Watch out for grandpa!

Last year, in Scooter Saga Part IV: How to buy a new scooter in Taiwan, I wrote:

In Taiwan, you must hold a driver’s license before buying a vehicle. For this reason, many elderly people—who are unlicensed because they didn’t learn to read and write—drive scooters that are registered in their children’s names. “Watch out for grandpa” is a phrase I’ve heard many times, for good reason.

Fortunately, I got my license on my second attempt, and have been giving grandpas and grandmas a wide berth ever since.

But a couple of days ago, grandpa finally got me—with a sneak attack!

I was stopped at a red light, indicator on, waiting to turn right. As the light turned green, the grandpa—who was turning left—tried to pass me in the gutter on the right.

His mirror hit mine. We both stopped and looked at each other from an eye-to-eye distance of less than a meter.

Grandpa was utterly bewildered, as if he were thinking “Where am I?” or “Why am I on a scooter?”

Or perhaps “What is the meaning of life?”

Cognizant of Taiwan’s respect-your-elders culture, I bowed my head to acknowledge him, while scanning my Chinese lexicon for something to say. But before I found a word, grandpa was gone.

Here’s the footage from my front-facing dashcam:

And here’s the footage from the back, which gives more context:

My scooter’s fine.

It’s actually sustained far more damage simply being parked outside my building:

• A seat partially melted by cigarette ash
• A snapped-off mirror
• Battle scars on the paintwork

So, while this week’s accident was completely inconsequential, I now have experience to back me up when joining the chorus of Taiwanese drivers who say…