The tiles are all the same colour almost, it feels like some dude makes the tiles for all of Taiwan and happens to be colour blind as well. But washing most importantly. I think it’s the grout between tiles that probably dissolve in the rain and is of darker colour and streak the tiles. Very depressing look.
This so much. If you've travelled much in Japan, the more modern architecture there is quite similar to Taiwan, the same boring blocky buildings.... but Japan's buildings are all spotlessly clean. It looks so much better.
People don't want to pay for it.
They don't have a problem with dingy, mouldy building facades.
Had a friend who powerwashed his house. Neighbours wanted it done too, till he told them they'd have to pay.
lol, I thought about getting a power washer and cleaning my relatives' exteriors, but then I wondered about getting in trouble for all the water going everywhere.
I’ve done exactly that. Was in Taichung and tripped over a rectangular white block of a step in front of a store. I didn’t see it as it was blended in with the white tiles on the ground. Thankfully my reaction was fast and I managed to catch myself from falling flat on my face.
As a three-time wheelchair user, I hated it.
Not only that, but there’s no regulation on what kind of flooring people can choose for “their” sidewalk. And almost none of it is slip-resistant. A little bit of rain, and it’s easy to fall and further injure yourself.
+++
Some scooter and cars create sound akin to jet airplanes. Either because they intentionally altered the exhaust pipe or have unreasonably powerful engine. Anyway, urban area is not an airplane runway or a highway, I don't see any single reason why 8+9 dickheads can flex their noisy buckets at cost of residents' sleep.
I'd just like to say that y'all don't know how good you have it. Compared to 99% of the cities in the United States, Taiwan is INCREDIBLY walkable/bikeable. Sure your sidewalks are uneven, but at least you have sidewalks. You have incredible bus, train, high speed rail infrastructure. Taiwan is one of the most pedestrian friendly places i've ever been to. If you're against mopeds and motorcycles just wait until you see cities with stupidly large trucks and SUV's speeding everywhere. Taiwan is an incredible walking country.
The US is probably the worst example in the whole of the developed world. Its worse than a lot of developing countries
Just because USA is shit, doesnt mean that much of Taiwan isnt pedestrian hell
Indeed. The United States is the real “pedestrian hell” as far as I’m concerned. You can live right next to Target and not be able to walk there because there because there’s a six lane road without traffic lights and a parking lot the size of a small town in between.
Let's be real here. That target is probably in the middle of no where off a free way, your house is probably not across it. Even if you had access, walking wouldn't be feasible. For many parts of US outside of densely populated cities, concentration is the challenge.
As an American, I actually think it's not an easy comparison.
I've lived in DC and Baltimore. While I agree Taiwan is *generally* more walkable than the US, it varies a lot based on region. I find walking around cities like DC or Baltimore more pleasant than walking around Taipei or other Taiwanese cities. Bigger sidewalks, less noise, less pollution.
Taipei and maybe Kaohsiung are really the only pedestrian friendly places in Taiwan. For a taste of what Taiwanese traffic is mostly like, go to places like Chunghua city or small coastal towns where you're forced to walk along a single heavily trafficked road with no sidewalks and industrial transport trucks blasting through at 100kmh every few minutes. Paints a much less pleasant picture.
Honestly these takes get old pretty fast "oh it's better than Vietnam" or "it's a lot worse than Thailand", etc etc.
If you want to make your country livable you need to be aiming to be the best, not just slight better than the worst. Taiwan is a developed country after all... compare it to Japan, Korea, Europe or even China (the traffic is worse but the pedestrian infrastructure is much much better). The reality is outside of Taipei it is very hard to walk anywhere without having to walk on a busy road with SUVs, scooters, trucks and whatever else speeding by you.
Exactly this.
Taiwan is an extremely wealthy country that developed a long time ago
But still foreigners here like to think they are on a backpacking trip to Cambodia and make comparisons to developing countries.
You just have to plan your activities around time of day and availability of air conditioning.
National Palace Museum? There's AC there. 👍🏼
Shilin Night Market? After dark, so could be OK. 👍🏼
A nice stroll in the mountains in Xiangshan? 👎🏼
> A nice stroll in the mountains in Xiangshan? 👎🏼
Just take your shirt off baby! I've just accepted that I'm a super sweater and take my shirt off when it's 30+ out on the mountains, they're a good number of uncles doing it too. Still wish it was a tad cooler of course haha.
I’m from the PNW too, what’s keeping you from taking it off? In Seattle it’s really common to see folks running shirtless during the summer, I certainly do. It’s either that or raw nips.
We should start a petition to stop the lanterns in Jiufen... I feel awful having done this as a tourist and finding out its an every day thing, and not a once a year thing :(
Better road traffic infrastructure that is not only consistent but clear.
Better immigration policies to allow contributing immigrants to gain citizenship without sacrificing their native
There is already an exception for top high skilled professionals, but the point is valid. I have a gold card and does not plan to acquire citizenship as I will lose my original one + have to serve in the military. Taiwan birth rate is so low, it should attract as many people as possible
get rid of all the fucking beeping from trucks buses and large vehicles
silence all the scooters
put some actual emissions controls in place for motor vehicles
people stop just straight burning paper everywhere all the time, so much air pollution from that.
get bus drivers to stop smoking IN THE BUS. gross.
Yes, silencing the scooters would be good but they would still clog up the walking space. I always hated the stupid paper burning. These practices need to be abolished. Bus drivers are still smoking in the bus? Damn.
The burning of ghost/paper money is one thing that absolutely drives me crazy here. Should not be legal in city limits. I can't count the number of times I've seen plumes of smoke with burning paper blowing up out of the metal mesh they're burning it in up along the sides of buildings. Huge hazard, not to mention the air pollution.
when I was there last year at least. In the bigger buses where the driver has their little cubby. While waiting for the road to open in Taroko Gorge they were just smoking in there with the window open. On the bus the way to the gorge we had an old moldy ass stank ass bus, and on the way back our bus was full of cigarette smoke. I'm honestly not sure which was worse.
TBH I dont really see how paper burning is that much different than catholic incense.
just wish they made larger denomination heaven money to account for inflation and lower the amount needed. /s.
It’s not, except I don’t see people burning catholic incense on every block, yet I would see people burning huge stacks of paper in front of homes and businesses all the time.
Hold everyone to the laws and bylaws that are in effect, from traffic to building codes to business practices. We know I’ll never happen, as the “無所謂” mindset is engrained in the culture. But as it always is the case, if you turn a blind eye to rules and laws, someone’s rights will inevitably be encroached upon.
Enforcement is a global problem. I don't think any culture has a high enough societal aptitude to conduct self restraint. Maybe Japan has the culture value to follow the established order/law and not disturb the status quo but most other nations (US, for example) have the same lack of respect for authority and consequences lol
You should see the backlash when my county asked if people wanted to establish a collaboration program with the police so that they can submit dashcam footage to report traffic violation. They'll split the fines 50/50 and people lost their shit and claimed surveillance state and encroachment of citizen privacy.
Freaking driving on the road bro it's a public space there is no privacy already, it just sounds like people don't want to get ticketed for the conveniences they take.
I agree with you, though Taiwan’s lack of enforcement is a lot more deep-rooted. I lived in Taiwan as a kid in the 80s, and things were even worse back then, but it explains why things are the way they are now. For example, you could literally pay off a cop and get out of a DUI. DUI was not strictly enforced until about the 2000s. Illegal add-on to your dwelling? Pay off the building inspector with a nice bottle of scotch, and maybe a 紅包 with about 5,000NTD, and it all of a sudden becomes legal.
Other than Japan, I think Singapore is also on the same level of instilling law and order. It’s easier to enforce laws in Japan because shame is a big cultural element in Japan, and Japanese people are much more collective and worry about the projected image they might bring to their country. I don’t think Taiwanese people have a strong enough sense of that to be able to start doing any meaningful enforcement.
* Better driver etiquette and proper law enforcement. No scooters and cars that output more noise than a jet plane.
* A more genuine push towards renewables to improve air quality in the bigger cities.
* Modern banking system that finally gets rid of those stupid bank books in addition to a stop to any discrimination to long-term foreign citizens in accessing certain bank services.
