taiwanese people think that driving for more than 10 minutes to anywhere by motorcycle is crazy.
I live in Jiayi and just started to work part-time in Ming Shyong (spelling?). I asked my boss for a map and she said that it’s too far to drive. That I should take the train. The first day (today) someone from my work was nice enough to drive me there to show me where it was. It was only like a 15 to 20 minute drive. Not far at all.
So when I was finished I had to wait 1.5 hours for the next train back into Jiayi.
Annoying. :fume:
Also. When I tell people of my motorcycle travels around the island they tell me that I am crazy and why the hell would I want to do that?!!?
Taiwan has the highest motorcycle to person ratio in the world. What the hell is with this attitude?
I was thinking that maybe part of the reason is that a lot of people don’t take care of their bikes and they are pieces of garbage and couldn’t make it more than 10 minutes at once.
My wife and I used to take 4 hour drives from Tansui to Keelung and her family thought we were insane.
For most people here, the motorcycle/read scooter is a thing of convenience not fun, and for many, particularly women, it is not a great experience to be sideswiped on dangerous roads.
This may be why some people do not see it as a means of pleasurable transport.
[quote=“Lo Bo To”]I’m trying to understand why so many Taiwanese people think that driving for more than 10 minutes to anywhere by motorcycle is crazy.
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I want to drive the motorbike of my girlfriend from Taichung to Hsinchu. They said I’m crazy and as its 50cc it will probably fall apart or needs repairs afterwards…
My wife and I used to take 4 hour drives from Tansui to Keelung (Jilong) and her family thought we were insane.
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I said so many Taiwanese people.
Yeah, I’ve been on trips with Taiwanese people. Some people here love it. It’s just the reaction I almost always get. I asked some people at work and they said they think it’s because of the safety issue, lack of comfort, and that a car is a status symbol for some people.
When I first arrived here I purchased a 125 Kymco and spent about 4 months touring as many mountain roads and villages as time allowed. my scoot has been from Kending to Keelung and back and forth across all the east/west highways. I have camped in school yards, on ocean beaches, beside raging rivers in the mountains and, in a pinch, along the road. When asked if I have seen X area of Taiwan and tell the story, the listeners are dumbfounded that a scooter can be taken to all these places.
I agree that it is a bit astounding that Taiwanese don’t take more advantage of this cheap and convenient way to get around the island. This kind of experieince is one of my favorites and I look forward to every opportunity.
I’ve noticed the same phenomenon. I think the sense of distance is a relative thing. People from outside Taiwan are used to travelling greater distances more often than many here. Where I’m from a twenty minute drive anywhere is nothing. People here are used to a more neighbourhood centered existence it seems. If you have to go 20 mintes for anything, it’s a trek.
[quote=“Enigma”]When I first arrived here I purchased a 125 Kymco and spent about 4 months touring as many mountain roads and villages as time allowed. my scoot has been from Kending to Keelung (Jilong) and back and forth across all the east/west highways. I have camped in school yards, on ocean beaches, beside raging rivers in the mountains and, in a pinch, along the road. When asked if I have seen X area of Taiwan and tell the story, the listeners are dumbfounded that a scooter can be taken to all these places.
I agree that it is a bit astounding that Taiwanese don’t take more advantage of this cheap and convenient way to get around the island. This kind of experieince is one of my favorites and I look forward to every opportunity.[/quote]
I do the same thing Enigma. Isn’t it great. I think the only “major” road I haven’t been on that I want to is the Souther Cross Island Highway.
A couple years back I went through the Snow Mountain area in the winter. It was cold as hell. I had to wear 2 pair of gloves (1 pair of rubber kitchen gloves to keep dry and one pair of ski gloves). My friends and I froze. I crashed on a patch of ice in He Huan Shan.
But in the end it was one of the greatest adventures I have ever been on. Like everything else in life, there has to be a Yin and Yang about travelling. I suffered quite a bit on that trip. But when I got to Li Shan for example and saw the snow capped peaks it was soooooo worth it.
Most Taiwanese like to travel with a huge group in the confines of a comfy bus. Suffering is out of the question. That’s not for me.
