Off the Beat received a long letter from a reader in Kaohsiung the other day and while we don't have
space to print the entire epistle, here are some excerpts:
Dear Off the Beat:
I'd like to address three problems: traffic, parking spaces and freeway interchanges. Driving in
Taiwan is a nightmare. The main reason -- too many cars on the road. Personally, here in
Kaohsiung, I ride a bicycle and a motorcycle, as well as driving a car and a delivery truck. Yet, I
dread the days I need to deliver goods to Taipei. First, I need to get there -- over the past three
years there has been a marked increase in the number of cars on the road, so even driving at night
on the freeway does not guarantee that there won't be any traffic jams.
Another problem is the freeway interchange system. Ever notice that for most of them you need to
cross the other lane to get onto or off the freeway (Linkou, Tainan, Hsinchu, etc.)? This results in
huge traffic jams, especially during rush hour. In most countries, cloverleaf interchanges are used,
which eliminates the need for cars to cross oncoming traffic. It is a mystery to me why the Taiwan
government cannot use the same proven design.
One more rant and then I'm signing off -- Taiwan has apparently invented some kind of fertilizer for
traffic lights. How else can one explain the enormous increase in traffic lights all over the island?
Okay, last rant -- parking. Delivering goods in Taipei is simply impossible.
-- Geert Anthonis, Kaohsiung
Send your e-mail rants and raves to offthebeat@taipeitimes.com
Healthiest cockroaches in the whole wide world A recent survey has shown that seven to eight of
every ten households in Taipei have cockroaches. Keeping up with the latest trends, the Taipei City
Government has entrusted the entomology department at National Taiwan University to investigate
how just many homes and shops have cockroach problems. It's believed that some families have
hundreds of the little freeloaders in their homes. Surprisingly -- or perhaps not -- more than 4,800
cockroaches were caught in one night at a famous bakery located on Fuhsing North Road.
According to the government-commissioned survey, the most popular hangouts for these feisty
devils are hospitals and various medical institutions. No wonder they're always so healthy.
LONG FLIGHT: The jets would be flown by US pilots, with Taiwanese copilots in the two-seat F-16D variant to help familiarize them with the aircraft, the source said The US is expected to fly 10 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 70/72 jets to Taiwan over the coming months to fulfill a long-awaited order of 66 aircraft, a defense official said yesterday. Word that the first batch of the jets would be delivered soon was welcome news to Taiwan, which has become concerned about delays in the delivery of US arms amid rising military tensions with China. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the initial tranche of the nation’s F-16s are rolling off assembly lines in the US and would be flown under their own power to Taiwan by way
OBJECTS AT SEA: Satellites with synthetic-aperture radar could aid in the detection of small Chinese boats attempting to illegally enter Taiwan, the space agency head said Taiwan aims to send the nation’s first low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite into space in 2027, while the first Formosat-8 and Formosat-9 spacecraft are to be launched in October and 2028 respectively, the National Science and Technology Council said yesterday. The council laid out its space development plan in a report reviewed by members of the legislature’s Education and Culture Committee. Six LEO satellites would be produced in the initial phase, with the first one, the B5G-1A, scheduled to be launched in 2027, the council said in the report. Regarding the second satellite, the B5G-1B, the government plans to work with private contractors
MISSION: The Indo-Pacific region is ‘the priority theater,’ where the task of deterrence extends across the entire region, including Taiwan, the US Pacific Fleet commander said The US Navy’s “mission of deterrence” in the Indo-Pacific theater applies to Taiwan, Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen Koehler told the South China Sea Conference on Tuesday. The conference, organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), is an international platform for senior officials and experts from countries with security interests in the region. “The Pacific Fleet’s mission is to deter aggression across the Western Pacific, together with our allies and partners, and to prevail in combat if necessary, Koehler said in the event’s keynote speech. “That mission of deterrence applies regionwide — including the South China Sea and Taiwan,” he
‘NARWHAL’: The indigenous submarine completed its harbor acceptance test recently and is now under heavy guard as it undergoes tests in open waters, a source said The Hai Kun (海鯤), the nation’s first indigenous defense submarine, yesterday began sea trials, sailing out of the Port of Kaohsiung, a military source said. Also known as the “Narwhal,” the vessel departed from CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard at about 8am, where it had been docked. More than 10 technicians and military personnel were on deck, with several others standing atop the sail. After recently completing its harbor acceptance test, the vessel has started a series of sea-based trials, including tests of its propulsion and navigational systems, while partially surfaced, the source said. The Hai Kun underwent tests in the port from
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