We were assaulted in Taichung People’s Park

Taiwan Living in Taiwan
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41

[quote=“tommy525”]The underworld is held in check because nearly everyone who is taiwanese is connected in some fashion.

I was with my friend who is a teacher. He owned a very nice restaurant. One day some gangster types came in. I was sitting with my friend. They said they just got out of prison and were back in “their” neighborhood. Said how nice this restaurant was. And they said there were rumors that “some” people were going to trash the place in the next few days, but they can help.

We both understood the “some” people meant them and that they wanted “protection money”.

My friend said, “oh , ok, why don’t you come back in tomorrow around this time and let’s discuss how you can help?” And “oh the coffee is on the house”.

The guys left. My bud said. Dont worry about it.

The next day I was there along with my friend again. And the two dudes came in all polite and apologetic and brought two boxes of expensive fruit.

They were invited to sit down for awhile, but they kindly refused saying they had to rush to a different engagement. And apologized profusely for any “misunderstanding yesterday”.

I asked my friend what the deal was.

He said, “oh they just found out who my uncle is, thats all”

I said “oh whos your uncle?”

he said “oh hes one of the bamboo union chiefs in Sanchong, thats all”.

So the minor league players realized they were playing with the major league players pretty quickly in this case !!

In Taiwan, the MOB is the one whos got the control.[/quote]

Sorry for two postings, but both are about different things.

Tommy525, may I ask if this was in Taipei? See, little Bob Honest here is now part of a little food business venture out in the streets of Taipei and thus interested if such mob stuff can occur and how to react in that case.

42

It was a restaurant a few doors down from the Taipei Ritz. Since closed. My bud had success with that restaurant but a second restaurant bankrupted him. So he is still teaching. OUt of the business. Too bad.

43

Thanks for the clarification. So it can happen in Taipei. Well, I am part of a Taiwanese collective there, so let us see how we might handle such a situation in case it were to occur. Could always ask our Borg Queen I guess :ponder:

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[quote=“Tempo Gain”][quote=“Pein_11”]
The scolding the kid in English part is what keeps bothering me… Sounds very like Russian set-up scams, but targeted to foreigners.[/quote]

Good point.[/quote]

Well, if it was a set up scam then we should be very thankful that the police did nothing to assist in the scam and perpetuate such actions.

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I may have misunderstood the OP, but it seems to me that’s exactly what they did.

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I may have misunderstood the OP, but it seems to me that’s exactly what they did.[/quote]

They may have perpetuated the behaviour by not doing very much, but they hardly perpetuated a scam. Because it wasn’t a scam. It was a face saving exercise.

47

How can you say that with certainty?

Face was saved when he hit the guy right off. Much more going on here.

Don’t curse at anyone in front of the police or other witnesses or if it’s possibly being recorded seems the biggest lesson taken out of this, but that’s not new news. I’d be worried about the apology.

48

I really don’t know where you get this from. FYI, the ROC Criminal Code (which dates back to 1918) is not so much different from other, in particular, continental European, criminal codes when it comes to self-defense or defending others:

Article 23 A conduct performed by a person in defense of his own rights or the rights of another against immediate unlawful aggression thereof is not punishable. If the force of defense is excessive, punishment may be reduced or remitted.

source: law.moj.gov.tw/Eng/LawClass/LawA … e=C0000001

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How can you say that with certainty? [/quote]

Well I can’t. But it would be a pretty dumb scam because it involves too many chance elements (someone willing to slap him back, someone willing to enter the death roll of suing each other, the cops being willing to press charges for both parties). It is more likely a face saving exercise, in my opinion and experience.

Anyway, the dichotomy of feeling the Taiwanese are stupid and lazy and apathetic is played out nicely again against them being scheming and duplicitous and greedy. Always a pleasure to read. :smiley:

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[quote=“superking”]

Well I can’t. But it would be a pretty dumb scam because it involves too many chance elements (someone willing to slap him back, someone willing to enter the death roll of suing each other, the cops being willing to press charges for both parties). It is more likely a face saving exercise, in my opinion and experience. [/quote]

Such scams aren’t unknown though. They depend precisely on a person being willing to go to the trouble of creating such an opportunity–it won’t create itself except by accident.

I’ve read a story about what sounds like a pretty nasty piece of work, scam or face saving or up on wrong side of the bed in the morning. They come in all shapes and colors in my experience. You’re reading far more into it than I am.

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[quote=“Tempo Gain”][quote=“superking”]

Well I can’t. But it would be a pretty dumb scam because it involves too many chance elements (someone willing to slap him back, someone willing to enter the death roll of suing each other, the cops being willing to press charges for both parties). It is more likely a face saving exercise, in my opinion and experience. [/quote]

Such scams aren’t unknown though. They depend precisely on a person being willing to go to the trouble of creating such an opportunity–it won’t create itself except by accident.

I’ve read a story about what sounds like a pretty nasty piece of work, scam or face saving or up on wrong side of the bed in the morning. They come in all shapes and colors in my experience. You’re reading far more into it than I am.[/quote]

Fair point on both remarks there. I would assume a scam works by not getting everyone involved. He’ll have a hard time pulling that stunt again in that park.

52

Ok, from reading this story, if it ever happens to me (or anything similar), whip out the mobile phone, start filming, step back, keep mouth shut. If assailant steps forward, step back, and keep filming.

This is in an ideal, perfect world, of course ;p.

53

I’m confused now. Was it a set up from the beginning or only after he came back with his wife? If it was a scam from the beginning I would have to question his mode of operation. Since most of us Westerners here are teachers, surely we wouldn’t be tempted to prevent the beating of a child. Most would probably even take the opportunity to vicariously experience giving such a beating, since most schools frown upon beating students. But that leads me to another idea. If you’re short on cash, why not get your girlfriend to play along and pretend you’re going to give her a sound beating in public? You can pull her along by her arm past a crowd of Taiwanese and shout in broken Chinese something like, "This laowai is going to give you a big-nose sized beating. Whities in tighties are better than Taiwanese tater-tots. Or something like that. Then sue them after they beat you to death :thumbsup:

54

I took out my phone on a massive (sumo wrestler massive) university student who had a go at me at the uni swimming pool (this boy had a lot of resentment in him, and I was his target for that day).

Took my phone out to take a pic of him, so I could get the uni security/admin onto him, and he smashed it out my hands. It was a Nokia, it survived. Anyways, I didn’t get his pic, and had to retreat as he was charging me like a rhino.

I went back to the pool a half hour later and took a pic of his student card, which is kept at the entrance by the worker (for everybody).

I had that mofo court martialed, I tells ya. There was a big powwow with a few bigwigs at the uni, the student union leader and a Communist Party cow.

Short story long, I kept the story out the press (which is what I offered to do if the uni didn’t have him grovel for an apology), and he groveled.

Point of this story - try to get recorded evidence, and then hit the rags with your story. Helps if you have someone working in the media.

55

^ which country was that in?

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China.

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[quote=“Baas Babelaas”]
Took my phone out to take a pic of him, so I could get the uni security/admin onto him, and he smashed it out my hands. [/quote]

Pretty much the standard in this country… This is pretty much the second best defense in TW, or pretend to call your friends.
The best one is, since locals know their rules and play them to their advantage, find a way to leave unharmed.
As foreigners we stick out like a sore thumb, I have no problem neutralizing someone, but there’s always a chance they can recognize you/run into you, mix of revenge and saving past face.