Taipei Metro Manners

Because of the lack of noises or people speaking on the phone, the atmosphere in the trains is very calm and relaxing ^^.

Usually Taiwanese people use messaging apps on their phones. Mobile networks are very fast and coverage in Taipei city is wide.

The most used messaging app in Taiwan is not WhatsApp as it happens in Spain, but it is Line instead. The main difference between Line and WhatsApp is that in Line you can send stickers, a small manga style drawings reflecting many daily life situations.

Line is so popular in Asia that it even appears in TV ads and in the streets. In this video you can see some of the most popular characters ^^.

Another amazing thing from Taiwan Metro is the big amount of passengers wearing masks. This not only happens in the train but it extends to any other place. Taiwanese wear masks in the face when they have a cold or cough, so they don't infect other people. In Spain people believe that masks are used for not getting ill oneself, but in fact it is just the reverse. The usage of masks is a form of respect to other people that travel in the same train.

Masks are also used by people who suffer allergy during the spring. Because of masks being very common, girls even sometimes wear them when they don't want to use make up and don't want their faces to be seen ^^U...

Sometimes I wonder what would happen if a person wears a mask at the train in a Spanish city. My theory is that the other passengers would run away from that person, but I won't really know until I find out ^^ What do you think it would happen?

An interesting thing are reserved seats for elder, disabled and pregnant people. In Spain there are also reserved seats but they are labeled with a very small sticker so no one notices about them. In Taiwan they are more visible, usually being of a different color. Most of times, reserved seats are not taken, even during rush hour then the train is full.

Reserved seats inside of the train. Regular seats are light blue while reserved seats are dark blue.

Women during their first months of pregnancy can ask for a sticker in any station so other passengers can be aware of them and yield the seat.

Another difference from Taipei Metro is that its not only forbidden to smoke, but also to eat and drink.

In the photo you can see a sign about the fines that apply to people who break the rules. NT $10,000 (about 250€) for smoking and NT $7,500 (about 180€) for eating or drinking. Even if those don't seem to be very high fines, in fact they are. Price level in Taiwan is lower than in Spain and the average wage is NT $36,800 (about 900€).

In all stations there are a reminder that it is not allowed to eat, drink or smoke inside of the metro. There is a yellow line on the floor just in front of the access machines. Thanks to this kind of rules Taipei Metro is pristine.

The last behavior norm is one of the most interesting ones. Waiting lines are formed on the platforms for entering the trains in an ordered way. In all platforms it is signaled where the doors of the train will open when it arrives that station. However, in the most transited stations it is even signaled the place where the waiting line should be.

Line that signals where the train doors will open ^^.

Lines on the floor.

In some stations there are screens where you can watch the news, the weather forecast and practical information so you are entertained while waiting ^^.

Even being many people waiting for the next train, using lines makes the platforms easier to walk by and entrance to the trains is fast and efficient.

I hope you liked to learn about the surprising manners at Taipei Metro. You will never know when are you going to travel around this city ^^.