Jonathan Biddle – Made in Taiwan

Tag: Transport

  • Back to the Future

    Today, I was finally granted the future I was promised as a child. Today, I rode the Mag Lev.

    Linking the Airport and the city – or at least a parking lot in the middle of nowhere kind of near the city – it covers the 40km run in 7 minutes! Half the time is spent accelerating, and the other half braking. The most efficient way, of course – perhaps the Shanghai taxi drivers understand physics better than I realised.

    The whole experience was however slightly provincial, and rounded off with a very slow, frustrating and badly organised airport. Strange, considering the epic world class proportions of the exterior. Perhaps it is an ideal analogy of my whole China experience so far.


    Anything with red glowing lights gets my vote


    For those of you that are interested, this is a mag-lev track. Where is the dry ice and lasers?


    Fast! But not quite as smooth as I expected


    My plane to Hong Kong, and after back to Taipei and *cough* civilisation

    As an interesting note, the MagLev was constructed using German know-how and is the only commercial example existing in the world, saving the technology from becoming a white elephant. The Germans are now up in arms because the Chinese are planning their own version, but cheaper this time. However, as some observers have pointed out this may be the only way to recoup costs – by supplying key components. That the Chinese copy the system and make it cheaper, could open the door for it in other locations.

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Henry Wilkins

    I just got back from a rather marvellous evening – a house party in Henry Wilkins’ apartment in Shanghai. Henry I went to school with so I have known him since he was about 11 years old, and although he denies it he grew up in Bar Hill, home of Tescos. I even bumped into a dutch designer that I met last night at the hoky poky thing, so it is quite clear that I have become pretty au fait with the community here, just in the space of a few days. A nice feeling.


    The view from Henry’s balcony across Shanghai

    So, a school friend in the local viscinity. And another crazy cab ride home to match the crazy journey there with the Chinese Fernando Alonso

    The Dukes of Hazard…



    What a rush!

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Chinese Driving

    Taiwanese drivers could never be noted for their skill. It’s erratic and dangerous, but this could not prepare me for the driving here.

    If the Taiwanese drive cars as if they were driving scooters, the Chinese seem to regard safety and regulation in the same was a Cambridge University cyclist would. It’s chaos. Cars reverse back to missed exits on the motor way, silent and deadly electric scooters scythe through lines of pedestrians and taxis behave as if the drivers really badly need the toilet.

    My guess is the horn is also connected to the break pedal, and is always used to greet oncoming traffic with a friendly hoot as buses and taxis career down the middle of the highway straight at each other. I have even been witness to freely flowing traffic break into cheerful symphony as soon as one car makes as much as a hoot.

    And in the middle of all of this are the thousands of bicycles, somehow oblivious to the war between the motorised members of the club. Why there are no dismembered limbs and bleeding wounded by the side of the road I do not understand.

    I never thought I would say this but I feel safer on the roads in Taiwan.


    The taxi drivers are separated from their irate passengers by plexiglass


    Motor scooters are being phased out and replaced with electric vehicles. There are some advantages to Communism.


    The bicycle parking lot at the office. A missed the photo of the cyclists riding along with their umbrellas open. Lovely.

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Stair Ads

    Quite a clever little trick. Opens up the possibility of having quasi-3D adverts. Imagine a dragon flying up those stairs…


    Taipei City Hall MRT Station

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Taichung – Buses & Trains

    The way home was marked with some fantastic old buses and the typically ridiculous public information signs on the train…


    Was this bus in a cartoon when I was a kid?


    Back side


    The green bus … from the 1960s?

    This is a Lifesaving Button!

    When and how to use this Emergency Button:

    Please press the emergency button, in the case that your car breaks down or other perilous situations.

    Step 1: Press the button
    Step 2: Then remove your car from the track
    Step 3: Run when you see the train approaches!

    I love love love Taiwanese public information boards – especially the logic of the steps required to salvage a potentially life-threatening situation.

    More public information signs here and here.

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Blue Van Man

    The ubiquitous Blue Van is a Taiwan icon.

    Adidas, with their recent boutique store opening in Jhongxiao Dunhua have decorated one in a way surely only possible on this one Pacific island. Great fun.


    My Adidas


    Box Fresh

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • To Feel Exuberan Tly Happy

    Say no more.
    More Scooter English.


    To Feel Exuberan Tly Happy

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Scooter License

    After a year of rocketing around on an International Driving License, the time finally came to sign up for a real, bona fide Taiwanese scooter license. After the devastating failure the previous week of failing the computerised ‘written’ element, we tried again (completing the test on the government web-site would have helped, seeing as it is an exact copy of the final exam… over confidence!).

    The total test format is as follows:

    1. Height and weight test (where everyone in the room can see)

    2. Eye test – basically involves saying which way an arrow is pointing…

    The examination room rigorously tests the potential drivers … total chaos

    3. ‘Physical Exam’ – squat once and grip your hands … all overseen by a doctor!