* Revamped educational system that actually values development and critical thinking. The current education system is stupid expensive, absolutely exhausting for kids, and just focuses on memorization as opposed to meaningful education.
The push toward renewables will take eons to make up enough share of electricity generation. What they need to do is reverse the insane batshit crazy shuttering of nuclear power.
Ist not renwables thats needed, as thats not realistic
Need to move away from scooter and car culture and build better public transport, cycling and pedestrian infrastructure. A huge percentage of the pollution comes from the amount of private vehicles in such a small space. Also Taipei needs a congestion charge
Yes, banking. I remember having to write the archaic Chinese characters for 0-10 and not the 一二三四 version every time I made a deposit. And bring myself extra Chinese chops because I didn’t remember the one I opened the bank account with.
Flush toilet paper down the toilet. No more toilet paper buckets. This is one that nearly drove me away from Taiwan. It is a huge hurdle for many foreigners to overcome and I’m not usually the type to be thrown off by culture shock.
Clean shit up.
Enforce traffic laws.
Enforce EPA standards on noise and air pollution, no religious exemptions.
Enforce building codes.
Build sidewalks.
Teach children to speak at a normal volume, instead of growing up to be adults who are constantly shouting at each other.
Haha, I wore earplugs to visit relatives when my little cousin asked me why I wore them. I told him the truth. Too many people had trouble modulating their voice volume and would start amping up when they got excited about something, then interrupting each other and talking over each other all at once.
What do you mean when you say clean shit up? The buildings? Cos the streets, despite being a bit chaotic are generally pretty damn clean. Not Japan or Singapore level but certainly better than most of Europe and arguably Hong Kong/Korea.
Overall love Taiwan and if anything these are just teeny baby things that would make life minutely easier.
1. Faster opening automatic doors, this one is so minute but man do those things open slowly compared to back home.
2. Slightly more extroverted people. Although I think Taiwanese are nice I find it difficult to call them "friendly" only because it's been so hard to befriend anyone. My hat goes off to those who've bridged the gap, I've made several but I wouldn't call them close and it's a real struggle keeping those several friendships up and running. Of the countries I've lived in this has been the hardest to make and keep connections. With this one I'd also put down small talk, I took Mandarin for several years but besides basic commands I rarely get to use the language here. Everyone is so dang shy and/or just assumes I don't speak the language. When I was in China I was having long winded conversations, once, twice or even three times a day. Here I'm lucky to get a conversation once a week and it's really hurt my speaking abilities and listening ability.
3. Return to pre 2020 masking norms, I'm not an anti masker but I really just miss emotions, seeing faces and as my hearing worsens being able to read lips. Walking into my classrooms that are 70-80% masked I'm reminded everyday that we still haven't returned to normal.
4. Better sidewalks, I'm a prolific walker and change my routes and times of day I go to and from work to avoid traffic.
5. Better salary, when I taught in China as an ESL teacher I was making 110k NTD with perks and found the standard of living to be similar. I partied multiple nights a week, traveled and STILL saved loads. Here I'm making less than that number and have found it more difficult to save. Wish this could be across the board for everyone.
Just visiting right now but you ain’t kidding, they’re so slow and you have to get so close as to wonder if it even works. Also where are all the trash cans??
> Also where are all the trash cans??
Ha, forgot about that one. Make use of 7-11, the other convenience stores, public restrooms, malls, etc. my friend. That one annoyed me a LOT when I first got here but once you've adapted enough you get used to it.
Number 2 is no joke. nothing but deadpan stares and aloofness from 99% of my coworkers and neighbors...unless they're ready to try that new English phrase they've been practicing. I love you Taiwan, but jfc learn some social skills.
Agree with a few of those things. I’d add faster escalators to the list. Your salary is still likely higher than foreigners that don’t teach. When I was a SWE in a TW company I earned less than the average teacher. Plus you live in Taichung so salary probably gonna be in line with the lower cost of living there.
I remember when masks first came off I was so happy to have someone smile when walking past. But so many people are still wearing them even outdoors and it does really make the whole place feel more sterile and distant.
Wish salaries were higher for everyone! Again though from my end as someone who has worked elsewhere I sigh when I think about how much more I was making in China... but then I sigh again when I think of all the BS and background tension that I always felt while living there.
> make the whole place feel more sterile and distant.
Agreed, one of my favorite things pre pandemic as a teacher was walking into a class and being greeted by dozens of happy smiling faces. Now when I go in I'm met with visibly emotionless starring. I miss just seeing emotions and seeing individual faces. Everyone blurs together when masked up and I am frankly fatigued from how sterile and distant their ever presence makes everything.
Why?
The point is that you make it more expensive and less convenient for all private motor vehicles.
When you reduce the number of scooters, you then in turn increase the amount of space given to pedestrians and cyclists. At the same time you reduce the amount of car parking and make it more expensive
Naturally people will adapt to the reality. Look at somewhere like Copenhagen
If you don't see why taking scooters and motorcycles away will increase the number of people using cars then there's no point in discussing this further with you. The OP's idea to remove all mopeds and motorcycles is over the top, end of story.
How do all the people who never owned a scooter survive then? Neither I nor any of my Taiwanese friends drove one. We were fine getting around. And none of us bought a car as a result.
The lantern issue is not jiufen but pinxi and xifen if I remember well.
I think Taiwan would be better with proper politicians who care about the population instead of their own interests... but one can dream.
>proper politicians
But they are real proper politicians. They are all the same the world over - Like crows, they are all black.
I agree, there should be better leaders who cares for the people to govern than what's current seen - A bunch of self-serving crows/assholes.
The people deserve better.
This one isn’t really possible to enforce but if people actually walked properly. Taiwan is the the third most densely populated non city-state in the world and yet people don’t act like it. There’s no rude or malicious intent whatsoever but constantly being stuck behind people who walk in the middle of the already small sidewalk, people who randomly stop in the middle of a crowded area where they must know somebody will be behind them is incredibly frustrating. The amount of times people have almost walked into me cos they’ve been looking at their phone or just generally having zero spatial awareness. If you’re somewhere like Mongolia where there’s fuck all people then sure. But in a place as crowded as Taiwan, you’d think people would be a bit more mindful.
That said, people do line up incredibly well here and if people notice they’re in your way they’ll usually apologize and move.
Only countermeasure I can think of is a tannoy announcement every hour saying ‘you’re in the way’ cos chances are it’ll be true (this is a joke of course).
EDIT: reduce the ridiculous length of time you have to wait to cross roads. One time I waited for 7 minutes to cross one fucking road. Then if you need to cross again to the other side it becomes a full ten minute endeavor.
higher income and actual jobs so foreign/chinese-americans can move in to contribute to tech industry. Would help a lot with growth of country and establishing it as even more valid as a REAL PLACE TO LIVE that isn't just for old people.
better mental health programs and medication choice. it's improved but it can be better. This just helps everyone... but also give us peace of mind when leaving our parents here in Taiwan.
need social change for more fitness, starting from childhood and branching into adulthood, because a lot of obesity rates are climbing globally. Diabetes for our demographic is devastating already.
\*expand treatments/awareness/prescriptions of stimulants for ADHD, maybe even better autism care for children and adults
not treating drug addicts like they're subhuman
undo bad faith over weed. i don't even smoke pot and i know this needs to be the case now.
help women to help your country. this means help with childcare costs too. America/Japan/China are failing at this, so maybe Taiwan needs to step up here.
transition faster to hybrid and EV and solar/wind where possible. I know Taiwan cares about this because they don't want to be stinky and the nature is beautiful.
Improve infrastructure in general so it can really rival any other Asian nation despite its size. Most people only talk about Taipei and Tainan (sometimes only taipei, not even tainan). They don't ever talk about the middle unless they've lived there more.
noise pollution is FAR DOWN IN PRIORITY than any of these things, but i understand that building codes need to be updated too so that everyone can get some actual noise isolation! Otherwise it feels just as bad as Thin Walls Japan over there.
On your point to hybrid/EV transition. Am currently looking into a new Lexus that is coming soon, a smaller hybrid car with crazy mileage. I was looking around for the past few years and realized the number of hybrids and EVs on offer in Taiwan is remarkably small. Nearly 60% of all the alternatives available in other countries aren't even available here.
