I said this before…
but in the nearly 17 years that I have been riding a Vespa in Taipei I have never been run into on the sidewalk nor have I hit anyone. I wonder if this question of pushing scooters or such is more of a simple dislike of the concept of riding on the sidewalk (a notion that is outside of ones’ usual idea of good behavior in their society)instead of an issue addressing a real concern.
I’m with Wolf on this. I’ve never been run into, nor have I ever run into anyone, on the sidewalk.
This despite the fact that I have always made it a habit to deliberately take up as much of the sidewalk as possible when I hear a bike coming up behind me.
I also walk as slowly as possible and if the rider sounds his horn I immediately stop dead for about 5 seconds before turning around verrrrry slowly and giving him or her my “I’ll rip your lungs out you little shit” face.
As for people coming fast toward me along the sidewalk on a bike with no apparent intention of slowing down or stopping, I have never seen such a thing here, even among the “little old lady” brigade (and everyone knows they’re the worst). In my experience, people just don’t do that.
But maybe I’ve just been lucky enough all over the island for the last 13 years to always be around polite people.
I’ve also never, ever, seen anyone else being run into on the sidewalk.
quote[quote] By the way, I vote for scooter drivers to push their bikes on the sidewalk. It may look silly, but its safer [/quote]It’s ridiculous. Most footpaths are only wide enough for two (people or scooters). If you ride to the parking spot you take up one space and people coming the other way can get past. If you push your bike you have to do so from the side and noone can get past you and you can’t get past them. Facking great idea.
Wolf and Sandman are dead right.
Bri
quote:
Originally posted by Bu Lai En:It’s ridiculous … Most footpaths are only wide enough for two (people or scooters)…
Yes brian, and why are the sidewalks which are wide enough to accommodate 6 people abreast usually only wide enough for one or two people to walk down? Coz the fackin scooters are parked there! I hate this mentality whereby scooter riders really think they are the dog’s dangly bits and feel that they are entitled to park on or ride down areas that are designed for pedestrians.
Just because the city government is too lazy or wuss to ticket you for illegally parking or nipping down the sidewalk when your in a hurry and can’t wait 20 seconds for the red light to change – doesn’t make it right.
And talking of wusses … ever notice how the number of scooters parked under the shopfronts doubles on a rainy afternoon?
Poor wittle scooter widers don’t want to get a moist bum.
But it’s OK to force pedestrians to leave the sidewalk and amble among the traffic in the pouring rain. Just so long as your little machine is nice and dry when you leave the office or classroom.
You’re talking about different shit. I’m talking about LEGAL parking on the shopfront sidewalks. Don’t know where these 6 people wide sidewalks are. If you’re parking in front of the stores, in the spaces betweent the pillars, you’re hardly inconveniencing anyone - those pillars are there so you can hardly walk in that place. If you park anywhere else that isn’t a lane or a designated parking space you’re likely to get towed.
Apart from a few idiots, I don’t see what the problem is. Again, would you rather everyone was driving cars?
Bri
Apart from a few idiots? Taiwan has the highest per capita ownership of scooters in the world. It’s not just a few idiots with a few scooters. The island – Taipei especially – is overrun by the things. (Yes, I have a scooter, which someone gave me. No, I seldom ride it.)
No, I wouldn’t have everyone have cars instead. I’d have more of them take public transport, walk and use bicycles. I’d have Taiwan slap a massive tax on private vehicles – cars and scooters both – and put the money into public transport and establishing bicycle-only lanes.
This is a topic I do indeed get cranky about. The scale of the problem would have been much smaller if the KMT hadn’t ignored the obvious demographic trends and built the MRT decades ago, or if it hadn’t allowed the project to become a means to feed its corrupt contractor cronies…
quote[quote] Apart from a few idiots? [/quote]I was talking about those who park on the footpaths (the walking parts that is). If you really think about it scooters contribute a lot less to traffic and pollution problems than cars do. It would be nice if there was a great fast public transport system, but there isn’t, and in the meantime don’t blame those who use scooters.
bri