    4. The dreaded computerised exam … split into multiple choice and true/false sections. Easy if you practice – I got 98%!

    The test room – you have about 20 minutes for the test. 4 minutes is more reasonable

    Scooter Test

    As an example, I got both of these questions incorrect in the previous attempt…

    5. The real driving test! The test course (if you can call it that) could probably fit into a school gymnasium. The first section you pass by driving very slowly (unnatural on this island) along a perfectly straight line, and you fail if you take less than 7 seconds or if you touch the sensitive strip along the sides – this is actually surprisingly difficult!

    Then, you meet a series of tests. First, is a red traffic light. If you successfully stop at this, go when it is green, and repeat the same thing for a pedestrian and then railway crossing you pass! That’s it!

    The test course…

    Some ‘tricks’ for passing the Sailfish test – whatever that means.

    The main ‘straight’ – you can see the test strips and counter. If you fail all manner of buzzers and sirens go off… it is taiwan after all.

    Will he pass!? As soon as you reach the end of the speed test you have pretty much nailed the test. Only a fool would fail at a traffic light (michael 😉 )

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Scooter English

    It is high time that I posted an entry, since I have been quiet for a few weeks. I now have enough photos of scooters to warrant a full homage to Taiwanese ‘Scooter English’. I am sure this post will grow, since I am sometimes howling with laughter at the genius of some of the prose. Sit back, and absorb…


    My scooter: “Duke … ECOLOGY NEW STAND & NEW LIFE”


    “We reach for the sky. Neither does civilization … SNIPER”


    “GENERATION POLLUTION ON THE EARTH LOW 50 FREINDL LIGHT NO. 01 POLLUTION FRIENDLY SCOOTER NEW”


    “TACT … MET-IN … JUST FOR YOU THE NEW GENERATION … FAST FIRST AND BEST”


    “Going … MOVE YOUR CREATIVE HEART”


    “Your future depends on … MOVIE 125”


    “JOG IS FASCINATING TO YOU”


    “Going … KYMCO BRINGS OUT THE GENIUS IN YOUR CHOICE”


    “Jockey are riding with us”


    “THE BEST FUNCTION AND GOOD SENSATION“


    “CHACHA … KEEP CLEAN, KEEP PLEASANT, KEEP HEALTHY … GIVING YOU THE BEST SENSATION ALL I HAVE”

    “Dio … SHUTTLE IN THE CITY JUNGLE. THE NEW SPEEDY SNAIL CLAN CHARACTERISTIC. DIGNIFIED. AGGRESSIVE”


    “CAOW … WITH FASHIONABLE FEELING”


    “MAN … enjoy yourself … boy”


    “YOU GOT TO FEEL … FEVER … THE HAPPINESS OF RIDING”


    “Junior … THE GLARING HEADLIGHTS OF A MOTORCAR”


    “SHEN YANG … THE NEW GENERATIONAL SCOOTER FRON EARTH”


    “J\O\G … IS FASCINATING TO YOU”


    “GOING … THE MORE YOU LOOK THE MORE YOU LIKE”


    “125 … FOR NEW CENTURY”


    “Spanking … The Dreaming Touring Motor With Spanking Kwang Yang Scooter 100E”

    After a whole year of being surrounded by this, it does begin to become invisible to you – a shame. However, occasionally I will walk along a row of scooters with camera blazing, chuckling away to myself. I do feel jealous a little of newcomers who point every strange thing out – things I cannot see any more.

    Although it seems very funny, this is the relationship with English that most local designers seem to have. And I have to work with them, using Roman characters to ‘decorate’ their designs. Frankly, we are often the same in Europe – exotic Chinese symbols seem trés chic tatooed onto our arms, eh.

    Update:

    Lars had some extra photos lying around of scooters. Some new, some when I had no camera – if only you could take photos at traffic lights you could get so much more lyrical goodness … I can see this taking a life of its own!


    “FOVEP … YOU GET TO FOOL THE HARRINESS OF RIOING”


    “Freeway … specializing in boble model street bike for noble life”


    “TACT … MET-IN … JUST FOR YOU, THE NEW GENERATION”


    “RR … RIDDING ON THE WING.”


    “SNIPER … AEROTYPE … Just for wind cutting”


    “THE EPOCHAL SCOOTER”


    “SANYANG … THE BEST FUNCTION AND SENSATION … KING OF THE RIDER”


    “FOR TOUR NICE SCENE”


    “FANGIER … NEW EDITION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE … GET AWAY WITH IT ALL”

    A new wave…


    Duck – Be Pure – 125 SP – To resist drugs and violence – amazing


    Dock – THE DUKE TEAM SO SPEEDING & DOMINANT


    6 – THE FRIENDLE SCOOTER ON EARON – ER


    To Feel Exuberan Tly Happy


    LAEIH (?) – HAHAH
    A SUPER SPEED – WE OFFER TOU SAFETY AND QUALITY


    And so it continues…

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Saying Goodbye

    It had been a fantastic, fantastic week with my parents here – I really appreciated their visit.

    We had a very relaxing train ride back to Taipei and followed it up with a rather splendid curry at my local joint – surprisingly good. I walked them up to their hotel along the river and we said a rather wrenching goodbye. I had just got used to having them around and all of a sudden they were going again, which was simply not fair.


    Goodbye from HsinSiang Station and Taiwan!

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…