While authorities around the country heaved a sigh of relief after only a few Y2K glitches appeared, a different kind of problem surfaced down in Pintung County the day the new millennium began. A police officer attending a New Year's Day celebration Saturday at a Taiwan Sugar Company plant parked his patrol car, leaving the keys in the ignition. Not a smart thing to do.
An hour later, when the officer left the reception hall to return to his car ... it wasn't there!
What happened?
Turns out that a mentally-ill resident of the neighborhood decided to take the car for a joy ride, according to the Pintung police blotter.
Later in the day, the now-battered patrol car -- with two flat tires -- pulled into the parking lot of the Veteran's Hospital in Kaohsiung. A tall man brandishing a knife emerged from the car and rushed into the hospital. When police were called, they found the man sitting quietly on a seat in the emergency room, unharmed. He was then taken into custody without incident, police said.
Lunar holiday discounts
Because Taiwan's tourism industry was severely damaged by the 921 earthquake, hotel owners are trying to boost business during the Lunar New Year holidays. The quake greatly damaged several scenic spots in central Taiwan, sending the tourism industry in the area into a depression.
The Association of Tourism invited several hotel owners in major cities around the country to join a promotional program and offer discount coupons, so that people can tour the island a little cheaper. Thirty six hotels and several resorts nationwide have joined the program. Coupons issued by the association will be valid until the end of September.
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