Society

6 people on one scooter spotted in Taipei City

Society 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment ,

A family of six was seen riding a scooter across Bailing Bridge in Taipei City, December 7, and some YouTube viewers suggested that the government should give them a free SUV. Dashcam footage uploaded to a popular YouTube channel showed two adults and four children crammed onto the motorcycle as it headed into Shilin District. Assumed to be a man and wife, two children stood on the floorboard, while a toddler sat between the adults, and the mother held a

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Search continues for hiker missing in mountains for 14 days

composite image showing missing man and search and rescue personnel
Society 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

Firefighters, aircrews, and civilian volunteers are searching for a man who was last seen when he left a group of fellow hikers in a remote mountain area of Hualien County, November 24. The 52-year-old man, named Lee, left his group of 8 hikers, and turned back on the second day of a hike, feeling that he lacked the physical stamina to keep up. The other hikers continued, and when they reached a ridgeline and had network coverage on November 27,

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Good conduct trumps good homework: student praised for taking responsibility for accident

student squats to write a note after accidentally damaging scooter
Society 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment

The owner of a scooter damaged when a junior high school student accidentally bumped into it while cycling to school this morning declined compensation, saying that the happiness he felt at witnessing the young man’s exemplary conduct was worth far more than a cracked fender. Somewhere in Taiwan at around 6:50 am today, the student, named Chen, was cycling to school, when heavy traffic compelled him to ride too far to the left, and he bumped into a scooter parked

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Fight breaks out in Costco over Black Friday sale special

composite picture of fight in Costco
Society 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment

Two men have been charged with injury after a fight broke out in a Costco store in New Taipei City yesterday, [Black] Friday, November 26. According to reports, a fight broke out in the Costco store in Xinzhuang District shortly before closing time yesterday evening, after a man, named Lin, moved a queue barrier so he could cut a queue to grab a bottle of heavily discounted shampoo. A man in the queue, named Huang, berated his act, and an

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Student expelled from police university over marijuana import case

Central Police University
Society 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment ,

A student of the Central Police University has been expelled, and is currently in detention after facing charges over the import of cannabis earlier this year. According to reports today, November 25, the 20-year-old man, named Hsu, was arrested after taking delivery of a package of marijuana that had been identified by customs officers at Taoyuan International Airport. The package had been sent from Canada. On August 12, officers from the Taoyuan City Police Department disguised themselves as couriers and

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Pervy toilet signs controversy breaks out in Taoyuan City

signs showing peeping Tom and upskirt symbols
Society 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment

The Taoyuan City Government will have public restroom signage in a Hakka culture park in the city redesigned after public criticism that the symbols were degrading to women, and in poor taste. The signs at the Lunping Cultural Landscape Park in Guanyin District depict a male peeping over a wall at a female, and a male lifting a female’s skirt. The unusual and pervy symbols are used to guide users to the public restrooms. The signs have “been around for

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Soldiers commended for taking wheel of bus after driver suffers heart attack

bus stopped on freeway
Society 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment ,

Two new army recruits were commended by the army and police for saving the lives of fellow passengers after a bus driver had a heart attack and lost consciousness while traveling on National Highway 1, Sunday evening. The two 23-year-old soldiers responded immediately when the 56-year-old driver, named Lin, suddenly lost consciousness and slumped onto the steering wheel at around 6:00 pm. The bus was traveling southbound on a downhill, slightly curved section of freeway in Hsinchu County, and it

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Gay pride event welcomed in Taiwan: but please don’t pander to China

world pride 2025 Taiwan logo
Society 
Phillip Charlier 2 Comments

Taiwan, and the City of Kaohsiung were happy to receive the news that Kaohsiung City was chosen to host WorldPride 2025, after an announcement by InterPride, November 13. However, there are mixed feelings about terminology used in the announcement that reeks of pandering to the Chinese Communist Party. Kaohsiung City Mayor Chen Chi-mai said that Taiwan is the first country in Asia to recognize same-sex marriage and that the choice of Kaohsiung, Taiwan to host the 2025 event is of

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As cold front approaches Keelung City delays construction to keep underpass open for homeless

Keelung City Chenghuang Temple pedestrian underpass
Society 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

The Keelung City Government has decided to temporarily delay renovation of two pedestrian underpasses, as a cold front bearing down on Taiwan is expected to bring a sharp drop in temperatures tomorrow, and councillors worry that homeless people may have nowhere to go for shelter. The Keelung City Government decided to renovate the Chenghuang Temple-Dong’an Plaza underpasses after it was noted that the tunnels were prone to leak in rain, were covered in graffiti, and had a dingy appearance. After

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Undertaker finds “corpse” alive, but man dies five days later in hospital

paramedics give CPR to man previously thought to be dead.
Society 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment

Paramedics found a man they thought was “obviously dead,” last Thursday, but an undertaker called to remove the body found the man still breathing, and he was rushed to the hospital where he died this morning, October 26. A friend of the 62-year-old resident of Hsinchu County called police to help him enter the man’s home, after the man, named Tong, did not show up for work, and could not be contacted, Thursday, October 21. At around 9:00 pm, police

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Road Rage: Driver arrested for pointing BB gun at smartphone-using pedestrian’s head

composite picture: suspect arrested, gun and amphetamine pipes
Society 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment ,

A man was arrested in Taoyuan City, yesterday, a week after he allegedly used a gun to threaten a woman who was blocking his way as he drove down a narrow street. According to Apple Daily, the 26-year-old man, named Wang, was driving down the single-lane Chaoyang Street on Wednesday, October 13, when his way was blocked by a woman who was walking slowly, and gazing at her mobile phone. Wang honked his horn and yelled out his window to

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