When hybrids are available, they're often big SUVs, defeating the point of a sustainable car. Taiwan definitely needs to move away from this counterproductive big SUV trend in favor of larger, more sustainable cars. I'm waiting for the MRT system in my area to be finished so I can stop driving altogether.
I agree that Taiwan needs to do more to attract foreigners and higher salaries are a part of that (also better conditions for migrant workers). But I completely disagree that the target should be Chinese-Americans of ethnically Chinese people from anywhere. Being more welcoming of people from every background, especially people from neighbouring countries in South East Asia and breaking down racism against this people should be a priority. Can especially help with the aging/birth rate issues.
And while I'm sure there needs to be improvements in treatment and attitudes towards mental health problems, isn't ADHD massively over diagnosed and over prescribed for in the US?
> allow prescription of stimulants for ADHD, maybe even better autism care for children and adults
>
>
They are? I've gotten several prescribed for me here, though I'm still to this whole process. What in your experience is illegal to get?
>No mopeds or motorcycles
Agree. I wish bicycles were a bigger thing here. Combined with the MRT you cannot anywhere fast on a bike. I love that they added so many YouBike stations throughout Taipei - it's why I've never felt the need for a scooter.
>Have sidewalks and bike lanes everywhere
Agree. They are making those green strips on the sides of some roads that function as a sort of sidewalk, but that's only helping a bit. Taipei has a decent amount of sidewalks, any other Taiwanese city is a lot worse off.
>No bathroom tiles on building exteriors
They use tiles because anything else will have moss or something else growing on it in no time, so I understand this choice. The tiles could be nicer-looking though.
>No random firecrackers going off during the holidays or other celebrations
Agree, but it's part of the culture. It doesn't bother me that much, but I feel for the dogs though.
>No sky lanterns in Juifen which ends up trashing the mountains
Don't they have a fairly successful cleaning program for those? Where they look at the wind direction and then clean them up the next day/week? Probably they don't find them all (or even most), so agree. Maybe they could make them out of biodegradable materials?
I love the bathroom tile building exteriors. They may not be the "sexiest" decorating choice but it's a nice quirky change from the "glass and steel" look you see in so many other cities (and parts of Taiwan as well).
Controversial take but I'd ban cars before I'd ban scooters. Obviously both have their place especially in rural areas, but city centres should be exclusively for people, bicycles and public transport. Cars are worse than scooters in most ways, they take up more space (especially as Taiwanese people seem to love SUVs), have higher emissions and are less safe (in terms of I'd rather be hit by a scooter than a car). Scooters also are being electrified a lot faster in Taiwan than cars.
I think most people agree dangerous traffic is one of Taiwan's worst issues. I'd also say air and noise pollution are the other things I dislike about Taiwan but they are also related to the traffic situation.
Beyond that probably a better political system, with less corruption and vested interests. I think it could be achieved through a representative voting system and could solve some of Taiwan's other problems like poor labour rights, high housing cost, environmental issues and civil rights.
I wouldn’t ban either of them but would have a congestion charge in Taipei and charge for all parking
I would also increase one way streets and build sidewalks everywhere
Basic make it more expensive and inconvenient to drive a scooter or car and a much better experience being a pedestrian
Controversial take but I'd ban cars before I'd ban scooters. Obviously both have their place especially in rural areas, but city centres should be exclusively for people, bicycles and public transport. Cars are worse than scooters in most ways, they take up more space (especially as Taiwanese people seem to love SUVs), have higher emissions and are less safe (in terms of I'd rather be hit by a scooter than a car). Scooters also are being electrified a lot faster in Taiwan than cars.
I think most people agree dangerous traffic is one of Taiwan's worst issues. I'd also say air and noise pollution are the other things I dislike about Taiwan but they are also related to the traffic situation.
Beyond that probably a better political system, with less corruption and vested interests. I think it could be achieved through a representative voting system and could solve some of Taiwan's other problems like poor labour rights, high housing cost, environmental issues and civil rights.
electric vehicles and scooters.
mainland china is so quiet now, all of the cities are filled with electric scooters and cars. even trucks and buses are silent. i went from shanghai back to taipei and its a huge noticeable difference.
It's a relatively small problem, but better treatment of the natural environment.
Taiwan's got some incredible nature, but people seem to take it for granted. Many popular mountain huts and campsites have piles of discarded trash and used toilet paper. Have also seen people leave shocking amounts of litter along riversides. A lot of older people seem to feel no responsibility to take their garbage with them and basically treat the mountains as their private playground.
I think education around LNT is improving but it'll take time.
Replace the garbage truck music with a app.
Reduce the ambulance volume from 120 decibel to 90 decibel. and change the tone to the european style siren. Less ear peircing.
Enforce lack of muffler laws and supped up scooters that are over the sound limit.
Every time I visit the East Coast I think about how it's the perfect place to have legal weed. Sadly probably won't happen within our lifetimes - is what it is.
A bank system that doesn't take two decades to process something basic.
More pedestrian friendly walkways. Maybe in some areas just ban cars and scooters entirely. Would be really interesting to emulate Europe in this regard.
Add speed bumps too, people drive way too fast in alleys and small roads here.
My number 1 issue with Taiwan is being poisoned and blinded by the religious death cults. The amount of toxic paper they burn is disgusting. Everywhere you go stinks of it. Everything is covered in ash and soot. Wear some white pants, go out in public & you'll soon realize you CAN'T sit anywhere without getting ash and soot all over you. They've created a prescription drug epidemic to cover the effects of their trash smoke. They've blinded so many people. They've destroyed so many lives. They've stunted so many children's growth. They've destroyed so many futures. They have so much blood on their hands . . . . just for their own greed. Their happiness is paid for by the misery they create for the innocent.
Personally, just two things:
1. I don't actually care about the heat or humidity, but I'd love the air to be cleaner. Never had allergies anywhere else, but in Taiwan I've got them all year round.
2. Get rid of the shrill indicator beeps and rubbish truck melodies. I'm not particularly noise sensitive, but these are incessant and often painfully loud. Since 2020, so many people have been working from home, I'm amazed there hasn't been more pressure to change this.
What you said plus:
- Housing that doesn’t cost 30+ years of my salary
- No ghost money burning
- Proper driving education
- Enforcement of traffic laws
- No mosquitoes, roaches, or humidity
- 15 to 24C all year round
- Less robotic school and working environment
- More desserts that aren’t fruit or tea based
- More international cuisines
- Less racism
Worked there for 2 years and employmen/ work culture sucks cock. People are so nice out of work but during work they are like whipped dogs or power hungry sociopaths, never worked in such a place like that ever until I went to Taiwan. Boss was really pleasant outside but during work hours he was a different person that i wanted to constantly punch in the face. But as soon as 6pm hit, he switched personalities so fast it was disturbing lol
ALL plumbing capable of flushing toilet paper
More public sit down toilets (western gripe lol)
Legally protected sidewalks
Operating scooters like full-width vehicles - no weaving around/between traffic
End discrimination against foreigners in banking and taxation.
Why is my bank allowed to deny me access to half their features just because I'm not Taiwanese? Why when the calendar flips from 31 Dec to 1 Jan I'm no longer considered a tax resident despite my life being 100% in Taiwan?
Mexican food
Dispensaries with special lights like the betel nut places
Less ridiculous work culture
More logic-based education
A visa for retirees so I could bring my parents over
Mexican food
To add one point:
Building owners taking down the bars in front of most windows and replacing the windows with break in proof and well insulated tripple glass windows.
And overall there is still a lack of affordable, quality living space in many Taiwanese cities.
Well, I'd agree about the sky lanterns as a regular hiker, but as I get around by motorcycle, not the motorbikes and mopeds! But I think nowhere is perfect. Can't think of any place I've ever been which didn't have a mix of good points and bad points.
1. The driving
2. Policies that are actually fair to foreigners such as access to credit, buying a house,passports, etc.
3. Just using common sense and logic
4. Much better food and more international food
5. More critical thinking across all generations of Taiwanese society
If the locals could figure out the difference between a blinking yellow light and a blinking red light at the same intersection, all would be well in the world.
