I’ve heard several accounts of a similar nature from different Taiwanese people. I am guessing that it is an urban myth. They all include a samurai sword toting scooter driver lobbing off someones arm. One person said that it happened in Taipei and was a sort of gang initiation / random violence, while others said that it happened in Taipei and had to do with rival gangs. Two others said that it doesn’t happen here, just in China, where thieves cut of peoples arms in a similar fashion to steal watches and/or jewelry. So, my questions are as follows. Has anyone else come across these stories? Did any of this really happen and does anyone have a source that would give an accurate account of such a thing?
Seen scooter guys whack people on the backs of their heads to steal bags, on Heping. Never heard or seen the sword thing. 
I heard this story multiple times and the one I heard was based in Kaoshiung. I don’t know what is the truth.
I do know a Taiwanese businessmen came back from China claiming thieves chopped off his hand for his expensive gold watch. Later it turned out that he had cut off his own hand in order to claim compensation.
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Yup. Both women with shoulder bags, on street side. One had a small kid holding her hand. 2006, 2007, maybe? Both between Shida and Roosevelt, opposite side of rd to MTC.
Reminds me of the guy I met who claimed to have laid eyes on the wrong tai-mei at Luxy one night (years ago) and having been chased out of the club and later through the streets by swords-wielding thugs. No chopping in that case though.
If someone is going to tell a sword story there should be at least a little chopping, imo… 
You mean like this?.
I was planning a Kaohsiung trip with the GF and her dad cautioned us: Beware of the 飆車族 with swords who indiscriminately slash at unsuspecting pedestrians. I could only raise a curious, Spock-like eyebrow at the suggestion.
I think we can safely kick this into “urban myth” territory. Most likely, the news reported on something like this once, which in everyone’s minds equals “THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME LET’S PANIC.” Have I mentioned I kind of hate the news media?
Don’t the guys, farmers, small town gangster wannabes occasionally wack each other with one of those short wide blades used around the farms? Maybe half as long as a sword and twice as wide.
Only when they’re not stabbing each other with fruit knives. Or those little diamond-shaped things like in Monga.
I fail to see a sword swiftly cut an arm off from anyone, unless you are a scooter riding samurai.
Knife/machete wielding guys in Kaoh wouldn’t surprise me, but I don’t think that be too common in the city, more like on the county, up past the refinery or down by the docks.
Katanas are expensive. Watermelon knifes, OTOH… But I watch the news every day and this has not been shown, recently at least.
Watermelon knives have occasionally been used. Been some years ago, but saw a tv clip of some guy robbing a 7/11 and just slashing the neck of some poor boy working there. The boy collapsed immediately and died right on the spot. Captured by the 7/11 camera. I believe the guy who did it was caught.
There was no reason to do that to the clerk.
Some scooter gangs have used them in the past, but rarely. The cops come down hard on their use. And come down hard on scooter gangs once it happens again.
Yeah, I seem to remember a news story from a few years ago where a particularly large foreigner wound up in an altercation with a few local guys and started to win, so one of them broke off long enough to snatch one of those watermenlon knives/cleavers from somewhere. The foreigner supposedly lost a few fingers and part of a hand.