I Love Riding in the City
NAME: Jason
LOCATION: Tainan, Taiwan
OCCUPATION: English Teacher
Where do you live and what’s it like riding in your city?
I live in Tainan, a city of nearly two million on the southwest coast of Taiwan. The traffic here is gnarly. It’s not so much that it’s congested, because it’s not. It typically moves and flows at a pace that I would describe as frantic. The thing that buggers me the most is that Taiwanese culture is based predominantly on Taoism, which produces a general vibe of acceptance and tolerance. That sounds great, until you factor in the traffic. There are no rules. People do whatever they want, whenever they want. It’s like hardcore disorder with a dash of septic chaos, every time you step out the door with your bike.
What was your favorite city to ride in, and why?
Honolulu. I lived there for four years and the Hawaiian culture in general just seeps with the spirit of aloha. No joke. People are so courteous there that if four drivers come to a four-way intersection all at the same time, everybody will be signaling for everyone else to go, and no one will actually go.