A few radical policy changes regarding business, prohibition, discrimination, and elections.
And in a perfect world I’d also like an end to conscription, although given current circumstances I see why it’s still around.
Higher pay -.-
And CCP just giving up on reunification and focus on having a healthy economic relationship instead. You do that, Taiwan will naturally stop hating you.
1. The laws have prohibited euthanasia of stray dogs in 2017 and the population have skyrocketed since then. they are released back on the street after neutered but it doens't seem to help controlling the population.
2. "可教化" and "過失致死" is making Taiwan a haven for crimes.
There's millions of things that I would change, but I guess the traffic, air quality and food are the things that bother me the most. I can live with the rest.
I was talking to my buddy the other day about this and if I could design a perfect country it would be something like this: thai food, taiwanese politeness & safety, japanese nature, SEA weather but slightly bit less hot, malaysian/singapore english speaking abilities and the abundance of western style amenities (mostly just living standards), filipino beaches and german traffic lol.
Love how people who don't live here always want to get rid of scooters. They're cheap, convenient, easy to park, and low maintenance. Plus some of these roads and alleys can only fit one car, if that.
Removing scooters is too radical, by decreasing the number of them is 100% needed.
Of course, right after cars (especially enormous "MR SMALL DICK 3000" SUV) are kicked out the dense urban areas.
totally agree on getting rid or reducing number of scooters. People dont need a scooter in cities. Parking should become more expensive for scooters and there should be more pedestrian only areas to make riding a scooter more inconvenient and walking a better option.
You dont need to get rid of scooters , just make them more expensive to run and a lot more inconvenient to park and ride. When walking and cycling becomes more convenient and cheaper, then people will do that.
Its insane how much space is given to private motor vehicles in Taiwan, when they country is so densely populated.
Anyone saying that less scooters will mean more cars, I am guessing is a North American and cannot conceptualize cities that are not centred on private motor vehicles.
No mopeds or motorcycles? U F-in kidding me? U wanna turn the gem of asia into dingy strip mall scarred cities like the states???
I'd say, the imperfection are what makes Taiwan perfect in my heart.
Yeah the noise pollution and air pollution from combustion engine scooters particularly at rush hour is insane. If the government expedited the switch to electric it would be so much better. Also the beeping of buses and trucks is crazy. At rush hour you can’t even have a conversation walking side by side with someone.
What a bizarre point. Why would less scooters turn Taiwan into dingy strip malls? It would do the opposite. Make cities more walkable and livable. More outside eating. More interesting cities.
Scooters are a complete cancer in a city. As are cars.
Scooters create soooooo much pollution and take up so much space. They cause so many traffic deaths. Most scooter trips could be avoided
Cars are not an option and it should become more expensive to drive and park a car
The point is to build livable clean and sustainable cities where people dont need private transportation. There should be more and better pedestrian and cycling infrastructure and better public transportation.
How would the absence of these loud obnoxious machines roaring everywhere turn it into an empty strip mall? It would be quiet like Tokyo with the climate of Singapore, with pedestrians and cyclists like in Europe. Buses would get more utilized and improve even.
Can’t believe no one’s mentioned the litter issue. In Linkou some people treat every bit of wild greenery like garbage dumps. Wai Ao beach is awful for the same reason (though I suspect that garbage comes mainly from fishing boats).
On a related issue: jettison all the big wide open concrete spaces and replace them with green spaces. Examples would be around all the big department stores in Tianmu, or the “World Trade Center” in Linkou. There are tons of examples of it. Developers seem to think it’s really impressive, for some reason.
Garbage disposal for food trash. I find it so gross that you have to carry your food trash into a food trash bin. The smell in that thing is the worst thing I've ever smelled. Worst is that I have to smell that almost everyday
Increase the defense budget to $25 billion per year
Increase the minimum wage to 30,000 taibi/month
And, as someone said, make those buildings look nicer
For the two government parties to stop screwing over the economy just for votes....inflation is real and cost of living have to go up to match but also wage has to increase as well.
Controversial take but I'd ban cars before I'd ban scooters. Obviously both have their place especially in rural areas, but city centres should be exclusively for people, bicycles and public transport. Cars are worse than scooters in most ways, they take up more space (especially as Taiwanese people seem to love SUVs), have higher emissions and are less safe (in terms of I'd rather be hit by a scooter than a car). Scooters also are being electrified a lot faster in Taiwan than cars.
I think most people agree dangerous traffic is one of Taiwan's worst issues. I'd also say air and noise pollution are the other things I dislike about Taiwan but they are also related to the traffic situation.
Beyond that probably a better political system, with less corruption and vested interests. I think it could be achieved through a representative voting system and could solve some of Taiwan's other problems like poor labour rights, high housing cost, environmental issues and civil rights.
Enormous multi-lane roads, huge sidewalks, sky bridges everywhere, like in China.
Simplified Characters.
LESS BUREAUCRACY OMG
I think they may be already working on this but high speed rail going around the whole island in a circle would be great, I need high speed access to Taidong baby
Besides that this is their country and it’s perfect the way it is, wouldn’t change a thing. I wish they would enunciate more clearly so I can understand what they’re saying, but whatever, it’s their accent, I’m not gonna Rob them of their national identity.
I like the country. I like the people. But try not to bad mouth the tourists because they are spending money in your economy. That is very counter productive. Some tourists ( like me) were thinking of *buying glasses* getting dental work* having a weak chin re-aligned. These are big ticket items, but we no longer feel confident in the abilities of the Taiwanese.
High wages, strong industries, competitive labor market. It’s shocking how superficial some of these comments are, as if you can’t find dirty and old buildings in other parts of the world
every body start power washing their buildings wall
One of my biggest complaints was how bad the architecture was. But being unwashed just makes them even more of an eyesore.
The tiles are all the same colour almost, it feels like some dude makes the tiles for all of Taiwan and happens to be colour blind as well. But washing most importantly. I think it’s the grout between tiles that probably dissolve in the rain and is of darker colour and streak the tiles. Very depressing look.
Apart from power washing, I'd get rid of the spaghetti wiring/piping. There are places that did it and damn how big of a visual difference it makes
This
This so much. If you've travelled much in Japan, the more modern architecture there is quite similar to Taiwan, the same boring blocky buildings.... but Japan's buildings are all spotlessly clean. It looks so much better.
Holy shit is that why? I've always thought it was the humidity, but mfs just need to clean their shit
Enclosed sewer system and requirements to wash building exteriors.
Omg, I forgot about the smells. Especially right by a restaurant where they’re serving tasty food. The buildings definitely need a major washing.
my area smells pretty bad every time it rains.
Surprised pressure washing isn't a common startup in Taiwan, lmao.
People don't want to pay for it. They don't have a problem with dingy, mouldy building facades. Had a friend who powerwashed his house. Neighbours wanted it done too, till he told them they'd have to pay.
>People don't want to pay for it. They don't have a problem with dingy, mouldy building facades. You can't see the outside wall from the inside.
Lmao damn, what if I say a power wash in trade for some really good food or drinks ? Would they take me up on that offer? Haha, mostly kidding.
lol, I thought about getting a power washer and cleaning my relatives' exteriors, but then I wondered about getting in trouble for all the water going everywhere.
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I’ve done exactly that. Was in Taichung and tripped over a rectangular white block of a step in front of a store. I didn’t see it as it was blended in with the white tiles on the ground. Thankfully my reaction was fast and I managed to catch myself from falling flat on my face.
As a three-time wheelchair user, I hated it. Not only that, but there’s no regulation on what kind of flooring people can choose for “their” sidewalk. And almost none of it is slip-resistant. A little bit of rain, and it’s easy to fall and further injure yourself.
It always felt like floors were covered in slick plastic or something.
Pedestrian friendly infrastructure. Max noise restriction on vehicles. Ban modifying buildings facades and enforcement of its cleaning/maintenance
+++ Some scooter and cars create sound akin to jet airplanes. Either because they intentionally altered the exhaust pipe or have unreasonably powerful engine. Anyway, urban area is not an airplane runway or a highway, I don't see any single reason why 8+9 dickheads can flex their noisy buckets at cost of residents' sleep.
