For the majority of the population in Taiwan road rules are something that are adhered to. The understanding that if ‘I follow the rules others will to and traffic will subsequently flow more freely’ seems to have been wholeheartedly adopted.

There is however a noticeable minority who just don’t give a rats arse. Unfortunately ignoring the road rules seems to be sometimes promoted, even by the government.

The other week I was on my bicycle and I took a sharp corner onto a main through road. Less then 20 meters around the 90 degree turn I ran into this:

Now I was on a bicycle and was able to whack on my brakes and cruise through the narrow gap on the right. God help you if you were on a scooter or car speeding around the corner like your life depended on it (speed limits, what speed limits?).

This was mind you in the middle of a week day and although I waited for the traffic to die down before taking a photo, it was pretty damn busy.

What gets me is the complete lack of safety signage or warning of any kind set up. Absolutely no signage was to be found on either lane at any distance from the road work area. I checked roughly 200m either way down the street. Nothing, nada zip.

Additionally the complete abandonment of any sort of order and utter dependence on the traffic sorting itself out as everybody approaches the one lane bottleneck was sort of amusing. People in Taiwan seem to have massive confidence issues on the road so I imagine that I got pretty lucking taking my shot during a quiet time.

Presumably the construction workers had had enough and taken a break for lunch. Or gone to stock up on some more betel nuts. Or were rocking out at the local KTV. Or were taking a nap somewhere. Or had just gone home for the day.

Who knows.


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