We recently published Mark's list of the Top Ten Traffic Rules here. Marcos Del Aguila suggested that the rules for human-powered traffic might be different. Indeed, they are!! Here are Mark's Top Ten Taiwanese Traffic Rules for Humans/Human Powered Vehicles:
10. There is no "right of way." It's not right of way, it's "right away." If you do it right away, it's done. He who gets there first wins, whether his power source is flesh and bone or a reciprocating engine. This also applies to dogs.
9. If you are on a bicycle, you have only two choices: Lycra-wearing Sponsored and Non-Lycra-wearing Un-sponsored. No combinations of the above are allowed.
8. If you are of the Lycra-wearing Sponsored category of bicycle traffic, you must stick to the bike lanes. There are lots of bike lanes. Breaking this rule brings shame on you, your family and your ancestors. Do NOT think just because you can beat the traffic that you can venture into the regular traffic lanes. To get to the bike lanes, take the bus or the MRT--or a ferry if you have to. Under no circumstances must the bicycle's tires touch common pavement.
7. If you are of the Non-Lycra-wearing Un-sponsored category, you can wear whatever the heck you please, and you are NOT allowed in the bike lanes (except when applying the Cardinal Rule of Convenience). More importantly, your speed must not exceed 1 kilometer per hour. If your vehicle is towing an overloaded and unwieldy cart, your speed limit is .03 kmh and you must occupy no less than 3/5ths of the lane with room for scooters on one side only. If we can see your wheels turning, you're going too fast. If the bus blasts its horn, consider it a badge of honor and continue as you were.
6. Pedestrians should at least try to cross at the crosswalk. Non-human-powered traffic will nudge its way through the crowd on the crosswalk anyway, but it's more fun to make scooters and cars dodge you than for you to dodge them, isn't it? Again, Rule #10 and the Cardinal Rule of Convenience apply. So ...whatever.
5. Pedestrians going in the same direction must walk at least two abreast, especially when out in non-human-powered traffic lanes or anywhere on the sidewalk where scooter parking has left no room to pass. If you can remember when there was more room on this street, you are allowed to walk even more slowly.
4. School kids may go anywhere at any speed as long as they are in gangs of 7 or more. We'll move; we'll wait.
3. Priority Seats are clearly designated on the MRT and the bus. They are for the elderly, the pregnant, the injured, and people carrying small children. If you are an able-bodied person occupying a Priority Seat, and someone in the above condition arrives, you must either A) abandon your seat and allow this qualified person to sit down, or B) pretend to be sleeping. Sleepers rule. No one will disturb you.
2. If you leave your non-human-powered vehicle, you automatically become a pedestrian, but if you leave your door open, your vehicle is now ascribed all rights and privileges of a human, including the right to stand awkwardly in the middle of traffic while you're doing something important only to you.
1. Sidewalks end. Abruptly. Don't hit the wall. Better to use the street, and remember: no fewer than two abreast at all times.
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