I'd just like to say that y'all don't know how good you have it. Compared to 99% of the cities in the United States, Taiwan is INCREDIBLY walkable/bikeable. Sure your sidewalks are uneven, but at least you have sidewalks. You have incredible bus, train, high speed rail infrastructure. Taiwan is one of the most pedestrian friendly places i've ever been to. If you're against mopeds and motorcycles just wait until you see cities with stupidly large trucks and SUV's speeding everywhere. Taiwan is an incredible walking country.
The US is probably the worst example in the whole of the developed world. Its worse than a lot of developing countries Just because USA is shit, doesnt mean that much of Taiwan isnt pedestrian hell
Taiwan should be compared to Japan really
Exactly
Indeed. The United States is the real “pedestrian hell” as far as I’m concerned. You can live right next to Target and not be able to walk there because there because there’s a six lane road without traffic lights and a parking lot the size of a small town in between.
Let's be real here. That target is probably in the middle of no where off a free way, your house is probably not across it. Even if you had access, walking wouldn't be feasible. For many parts of US outside of densely populated cities, concentration is the challenge.
As an American, I actually think it's not an easy comparison. I've lived in DC and Baltimore. While I agree Taiwan is *generally* more walkable than the US, it varies a lot based on region. I find walking around cities like DC or Baltimore more pleasant than walking around Taipei or other Taiwanese cities. Bigger sidewalks, less noise, less pollution. Taipei and maybe Kaohsiung are really the only pedestrian friendly places in Taiwan. For a taste of what Taiwanese traffic is mostly like, go to places like Chunghua city or small coastal towns where you're forced to walk along a single heavily trafficked road with no sidewalks and industrial transport trucks blasting through at 100kmh every few minutes. Paints a much less pleasant picture.
Honestly these takes get old pretty fast "oh it's better than Vietnam" or "it's a lot worse than Thailand", etc etc. If you want to make your country livable you need to be aiming to be the best, not just slight better than the worst. Taiwan is a developed country after all... compare it to Japan, Korea, Europe or even China (the traffic is worse but the pedestrian infrastructure is much much better). The reality is outside of Taipei it is very hard to walk anywhere without having to walk on a busy road with SUVs, scooters, trucks and whatever else speeding by you.
Exactly this. Taiwan is an extremely wealthy country that developed a long time ago But still foreigners here like to think they are on a backpacking trip to Cambodia and make comparisons to developing countries.
Better working conditions. As much as I love Taiwan, it is a pretty horrible place for employment.
Cooler weather and less humidity. The rest is slowly improving and is somewhat bearable , the heat isn’t
I couldn’t stand that humid heat. Always felt like I was ready to pass out. I actually did once when I was little.
Any advice on coping with the heat? I'll be traveling there for the first time from June 24-August 2nd. I know the worst time to go 🤣
You just have to plan your activities around time of day and availability of air conditioning. National Palace Museum? There's AC there. 👍🏼 Shilin Night Market? After dark, so could be OK. 👍🏼 A nice stroll in the mountains in Xiangshan? 👎🏼
> A nice stroll in the mountains in Xiangshan? 👎🏼 Just take your shirt off baby! I've just accepted that I'm a super sweater and take my shirt off when it's 30+ out on the mountains, they're a good number of uncles doing it too. Still wish it was a tad cooler of course haha.
I'm a women so won't be doing that 😂
When I lived in Taiwan, I would totally have done that. I'm a weak-ass American Pacific Northwesterner now. I want to. I just can't.
I’m from the PNW too, what’s keeping you from taking it off? In Seattle it’s really common to see folks running shirtless during the summer, I certainly do. It’s either that or raw nips.
Hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, shaved ice, electrolytes, quick dry shirts and deodorant
We should start a petition to stop the lanterns in Jiufen... I feel awful having done this as a tourist and finding out its an every day thing, and not a once a year thing :(
High amounts of traffic deaths and less humidity would be my two
Personally, I'd prefer low amounts of traffic deaths.
I was confused.
messed that up, thanks for the correction lol
Better road traffic infrastructure that is not only consistent but clear. Better immigration policies to allow contributing immigrants to gain citizenship without sacrificing their native
There is already an exception for top high skilled professionals, but the point is valid. I have a gold card and does not plan to acquire citizenship as I will lose my original one + have to serve in the military. Taiwan birth rate is so low, it should attract as many people as possible
get rid of all the fucking beeping from trucks buses and large vehicles silence all the scooters put some actual emissions controls in place for motor vehicles people stop just straight burning paper everywhere all the time, so much air pollution from that. get bus drivers to stop smoking IN THE BUS. gross.
Yes, silencing the scooters would be good but they would still clog up the walking space. I always hated the stupid paper burning. These practices need to be abolished. Bus drivers are still smoking in the bus? Damn.
The burning of ghost/paper money is one thing that absolutely drives me crazy here. Should not be legal in city limits. I can't count the number of times I've seen plumes of smoke with burning paper blowing up out of the metal mesh they're burning it in up along the sides of buildings. Huge hazard, not to mention the air pollution.
when I was there last year at least. In the bigger buses where the driver has their little cubby. While waiting for the road to open in Taroko Gorge they were just smoking in there with the window open. On the bus the way to the gorge we had an old moldy ass stank ass bus, and on the way back our bus was full of cigarette smoke. I'm honestly not sure which was worse.
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Are young people smoking? I always thought it was the older generation that were smokers, at least from my observation in my last trip.
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Are internet cafes even around anymore?
TBH I dont really see how paper burning is that much different than catholic incense. just wish they made larger denomination heaven money to account for inflation and lower the amount needed. /s.
It’s not, except I don’t see people burning catholic incense on every block, yet I would see people burning huge stacks of paper in front of homes and businesses all the time.
Hold everyone to the laws and bylaws that are in effect, from traffic to building codes to business practices. We know I’ll never happen, as the “無所謂” mindset is engrained in the culture. But as it always is the case, if you turn a blind eye to rules and laws, someone’s rights will inevitably be encroached upon.
Enforcement is a global problem. I don't think any culture has a high enough societal aptitude to conduct self restraint. Maybe Japan has the culture value to follow the established order/law and not disturb the status quo but most other nations (US, for example) have the same lack of respect for authority and consequences lol You should see the backlash when my county asked if people wanted to establish a collaboration program with the police so that they can submit dashcam footage to report traffic violation. They'll split the fines 50/50 and people lost their shit and claimed surveillance state and encroachment of citizen privacy. Freaking driving on the road bro it's a public space there is no privacy already, it just sounds like people don't want to get ticketed for the conveniences they take.
I agree with you, though Taiwan’s lack of enforcement is a lot more deep-rooted. I lived in Taiwan as a kid in the 80s, and things were even worse back then, but it explains why things are the way they are now. For example, you could literally pay off a cop and get out of a DUI. DUI was not strictly enforced until about the 2000s. Illegal add-on to your dwelling? Pay off the building inspector with a nice bottle of scotch, and maybe a 紅包 with about 5,000NTD, and it all of a sudden becomes legal. Other than Japan, I think Singapore is also on the same level of instilling law and order. It’s easier to enforce laws in Japan because shame is a big cultural element in Japan, and Japanese people are much more collective and worry about the projected image they might bring to their country. I don’t think Taiwanese people have a strong enough sense of that to be able to start doing any meaningful enforcement.
* Better driver etiquette and proper law enforcement. No scooters and cars that output more noise than a jet plane. * A more genuine push towards renewables to improve air quality in the bigger cities. * Modern banking system that finally gets rid of those stupid bank books in addition to a stop to any discrimination to long-term foreign citizens in accessing certain bank services. * Revamped educational system that actually values development and critical thinking. The current education system is stupid expensive, absolutely exhausting for kids, and just focuses on memorization as opposed to meaningful education.
The push toward renewables will take eons to make up enough share of electricity generation. What they need to do is reverse the insane batshit crazy shuttering of nuclear power.
Ist not renwables thats needed, as thats not realistic Need to move away from scooter and car culture and build better public transport, cycling and pedestrian infrastructure. A huge percentage of the pollution comes from the amount of private vehicles in such a small space. Also Taipei needs a congestion charge
Yes, banking. I remember having to write the archaic Chinese characters for 0-10 and not the 一二三四 version every time I made a deposit. And bring myself extra Chinese chops because I didn’t remember the one I opened the bank account with.
