Howsoever, the very thought of actually driving in the chaotic free-for-all of Taipei traffic terrified me. And for good reason - I value life and limb. Particularly my own. The majority of the drivers here apparently do not.
It is a well known that Asians and, specifically, the Chinese have been stereotyped as some of the worst drivers in the world. I can offer no evidence to dispel that concept. Although some may consider it racially or xenophobically motivated, I can only say from my experience that the stereo-typification is amply grounded in fact.
I don't profess to understand why, collectively, they do what they do the way they do. However, I have my theories based on eight years of empirical observation and the long term effects of post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from my time in Taiwan traffic. Furthermore, I have concluded that like many aspects of Chinese society viewed by uncouth foreigners, there is a deeply sublime wisdom hidden amidst the bedlam from us hirsute barbarians. A-hem.
At the root of the conundrum, I have surmised, is the cultural perception of the street, itself. The Asian consensus is at odds with that of most western countries. It is, to all appearances, devoid of the proprieties which Americans typically bestow upon the thoroughfare. It is not held sacrosanct that the street is first and foremost for the use of wheeled, motorized vehicles although it is frequently dominated by their presence. The road-way is not considered to be for the sole purpose of expediting the conveyance of vehicular traffic. In Chinese cities, it is simply another surface upon which to perform any of the myriad functions of human society.
Streets are frequently clogged with building materials, equipment and the detritus of construction. Vendors of all sorts set up their carts along the pavement and hawk away, drawing crowds of gawkers. Funeral wakes, which may go on for days or weeks, are held in the streets in large tents replete with floral displays, brass bands and stacks of canned and bottled refreshments for the departed's journey. Side roads and alley-ways are blocked off every evening so that night markets, resembling carnival mid-ways may be accommodated. Conversely, cars, trucks and motorcycle are routinely found on the sidewalks or in the tiny patches that pass for parks unless barred by sturdy barricades.
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