Fri, May 04, 2001 page12

• Letters:

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  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 I no longer think that way because Taipei's officials outdated thinking.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 ....

  A solution to this problem is readily available, in the form of alternative service. What is needed is to enlarge the categories of the program to include medical service. In fact, many rural areas of Taiwan, especially in the mountains and on outlaying islands, face serious shortages of medical personnel, which these young graduates should help fill.

  Moreover, the overseas alternative service should be expanded to include medical volunteers, in addition to agricultural workers. If these two categories were created, there would no longer be any justification for medical students to avoid their obligations to serve their country. Indeed, their two years of service, far from being a waste of time, would be a valuable experience, boosting their professional development. Who knows? They might even start to learn the values that make good doctors!

  Bo Tedards

  Taipei
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