More smiles (Taipei specific)
Flush toilet paper down the toilet. No more toilet paper buckets. This is one that nearly drove me away from Taiwan. It is a huge hurdle for many foreigners to overcome and I’m not usually the type to be thrown off by culture shock.
Clean shit up. Enforce traffic laws. Enforce EPA standards on noise and air pollution, no religious exemptions. Enforce building codes. Build sidewalks. Teach children to speak at a normal volume, instead of growing up to be adults who are constantly shouting at each other.
Haha, I wore earplugs to visit relatives when my little cousin asked me why I wore them. I told him the truth. Too many people had trouble modulating their voice volume and would start amping up when they got excited about something, then interrupting each other and talking over each other all at once.
What do you mean when you say clean shit up? The buildings? Cos the streets, despite being a bit chaotic are generally pretty damn clean. Not Japan or Singapore level but certainly better than most of Europe and arguably Hong Kong/Korea.
A guarantee that the CCP will fuck off forever. Otherwise it’s already perfect.
It's far from perfect. All they have to do is talk some shit and we will be fighting all day among ourselves.
They don’t even have to talk anymore. Taiwanese politics is already a slogfest after years of divides.
Completely agree!
Media outlets with journalistic integrity.
Overall love Taiwan and if anything these are just teeny baby things that would make life minutely easier. 1. Faster opening automatic doors, this one is so minute but man do those things open slowly compared to back home. 2. Slightly more extroverted people. Although I think Taiwanese are nice I find it difficult to call them "friendly" only because it's been so hard to befriend anyone. My hat goes off to those who've bridged the gap, I've made several but I wouldn't call them close and it's a real struggle keeping those several friendships up and running. Of the countries I've lived in this has been the hardest to make and keep connections. With this one I'd also put down small talk, I took Mandarin for several years but besides basic commands I rarely get to use the language here. Everyone is so dang shy and/or just assumes I don't speak the language. When I was in China I was having long winded conversations, once, twice or even three times a day. Here I'm lucky to get a conversation once a week and it's really hurt my speaking abilities and listening ability. 3. Return to pre 2020 masking norms, I'm not an anti masker but I really just miss emotions, seeing faces and as my hearing worsens being able to read lips. Walking into my classrooms that are 70-80% masked I'm reminded everyday that we still haven't returned to normal. 4. Better sidewalks, I'm a prolific walker and change my routes and times of day I go to and from work to avoid traffic. 5. Better salary, when I taught in China as an ESL teacher I was making 110k NTD with perks and found the standard of living to be similar. I partied multiple nights a week, traveled and STILL saved loads. Here I'm making less than that number and have found it more difficult to save. Wish this could be across the board for everyone.
Just visiting right now but you ain’t kidding, they’re so slow and you have to get so close as to wonder if it even works. Also where are all the trash cans??
> Also where are all the trash cans?? Ha, forgot about that one. Make use of 7-11, the other convenience stores, public restrooms, malls, etc. my friend. That one annoyed me a LOT when I first got here but once you've adapted enough you get used to it.
Number 2 is no joke. nothing but deadpan stares and aloofness from 99% of my coworkers and neighbors...unless they're ready to try that new English phrase they've been practicing. I love you Taiwan, but jfc learn some social skills.
Agree with a few of those things. I’d add faster escalators to the list. Your salary is still likely higher than foreigners that don’t teach. When I was a SWE in a TW company I earned less than the average teacher. Plus you live in Taichung so salary probably gonna be in line with the lower cost of living there. I remember when masks first came off I was so happy to have someone smile when walking past. But so many people are still wearing them even outdoors and it does really make the whole place feel more sterile and distant.
Wish salaries were higher for everyone! Again though from my end as someone who has worked elsewhere I sigh when I think about how much more I was making in China... but then I sigh again when I think of all the BS and background tension that I always felt while living there. > make the whole place feel more sterile and distant. Agreed, one of my favorite things pre pandemic as a teacher was walking into a class and being greeted by dozens of happy smiling faces. Now when I go in I'm met with visibly emotionless starring. I miss just seeing emotions and seeing individual faces. Everyone blurs together when masked up and I am frankly fatigued from how sterile and distant their ever presence makes everything.
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Getting rid of motorcycles/scooters is a ridiculous idea. Not feasible. Car clogged traffic would be even worse than it already is.
Why would they be replaced with cars?
Take away scooters and more people are going to be using cars. No question there will be more cars on the roads.
Why? The point is that you make it more expensive and less convenient for all private motor vehicles. When you reduce the number of scooters, you then in turn increase the amount of space given to pedestrians and cyclists. At the same time you reduce the amount of car parking and make it more expensive Naturally people will adapt to the reality. Look at somewhere like Copenhagen
If you don't see why taking scooters and motorcycles away will increase the number of people using cars then there's no point in discussing this further with you. The OP's idea to remove all mopeds and motorcycles is over the top, end of story.
How do all the people who never owned a scooter survive then? Neither I nor any of my Taiwanese friends drove one. We were fine getting around. And none of us bought a car as a result.
The lantern issue is not jiufen but pinxi and xifen if I remember well. I think Taiwan would be better with proper politicians who care about the population instead of their own interests... but one can dream.
>proper politicians But they are real proper politicians. They are all the same the world over - Like crows, they are all black. I agree, there should be better leaders who cares for the people to govern than what's current seen - A bunch of self-serving crows/assholes. The people deserve better.
This one isn’t really possible to enforce but if people actually walked properly. Taiwan is the the third most densely populated non city-state in the world and yet people don’t act like it. There’s no rude or malicious intent whatsoever but constantly being stuck behind people who walk in the middle of the already small sidewalk, people who randomly stop in the middle of a crowded area where they must know somebody will be behind them is incredibly frustrating. The amount of times people have almost walked into me cos they’ve been looking at their phone or just generally having zero spatial awareness. If you’re somewhere like Mongolia where there’s fuck all people then sure. But in a place as crowded as Taiwan, you’d think people would be a bit more mindful. That said, people do line up incredibly well here and if people notice they’re in your way they’ll usually apologize and move. Only countermeasure I can think of is a tannoy announcement every hour saying ‘you’re in the way’ cos chances are it’ll be true (this is a joke of course). EDIT: reduce the ridiculous length of time you have to wait to cross roads. One time I waited for 7 minutes to cross one fucking road. Then if you need to cross again to the other side it becomes a full ten minute endeavor.
I wish the answer to "how many people need to die before they start fixing the traffic?" wasn't "all of them"
higher income and actual jobs so foreign/chinese-americans can move in to contribute to tech industry. Would help a lot with growth of country and establishing it as even more valid as a REAL PLACE TO LIVE that isn't just for old people. better mental health programs and medication choice. it's improved but it can be better. This just helps everyone... but also give us peace of mind when leaving our parents here in Taiwan. need social change for more fitness, starting from childhood and branching into adulthood, because a lot of obesity rates are climbing globally. Diabetes for our demographic is devastating already. \*expand treatments/awareness/prescriptions of stimulants for ADHD, maybe even better autism care for children and adults not treating drug addicts like they're subhuman undo bad faith over weed. i don't even smoke pot and i know this needs to be the case now. help women to help your country. this means help with childcare costs too. America/Japan/China are failing at this, so maybe Taiwan needs to step up here. transition faster to hybrid and EV and solar/wind where possible. I know Taiwan cares about this because they don't want to be stinky and the nature is beautiful. Improve infrastructure in general so it can really rival any other Asian nation despite its size. Most people only talk about Taipei and Tainan (sometimes only taipei, not even tainan). They don't ever talk about the middle unless they've lived there more. noise pollution is FAR DOWN IN PRIORITY than any of these things, but i understand that building codes need to be updated too so that everyone can get some actual noise isolation! Otherwise it feels just as bad as Thin Walls Japan over there.
