Mobility
There surely was a lot for his family to take in (太突如其來), especially for his only son, trying to use up his quota of paid
holidays (有薪休假日數). He
couldn’t move but he noticed his son acted like he did at work as a go-to person (解決問題的人)
twenty-four seven and became his mother’s emotional rock (依靠). She
seemed in a tremulous, tender mood.
His
son was one of those in Taiwan who believe that there must be a gnome (土地公) to
protect the safety of the family. He went to the small shrine along the narrow
lane and prayed for his father’s recover from a stroke daily. The bloodshot
eyes with a few crow’s-feet settling in around them told him how exhausted his
son was. He knew, without a shadow of a doubt, his wife would stand beside him through thick and thin (同甘共苦的),
and he appreciated it.
Neither his son nor his wife looked as if
they had slept a wink. It was truly too much for both to keep
going on this way. The guilt he felt like a tumor eating away at him.
After
he had done with the rehab routine almost three months, established by his son,
he refused to go again. He said, as if speaking was an effort, that enough was
enough.
But,
he really felt he was losing himself. He hated to be treated like one of the
doddering (年老心智衰退弱的) patient without ability to move but walking
on crutches. It was the last thing he wanted to show, an evidence of vulnerability.
It
seemed to him a matter of life or death. Then he realized that he needed to fight for himself but in his own way.
It was very important not only for his own sake but the ones who loved him or
he loved.
Riding a
motorcycle
Pulled
the keys from the pocket, he started the ignition. Immediately, he was laughing
and feeling he was himself again while he saw in the rear mirror his son trotting
over and yelling at him. He let his shirt unbuttoned and flapping in the
breeze. He needed no more the wheel-chair abandoned in front of the yard before
he took off freely like riding a bullet.
Without
the despair of the terrible experience of the stroke, dismantling his whole
life and spirits, he wouldn’t be tasting the joy of now, slowly but freely
moving around only with the movements of his right hand to speed up and the right
foot to stop in front of the traffic lights.
Transportation
According to
Executive Yuan, Directorate- General of Budget, Statistics and Accounting
reveals the number of motorcycles is up to 13.66 million in Taiwan (February,
2017). For example, there are more than 73 motorcycles in every 100 people in
Pingtung and Kaohsiung comes second – 72, comparing to 35 in Taipei.
It indicates
that Taipeian do not weigh as heavily in motorcycling as those in the other
cities. It also shows a fact that people in Taipei are allowed to take public transportation other than riding a motorcycle for daily
commuting or moving about. The advantages and convenience of public
transportation in Taipei tells the lack of it in other cities even in
Kaohsiung, the biggest harbor city.
In Taipei, people
can take the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) and buses available going different
directions. But, this doesn’t apply to those who live in the other cities and in Kaohsiung too even though there is a rapid transit system. But, the rapid transit
doesn’t meet the needs of people in this city. That explains it why
there are so many motorcycles in Kaohsiung.
Truly, the lack of public transportation and the inconvenience it causes are making the commuters of long distance relying on motorcycling. Beyond doubts, riding a motorcycle is the only way left for most people including Taipeian who are unable to access to public transportation living in remote areas or on the skirts of Taipei.
In addition to
that, people generally have formed a habit for more than six decades to ride a
motorcycle to commute or to run some errands like picking up their children.
Because it is so convenient if you ride a motorcycle especially if you can’t afford
to buy a car or find a place to park the car. For motorcyclists in Taiwan, the
scenery on the way they don’t really care but the time they save is the whole point especially during rush hours.Truly, the lack of public transportation and the inconvenience it causes are making the commuters of long distance relying on motorcycling. Beyond doubts, riding a motorcycle is the only way left for most people including Taipeian who are unable to access to public transportation living in remote areas or on the skirts of Taipei.
Why
can’t an electric motorcycle be popular in Taiwan? The answer to it is the price. The
price of an electric motorcycle is higher than that of a gasoline motorcycle,
which might still run well between 10 and 15 years and needs little maintenance than an
electric motorcycle. Besides, the government has failed to provide an electric
motorcyclist with places for recharging to ensure that riding an electric motorcycle is a better option.
Now,
there is a Taiwan's
new company, Gogoro, the goal of which is to save the energy of this land. But,
many people are deterred from riding it, mainly because of
the trouble of charging, but it is said that Gogoro has developed a specific battery
for the function for the sake of users. Hopefully, this might attract the
public to buy an electric motorcycle in the future if things are going on as the
company has expected. Again, the price, NT$63,000 (US$2,100), remains to be solved.
NT$880 Billions (US$29.33 Billions)???
Political missteps (失策) in this topsy-turvy (亂七八糟的) political conflicts between different parties might impede (阻礙) the improvement of a possible green environment and also cause economy in the state of chaos in Taiwan.
What if the stunning sum of money could play a big role to subsidize the costs for motorcyclists to buy an electric motorcycle or an electric bicycle for bicyclists if it is all about air pollution caused by motorcycle emissions?
