Letters:

Taxi `language fare' unfair

Brian Kennedy's article ("Charging more for English is racist," April 30, page 8) concerning the proposed premium to be levied by Taipei cabbies who pass the English-speaking test is strangely -- for an attorney -- illogical. He claims: "In essence the plan says if you are white you pay 10 to 20 percent more. That is racism pure and simple." Well, it would be if it said that, but it doesn't. It says, "If you want a driver who speaks English, you pay extra."

White, black and brown native English-speakers from Europe, North America, India, Africa, Australia and New Zealand, variously hued Latin Americans and Japanese and Koreans -- in fact, anyone of any color with English as a first or second language -- would all be charged the premium if they took a ride with such a driver. Unbusinesslike and open to abuse? Most likely. But racist? How can he justify such a serious accusation?

Robert Howkins

Yunlin

I agree with Brian Kennedy's article. Mistakes like this are common and you have to understand what the term

"discrimination" means. On a funny note, however, it is not just white people who speak English. I'm Indian, was born in Britain and speak English without the typical Indian accent.

Yahya Saeed

Birmingham, UK

I used to be a resident of Taipei and am now studying in the US. From my years of studying American history, I have always hated the way in which most Chinese (and other non-white peoples) were treated. I always thought that Taipei would not treat white people in the way Americans treated Chinese, Blacks, Hispanics, Irish and so on. Today I realize that I was wrong. I must agree with Brian Kennedy's article. We always think that we in Taiwan are most hospitable toward foreigners. But hospitality is not something to which one may simply pay lip-service. Charging white people 20 percent extra is certainly not a way to show our hospitality.

I now feel ashamed of announcing to my American friends that "I am from the best city, Taipei!" I no longer think that way because Taipei's officials outdated thinking.

I am disappointed in Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九). I have always been one of his supporters. I always thought he was a kind, loving, understanding and intelligent man. I now realize that I was being too idealistic. He has just destroyed my hopes for a better Taipei.

Jonathan Fong

New Jersey

Brian Kennedy makes some good points about the proposed taxi fare increases. Everybody, however, has missed a practical objection: that most Caucasians cannot speak English. Will non-English speaking visitors pay the lower fare?

Steve Binysh

London

Bad students

I read with shock Lin Mei-chun's article about the behavior of Taiwanese medical students ("Medics defend draft exemption," April 30), in particular the astonishing fact that over 30 percent of men adjudged

physically unfit for military service were medical students. Even supposing that, as all those quoted in the article claimed, no one has done anything technically illegal, abuse of loopholes on this scale cannot simply be swept under the carpet. The crassness of the student who said, "It's just like accountants knowing better how to save on taxes," is genuinely revolting. I wonder how far he would like to take this metaphor, since anyone with means can pay accountants to help them make the same savings ....