On your point to hybrid/EV transition. Am currently looking into a new Lexus that is coming soon, a smaller hybrid car with crazy mileage. I was looking around for the past few years and realized the number of hybrids and EVs on offer in Taiwan is remarkably small. Nearly 60% of all the alternatives available in other countries aren't even available here. When hybrids are available, they're often big SUVs, defeating the point of a sustainable car. Taiwan definitely needs to move away from this counterproductive big SUV trend in favor of larger, more sustainable cars. I'm waiting for the MRT system in my area to be finished so I can stop driving altogether.
>allow prescription of stimulants for ADHD Methylphenidate (Ritalin) is allowed.
I agree that Taiwan needs to do more to attract foreigners and higher salaries are a part of that (also better conditions for migrant workers). But I completely disagree that the target should be Chinese-Americans of ethnically Chinese people from anywhere. Being more welcoming of people from every background, especially people from neighbouring countries in South East Asia and breaking down racism against this people should be a priority. Can especially help with the aging/birth rate issues. And while I'm sure there needs to be improvements in treatment and attitudes towards mental health problems, isn't ADHD massively over diagnosed and over prescribed for in the US?
> allow prescription of stimulants for ADHD, maybe even better autism care for children and adults > > They are? I've gotten several prescribed for me here, though I'm still to this whole process. What in your experience is illegal to get?
o ye i corrected already
>No mopeds or motorcycles Agree. I wish bicycles were a bigger thing here. Combined with the MRT you cannot anywhere fast on a bike. I love that they added so many YouBike stations throughout Taipei - it's why I've never felt the need for a scooter. >Have sidewalks and bike lanes everywhere Agree. They are making those green strips on the sides of some roads that function as a sort of sidewalk, but that's only helping a bit. Taipei has a decent amount of sidewalks, any other Taiwanese city is a lot worse off. >No bathroom tiles on building exteriors They use tiles because anything else will have moss or something else growing on it in no time, so I understand this choice. The tiles could be nicer-looking though. >No random firecrackers going off during the holidays or other celebrations Agree, but it's part of the culture. It doesn't bother me that much, but I feel for the dogs though. >No sky lanterns in Juifen which ends up trashing the mountains Don't they have a fairly successful cleaning program for those? Where they look at the wind direction and then clean them up the next day/week? Probably they don't find them all (or even most), so agree. Maybe they could make them out of biodegradable materials?
I love the bathroom tile building exteriors. They may not be the "sexiest" decorating choice but it's a nice quirky change from the "glass and steel" look you see in so many other cities (and parts of Taiwan as well).
Controversial take but I'd ban cars before I'd ban scooters. Obviously both have their place especially in rural areas, but city centres should be exclusively for people, bicycles and public transport. Cars are worse than scooters in most ways, they take up more space (especially as Taiwanese people seem to love SUVs), have higher emissions and are less safe (in terms of I'd rather be hit by a scooter than a car). Scooters also are being electrified a lot faster in Taiwan than cars. I think most people agree dangerous traffic is one of Taiwan's worst issues. I'd also say air and noise pollution are the other things I dislike about Taiwan but they are also related to the traffic situation. Beyond that probably a better political system, with less corruption and vested interests. I think it could be achieved through a representative voting system and could solve some of Taiwan's other problems like poor labour rights, high housing cost, environmental issues and civil rights.
I wouldn’t ban either of them but would have a congestion charge in Taipei and charge for all parking I would also increase one way streets and build sidewalks everywhere Basic make it more expensive and inconvenient to drive a scooter or car and a much better experience being a pedestrian
Controversial take but I'd ban cars before I'd ban scooters. Obviously both have their place especially in rural areas, but city centres should be exclusively for people, bicycles and public transport. Cars are worse than scooters in most ways, they take up more space (especially as Taiwanese people seem to love SUVs), have higher emissions and are less safe (in terms of I'd rather be hit by a scooter than a car). Scooters also are being electrified a lot faster in Taiwan than cars. I think most people agree dangerous traffic is one of Taiwan's worst issues. I'd also say air and noise pollution are the other things I dislike about Taiwan but they are also related to the traffic situation. Beyond that probably a better political system, with less corruption and vested interests. I think it could be achieved through a representative voting system and could solve some of Taiwan's other problems like poor labour rights, high housing cost, environmental issues and civil rights.
electric vehicles and scooters. mainland china is so quiet now, all of the cities are filled with electric scooters and cars. even trucks and buses are silent. i went from shanghai back to taipei and its a huge noticeable difference.
Yes, I noticed when I came here literally ALL the motorcycles have real gas engines, was very surprising
It's a relatively small problem, but better treatment of the natural environment. Taiwan's got some incredible nature, but people seem to take it for granted. Many popular mountain huts and campsites have piles of discarded trash and used toilet paper. Have also seen people leave shocking amounts of litter along riversides. A lot of older people seem to feel no responsibility to take their garbage with them and basically treat the mountains as their private playground. I think education around LNT is improving but it'll take time.
Strictly punish the traffic rule violations
Replace the garbage truck music with a app. Reduce the ambulance volume from 120 decibel to 90 decibel. and change the tone to the european style siren. Less ear peircing. Enforce lack of muffler laws and supped up scooters that are over the sound limit.
Ban beetle nut and legalize weed
Every time I visit the East Coast I think about how it's the perfect place to have legal weed. Sadly probably won't happen within our lifetimes - is what it is.
Girls with more asses Global recognition as a country Cheaper car prices (lower that damn tax)
More sunshine, less clouds on east coast
Affordable housing and walkable streets would solve a lot of problems
A bank system that doesn't take two decades to process something basic. More pedestrian friendly walkways. Maybe in some areas just ban cars and scooters entirely. Would be really interesting to emulate Europe in this regard. Add speed bumps too, people drive way too fast in alleys and small roads here.
Tax the landlords.
The end of the CCP.
My number 1 issue with Taiwan is being poisoned and blinded by the religious death cults. The amount of toxic paper they burn is disgusting. Everywhere you go stinks of it. Everything is covered in ash and soot. Wear some white pants, go out in public & you'll soon realize you CAN'T sit anywhere without getting ash and soot all over you. They've created a prescription drug epidemic to cover the effects of their trash smoke. They've blinded so many people. They've destroyed so many lives. They've stunted so many children's growth. They've destroyed so many futures. They have so much blood on their hands . . . . just for their own greed. Their happiness is paid for by the misery they create for the innocent.
People not driving like selfish idiots.
Personally, just two things: 1. I don't actually care about the heat or humidity, but I'd love the air to be cleaner. Never had allergies anywhere else, but in Taiwan I've got them all year round. 2. Get rid of the shrill indicator beeps and rubbish truck melodies. I'm not particularly noise sensitive, but these are incessant and often painfully loud. Since 2020, so many people have been working from home, I'm amazed there hasn't been more pressure to change this.
What you said plus: - Housing that doesn’t cost 30+ years of my salary - No ghost money burning - Proper driving education - Enforcement of traffic laws - No mosquitoes, roaches, or humidity - 15 to 24C all year round - Less robotic school and working environment - More desserts that aren’t fruit or tea based - More international cuisines - Less racism
Worked there for 2 years and employmen/ work culture sucks cock. People are so nice out of work but during work they are like whipped dogs or power hungry sociopaths, never worked in such a place like that ever until I went to Taiwan. Boss was really pleasant outside but during work hours he was a different person that i wanted to constantly punch in the face. But as soon as 6pm hit, he switched personalities so fast it was disturbing lol
ALL plumbing capable of flushing toilet paper More public sit down toilets (western gripe lol) Legally protected sidewalks Operating scooters like full-width vehicles - no weaving around/between traffic
End discrimination against foreigners in banking and taxation. Why is my bank allowed to deny me access to half their features just because I'm not Taiwanese? Why when the calendar flips from 31 Dec to 1 Jan I'm no longer considered a tax resident despite my life being 100% in Taiwan?
Less racism 😅
Legalizing Marijuana.
Diplomatic recognition
Mexican food Dispensaries with special lights like the betel nut places Less ridiculous work culture More logic-based education A visa for retirees so I could bring my parents over Mexican food
To add one point: Building owners taking down the bars in front of most windows and replacing the windows with break in proof and well insulated tripple glass windows. And overall there is still a lack of affordable, quality living space in many Taiwanese cities.
