A Canadian biker who posted footage of himself racing his motorbike on the streets of Chungli (中壢) on YouTube has come under fire from local bikers, who said his antics could harm the cause of riders of large motorcycles.
The clip showed the man riding a Ninja 650 and another person on a Honda NSR150 taking off from opposite Tien-Chen Hospital (天晟醫院) in Chungli. Both riders accelerated to high speeds after making a left turn. They swerved across lanes, turned right on red lights and exceeded the speed limit painted clearly painted on the road.
In Taiwan, a right turn on a red light is illegal, unless there is a right-turn green arrow.
The identity and nationality of the other rider is unclear.
The Canadian biker videotaped the entire process and commented on the functional differences between the two motorcycles.
“I know how fast a 150cc is, and even I’m shocked how difficult it is to keep up with him,” the Canadian biker said, with the statement appearing as subtitles.
The Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) reported that a link to the clip had been sent to the police department in Chungli. The police, however, said they could not process the violation because the clip did not show when the violation occurred, nor did it show the license plate numbers of the vehicles.
In the user profile section on the Web site, the motorcyclist wrote in Chinese that he holds an international motorcycle-racing license. He also said he made the videos because he has many fans overseas who want to know more about Taiwan, adding that he does not want to hurt anybody nor does he want to upset anyone.
Some Taiwanese, however, left critical notes in the message section of the clip after it was widely reported by the local media.
“The Taiwanese are friendly and hospitable people, but we don’t welcome foreigners who are garbage. Go back to Canada!” said one viewer of the clip who used the name “Samujess.”
Another, “MrDALE0203,” said the clip would only give the public a bad impression of large motorcycles and their riders.
“The government could gradually withdraw the rights of large motorcycle riders, which explains why the government still does not allow people with large motorcycles to ride on freeways,” MrDALE0203 said.
Others on the message board said that since the rider has a license to compete in motorcycle races, he should compete on tracks, not on roads.
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications in November 2006 began allowing large motorcycle riders to travel on expressways. However, they must follow the regulations that govern small cars and face the same penalties for violations.
Within seven months of implementing the policy, the ministry reported about 900 violations.
Speeding ranked first with 651 violations. Meanwhile, five people died during the same period and 109 people were injured.
The Department of Railways and Highways said it may consider withdrawing the rights of large motorcycle riders if the situation worsens.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
UNKNOWN TRAJECTORY: The storm could move in four possible directions, with the fourth option considered the most threatening to Taiwan, meteorologist Lin De-en said A soon-to-be-formed tropical storm east of the Philippines could begin affecting Taiwan on Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The storm, to be named Fung-wong (鳳凰), is forecast to approach Taiwan on Tuesday next week and could begin affecting the weather in Taiwan on Wednesday, CWA forecaster Huang En-hung (黃恩鴻) said, adding that its impact might be amplified by the combined effect with the northeast monsoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the system’s center was 2,800km southeast of Oluanbi (鵝鑾鼻). It was moving northwest at 18kph. Meteorologist Lin De-en (林得恩) on Facebook yesterday wrote that the would-be storm is surrounded by
RSS