Therefore, it is very hard to convince the motorcyclists to change the habits formed and to give up their bullet-like
vehicles, which they’ve been heavily relying on probably since they were young. If the fact
presents itself this way, why do the mayors insist doing it, so do our
President Tsai and Chief Executive Mr, Lin?
NT$880 Billions (US$29.33 Billions)???
Political missteps (失策) in this topsy-turvy (亂七八糟的) political conflicts between different parties might impede (阻礙) the improvement of a possible green environment and also cause economy in the state of chaos in Taiwan.
Writing
an article, the writer should be more objective on a public issue and not be hypocritical
it is believed. But, now there is something serious happening, which is a huge budget
on the way which can’t be held back obviously – NT$880 billions to build light
rail transit in different cities in Taiwan.
What
if people choose to ride a motorcycle or drive a car?
Especially
the people in the small town can’t change their lifestyle to ride a motorcycle, which easily accesses to everywhere. Waiting a bus for ages seems unacceptable to
run some errands daily.
What
if the light rail transit built in cities turn out to take no passengers like
the one in Kaohsiung?
For running the light transit in Kaohsiung, the debt for building it is more than 10 billion dollars excluding the budgets of maintenance and salaries for the staff. The sum of the debt is getting bigger and bigger yearly. If you have a close look at the cars, there are only a few sitting in and there might be more on weekends.
For running the light transit in Kaohsiung, the debt for building it is more than 10 billion dollars excluding the budgets of maintenance and salaries for the staff. The sum of the debt is getting bigger and bigger yearly. If you have a close look at the cars, there are only a few sitting in and there might be more on weekends.
What if the stunning sum of money could play a big role to subsidize the costs for motorcyclists to buy an electric motorcycle or an electric bicycle for bicyclists if it is all about air pollution caused by motorcycle emissions?
It’s
been criticized the written project for getting the money from the Executive
Yuan submitted by each city seems a report from a student losing the data of
analysis provided with.
What
if this is only a start of money pits when it comes to recruit employees?
Like
those who work in Pintung Airport, there is no airplane landing and taking off.
Who should be responsible for the outcome of this whole idea to build the light
rail transit which takes eight years to complete if the presidential term is
only four years and there are only three years left for this term?
Why motorcycling
What don't the public take the public transportation, most of whom ride a motorcycle? If you do, you shouldn't run out of patience easily but should be very energetic physically because you might need to walk more and wait longer than you plan for.
What about driving a car? Isn't safer to drive a car especially in a rainy day? You'd consider about the time which takes you to where you want to go might be longer than you expect. Firstly, you should be very lucky to find a place ready for you to park your car. Otherwise you might drive crazily to find one and walking a long while might be another must. Secondly, the parking fee varies depending on where you park -- in a public one or a private one. Could you afford it before you make a decision to commute by driving a car? Then you might decide to ride a motorcycle.
What don't the public take the public transportation, most of whom ride a motorcycle? If you do, you shouldn't run out of patience easily but should be very energetic physically because you might need to walk more and wait longer than you plan for.
What about driving a car? Isn't safer to drive a car especially in a rainy day? You'd consider about the time which takes you to where you want to go might be longer than you expect. Firstly, you should be very lucky to find a place ready for you to park your car. Otherwise you might drive crazily to find one and walking a long while might be another must. Secondly, the parking fee varies depending on where you park -- in a public one or a private one. Could you afford it before you make a decision to commute by driving a car? Then you might decide to ride a motorcycle.
By contrast, it
is easy to find a place to park if you ride a motorcycle. You can just park in front of the shop if you
need to purchase or you can drive it in a narrow street or on a crowded one. Finding
a parking lot is a nightmare for a car driver but not
for a motorcyclist. Obviously a motorcyclist is capable of squeezing a space for the motorcycle. It is true!
Riding a motorcycle, you can freely stop wherever you want to because it is not a mission impossible in Taiwan. It seems unlikely for one to drive a car on the path for pedestrians, but some motorcyclists do. Double parking or stopping even along the red line on the street seems not an issue for a motorcyclist, but a serious problem for a car driver indeed. Violating the traffic laws for a car driver is easier to be noticed and highly fined too. Again, it is not for a motorcyclist!
Riding a motorcycle, you can freely stop wherever you want to because it is not a mission impossible in Taiwan. It seems unlikely for one to drive a car on the path for pedestrians, but some motorcyclists do. Double parking or stopping even along the red line on the street seems not an issue for a motorcyclist, but a serious problem for a car driver indeed. Violating the traffic laws for a car driver is easier to be noticed and highly fined too. Again, it is not for a motorcyclist!
According to a report on the light transit running in Kaohsiung, there were only 3 passengers at C8 stop and took no more passengers until the train approached Dream Mall stop, where 7 passengers got on (Apple Daily, May 20 in 2017).
