Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

zam · Joined: 12 Jan 2004 Posts: 64

Ok . welcome and welcome again. release your clever thought here
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anilzakhanz · Joined: 12 Jan 2004 Posts: 30 Location: malaysia

what opinion do you want me to express? you want me to talk about what????

wieda · Joined: 12 Jan 2004 Posts: 63

Do we have to discuss about serious stuff?

sokkies · Joined: 12 Jan 2004 Posts: 40 Location: Malaysia

sorry. i'm not clever.. Question

zam · Joined: 12 Jan 2004 Posts: 64

just write anything? as long as it doesn't heart any of us around this forum
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zam · Joined: 12 Jan 2004 Posts: 64

OK... how about we talk about Bird flu, or about the train explode in tehran, is it OK?
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sokkies · Joined: 12 Jan 2004 Posts: 40 Location: Malaysia

hmmm...don't have any idea Confused

zam · Joined: 12 Jan 2004 Posts: 64

OK...Is riezal on line? No?

haaaa....
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zam · Joined: 12 Jan 2004 Posts: 64

How about talk about hobbies, maybe...
anybody got an unusual hobbies?
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sokkies · Joined: 12 Jan 2004 Posts: 40 Location: Malaysia

hmmm.. unusual hobbies?? i like ti eat during my free time. Is that unusual? Very Happy

phaton · Joined: 23 Feb 2004 Posts: 2 Location: Manchester,CT - USA

Hi My friends,
one opinion.....actually this is a clear fact for me.

Every village must have its headman; every needle must have its manufacturer and craftsman. And, as you know, every letter must be written by someone. How, then, can it be that so extremely well-ordered a kingdom (this world) has no ruler? And how can so much wealth have no owner?

asterix · Joined: 26 Jan 2003 Posts: 1654

The earth is ruled by the principles of physics.

Passerby · Joined: 07 Mar 2004 Posts: 71 Location: Taiwan

This is the opinion extracted from the China Post Opinion column from http://www.chinapost.com.tw/opinion/

Police in Taiwan

The definition of a police officer is one who serves and protects. It seems like common sense that the polices?primary concern would be protecting others. In reality there primary concern is finding the easiest way to make their quota.

For example they will sit around the corner and give tickets to people who turn right on the red light. First of all, I don't know any countries other than Taiwan where it is illegal to turn right on red. In most if not all other countries it is LEGAL to turn right on red. You need to stop at the red and look first, but you can turn right. The police here love to give tickets for this because most people do it especially considering it is safe to do so as long as you stop and look first. The police could give tickets to the people who drive straight through the red light endangering others lives, but they don't because those vehicles are already moving too fast and it is too much bother for them to catch them. Much easier to bully the people turning rightwhich is safe and legal in most countries... Another good example recently I was stopped at a red light in front of a police car, while waiting for the light to turn green I noticed a scooter pass the police car on the left (illegal), with no helmet (illegal), run the red light (very illegal) and ride down the street on the wrong side (illegal and very stupid), the scooter rider looked back at the police to see if they will go after him, and of course they don't. While I continued to wait for the light, one of the policemen sneaks up beside me and pulls my key out of the ignition, telling me to push my bike off to the side. He then tells me that the little L.E.D. lights (pretty lights) I put near my license plate are illegal and he writes me a ticket. I ask him if he noticed the person running the red light he answered "yes, but that isn't your concern."

It seems from my experiences that if you stop near police they might hassle you, but if you drive past them running red lights or whatever then they will leave you alone as they are usually too lazy to chase you even if they are endangering other peoples lives. The police approached my roommate 3 times last week. All 3 of those times my roommate was STOPPED sitting on his bike waiting for someone. The police just asked to see his license and registration and then went away. Those police should have just went to any intersection waited for the light to go red and chances are they would see someone running a red light but instead they hassle people who aren't even riding.

I live on a one-way street and every single day about 100 cars and bikes drive down it the wrong way.I see police driving along the road also but not once have I seen them stop someone.
Why should people drive correctly if they know no one will punish them? I try not to break laws because I know it is disrespectful to other drivers on the road. When someone cuts to the front of a line it is like they think they are better than the other people and even though they arrived at the light later.They shouldn't have to wait at the back. That is extremely rude. In America you would get shot for doing this. But in Taiwan you can pretty much spit bettle nut on someone without fear of them doing anything.

Personally, I gave my both thumbs-up to him for the reaveal of this daily happening in Taiwan.

Actually, you may claim that don't judge