Monday 3 June 2024

How people in poorer countries travel: 03 (Taiwan)


I remember back in 1975, in Chiayi (嘉義 / Jiāyì), south Taiwan, catching sight of a man riding past on a motor scooter / moped — a very common means of transport in those days in Taiwan as a lot of people couldn’t afford a car and a motor scooter was also niftier for negotiating the dense traffic.  

    He had, in front of him, between him and the handlebars, a young child (aged about 4??).  Behind him, with her arms wrapped around his waist, was his wife.  Behind her, with their arms wrapped around the waist of the person in front of each one, were two children, different age and size.  

    Total number of riders on that moped: five in a human chain of bodies.


    These days, Taiwan is no longer a "poorer country", so this scene would presumably not be available anymore, maybe not even in the countryside.


(Taiwan, 1975)





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