An altercation involving a 73-year-old woman and a younger person broke out on a Taipei MRT train last week, with videos of the incident going viral online, sparking wide discussions about the controversial priority seats and social norms.
In the video, the elderly woman, surnamed Tseng (曾), approached a passenger in a priority seat and demanded that she get up, and after she refused, she swung her bag, hitting her on the knees and calves several times. In return, the commuter asked a nearby passenger to hold her bag, stood up and kicked Tseng, causing her to fall backward and land in an empty seat on the other side of the carriage.
Taipei Rapid Transit Corp said neither party pressed charges related to the incident, but Tseng was arrested outside a convenience store the next day after a disturbance inside. Local media reported that Tseng had previously been arrested and convicted for shoplifting, sentenced in June to 55 days in prison, but failed to report to prison, so a warrant was issued for her arrest.
Tseng was described as a “repeat offender” who had allegedly forced younger women, including pregnant women, to get out of priority seats so she could sit.
The Taipei Police Department’s Rapid Transit Division summoned both people following the altercation, and they could each face a fine of up to NT$18,000.
People have expressed a variety of opinions on the incident, with some supporting the young woman and calling it a “kick of justice,” saying that she was only acting in self-defense, while some criticized her use of violence against an elderly person, who could have been seriously injured.
Others said that it is not about generational conflict or lack of compassion, but about how people are used to enduring mild harassments to preserve harmony, with many cheering for the younger passenger because she took action to stop a repeat offender who often bullies young women just because she believes they would more likely bend under harassment.
With altercations over priority seats on public transportation occurring for years, the Legislative Yuan in July passed amendments to change the term from “courtesy seats” (博愛座) to “priority seats” (優先席), to highlight inclusion — urging passengers to not only yield the seats to the elderly, the disabled, pregnant women and children, but to anyone in need.
However, the case last week showed that changing the name has not changed some people’s long-held views. With the proportions of elderly people in the population continuing to grow, confrontations might continue if some elderly citizens believe their age makes them more worthy of the priority seats.
There have been suggestions that the government explicitly list the order of priority for sitting in the seats to avoid confusion. Another approach might be to change the MRT priority seats to the same color as the others, softening the rigid lines that highlight differences over inclusiveness.
The long-term solutions obviously include cultivating understanding, respect and consideration for others, regardless of gender or age differences, while people should also be encouraged to take legal action, instead of vigilante justice, against harassment and threats to their personal safety, which should all be emphasized at home and in education from a young age.
The cancelation this week of President William Lai’s (賴清德) state visit to Eswatini, after the Seychelles, Madagascar and Mauritius revoked overflight permits under Chinese pressure, is one more measure of Taiwan’s shrinking executive diplomatic space. Another channel that deserves attention keeps growing while the first contracts. For several years now, Taipei has been one of Europe’s busiest legislative destinations. Where presidents and foreign ministers cannot land, parliamentarians do — and they do it in rising numbers. The Italian parliament opened the year with its largest bipartisan delegation to Taiwan to date: six Italian deputies and one senator, drawn from six
Recently, Taipei’s streets have been plagued by the bizarre sight of rats running rampant and the city government’s countermeasures have devolved into an anti-intellectual farce. The Taipei Parks and Street Lights Office has attempted to eradicate rats by filling their burrows with polyurethane foam, seeming to believe that rats could not simply dig another path out. Meanwhile, as the nation’s capital slowly deteriorates into a rat hive, the Taipei Department of Environmental Protection has proudly pointed to the increase in the number of poisoned rats reported in February and March as a sign of success. When confronted with public concerns over young
Taiwan and India are important partners, yet this reality is increasingly being overshadowed in current debates. At a time when Taiwan-India relations are at a crossroads, with clear potential for deeper engagement and cooperation, the labor agreement signed in February 2024 has become a source of friction. The proposal to bring in 1,000 migrant workers from India is already facing significant resistance, with a petition calling for its “indefinite suspension” garnering more than 40,000 signatures. What should have been a straightforward and practical step forward has instead become controversial. The agreement had the potential to serve as a milestone in
China has long given assurances that it would not interfere in free access to the global commons. As one Ministry of Defense spokesperson put it in 2024, “the Chinese side always respects the freedom of navigation and overflight entitled to countries under international law.” Although these reassurances have always been disingenuous, China’s recent actions display a blatant disregard for these principles. Countries that care about civilian air safety should take note. In April, President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) canceled a planned trip to Eswatini for the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s coronation and the 58th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic
RSS