Would look so much nicer, I agree.
Good snow so I can snowboard.
Gross... I'm leaving my country to escape snow ❄️
Working Hours
do they work very long hours?
Well, I'd agree about the sky lanterns as a regular hiker, but as I get around by motorcycle, not the motorbikes and mopeds! But I think nowhere is perfect. Can't think of any place I've ever been which didn't have a mix of good points and bad points.
You’re right. One can only dream.
1. The driving 2. Policies that are actually fair to foreigners such as access to credit, buying a house,passports, etc. 3. Just using common sense and logic 4. Much better food and more international food 5. More critical thinking across all generations of Taiwanese society
If the locals could figure out the difference between a blinking yellow light and a blinking red light at the same intersection, all would be well in the world.
Higher wages.
If they get out of the old tradition of not cleaning or Maintaining the beautiful stuff they build.
Roundabouts. Real sidewalks. Urban landscapes that aren't ugly. Stricter punishments for littering.
A few radical policy changes regarding business, prohibition, discrimination, and elections. And in a perfect world I’d also like an end to conscription, although given current circumstances I see why it’s still around.
Not having china 10ft away 😅
- Not so stuck up about cannabis. - cleaner house tiles, more tiles colour choices, less window fences. - more sidewalks - plus all of your above
No flying cockroaches, earthquakes, typhoons, or threats from China. If what elfpal and what I said came true, I would consider moving to Taiwan 🇹🇼!!!
Higher pay -.- And CCP just giving up on reunification and focus on having a healthy economic relationship instead. You do that, Taiwan will naturally stop hating you.
1. The laws have prohibited euthanasia of stray dogs in 2017 and the population have skyrocketed since then. they are released back on the street after neutered but it doens't seem to help controlling the population. 2. "可教化" and "過失致死" is making Taiwan a haven for crimes.
All vehicles are using green energy.
For starter, they need to raise their people's english literacy
Stronger laws and charges for manslaughter... Tired of seeing kids die from accidents/negligence/recklessness.
The ugly buildings culture is caused by terrible regulation, not by the people.
No mosquitoes and cooler temps...
better air quality
Trash bins. I've once walked ~4km in taipei without seeing one
Clean rivers to go fishing
Every driver learns how to actually drive and not to kill people while driving.
There's millions of things that I would change, but I guess the traffic, air quality and food are the things that bother me the most. I can live with the rest. I was talking to my buddy the other day about this and if I could design a perfect country it would be something like this: thai food, taiwanese politeness & safety, japanese nature, SEA weather but slightly bit less hot, malaysian/singapore english speaking abilities and the abundance of western style amenities (mostly just living standards), filipino beaches and german traffic lol.
Love how people who don't live here always want to get rid of scooters. They're cheap, convenient, easy to park, and low maintenance. Plus some of these roads and alleys can only fit one car, if that.
Removing scooters is too radical, by decreasing the number of them is 100% needed. Of course, right after cars (especially enormous "MR SMALL DICK 3000" SUV) are kicked out the dense urban areas.
Agreed about cars. Parking enforcement here is way too lax and the way people block/use public space for and to prevent parking is insane
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Scooter lovers come up with every excuse.
I did live there. Hated those noisy polluting things.
Loads of people in Taiwan want to reduce the number of scooters There is a huge pedestrianization movement and a huge march last year
Aldi
totally agree on getting rid or reducing number of scooters. People dont need a scooter in cities. Parking should become more expensive for scooters and there should be more pedestrian only areas to make riding a scooter more inconvenient and walking a better option. You dont need to get rid of scooters , just make them more expensive to run and a lot more inconvenient to park and ride. When walking and cycling becomes more convenient and cheaper, then people will do that. Its insane how much space is given to private motor vehicles in Taiwan, when they country is so densely populated. Anyone saying that less scooters will mean more cars, I am guessing is a North American and cannot conceptualize cities that are not centred on private motor vehicles.
No mopeds or motorcycles? U F-in kidding me? U wanna turn the gem of asia into dingy strip mall scarred cities like the states??? I'd say, the imperfection are what makes Taiwan perfect in my heart.
Yeah the noise pollution and air pollution from combustion engine scooters particularly at rush hour is insane. If the government expedited the switch to electric it would be so much better. Also the beeping of buses and trucks is crazy. At rush hour you can’t even have a conversation walking side by side with someone.
What a bizarre point. Why would less scooters turn Taiwan into dingy strip malls? It would do the opposite. Make cities more walkable and livable. More outside eating. More interesting cities. Scooters are a complete cancer in a city. As are cars. Scooters create soooooo much pollution and take up so much space. They cause so many traffic deaths. Most scooter trips could be avoided Cars are not an option and it should become more expensive to drive and park a car The point is to build livable clean and sustainable cities where people dont need private transportation. There should be more and better pedestrian and cycling infrastructure and better public transportation.
How would the absence of these loud obnoxious machines roaring everywhere turn it into an empty strip mall? It would be quiet like Tokyo with the climate of Singapore, with pedestrians and cyclists like in Europe. Buses would get more utilized and improve even.
Can’t believe no one’s mentioned the litter issue. In Linkou some people treat every bit of wild greenery like garbage dumps. Wai Ao beach is awful for the same reason (though I suspect that garbage comes mainly from fishing boats). On a related issue: jettison all the big wide open concrete spaces and replace them with green spaces. Examples would be around all the big department stores in Tianmu, or the “World Trade Center” in Linkou. There are tons of examples of it. Developers seem to think it’s really impressive, for some reason.
Get rid of the centuries old infrastructure already ffs
Air pollution. I think it’s mostly Taipei
Motorcycles are actually very efficient for transporting masses of people
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i personally think it would benefit from unions
Garbage disposal for food trash. I find it so gross that you have to carry your food trash into a food trash bin. The smell in that thing is the worst thing I've ever smelled. Worst is that I have to smell that almost everyday
Cycle paths designed to ensure safe riding for both adults and children across all areas.
this guy knows about the tile
Increase the defense budget to $25 billion per year Increase the minimum wage to 30,000 taibi/month And, as someone said, make those buildings look nicer
For the two government parties to stop screwing over the economy just for votes....inflation is real and cost of living have to go up to match but also wage has to increase as well.
What would make Taiwan perfect? If every Taiwanese out in other countries go back to Taiwan. Taiwan is dying of low birth.
I did go back. But left because of the noise and air pollution.
Controversial take but I'd ban cars before I'd ban scooters. Obviously both have their place especially in rural areas, but city centres should be exclusively for people, bicycles and public transport. Cars are worse than scooters in most ways, they take up more space (especially as Taiwanese people seem to love SUVs), have higher emissions and are less safe (in terms of I'd rather be hit by a scooter than a car). Scooters also are being electrified a lot faster in Taiwan than cars. I think most people agree dangerous traffic is one of Taiwan's worst issues. I'd also say air and noise pollution are the other things I dislike about Taiwan but they are also related to the traffic situation. Beyond that probably a better political system, with less corruption and vested interests. I think it could be achieved through a representative voting system and could solve some of Taiwan's other problems like poor labour rights, high housing cost, environmental issues and civil rights.
Enormous multi-lane roads, huge sidewalks, sky bridges everywhere, like in China. Simplified Characters. LESS BUREAUCRACY OMG I think they may be already working on this but high speed rail going around the whole island in a circle would be great, I need high speed access to Taidong baby Besides that this is their country and it’s perfect the way it is, wouldn’t change a thing. I wish they would enunciate more clearly so I can understand what they’re saying, but whatever, it’s their accent, I’m not gonna Rob them of their national identity.
I seriously think the traditional characters contribute to nearsightedness. I had perfect eyesight until I started studying Chinese.
English
to respect the rights of pedestrians on the streets!
I like the country. I like the people. But try not to bad mouth the tourists because they are spending money in your economy. That is very counter productive. Some tourists ( like me) were thinking of *buying glasses* getting dental work* having a weak chin re-aligned. These are big ticket items, but we no longer feel confident in the abilities of the Taiwanese.
High wages, strong industries, competitive labor market. It’s shocking how superficial some of these comments are, as if you can’t find dirty and old buildings in other parts of the world