bikejourno2d ago
Super wet last day in #Taipei today. Still headed out to see Cycling Fabro Tianyu - possibly the most premium bikes hope I've ever seen. Seriously impressed by that one.
Annoyingly the airport MRT always gets stormed by commuters with zero luggage. Once you've safely stored your big-ass bags you can bet that all the seats are occupied by folks staring at their phones. Leaves a bitter taste upon heading for Taoyuan airport, really. Off to Europe it is. #Taiwan #travel #FarEast
Show threaddlupham2d ago
@bikejourno It's not that they have zero luggage, they have checked their bags at the MRT station so that they wouldn't have to shlep them to the check-in counters in the airport. If they use an app on their phone to check-in they can go straight to immigration when they arrive at the airport. My daughter did this last week when she flew back to Seattle. You have to check with you airline to see if they support the baggage checking in Taipei. Also you have to check your baggage before 8PM (at least with EVA, others could be earlier or later).
Show threadbikejourno
@dlupham
I am well aware of that possibility to drop luggage at the Airport MRT station as I walked past the stations to do so.
But plenty of folks got off at the two stops before the airport. And those very folks occupied seats, including a young lad staring at his phone on a priority seat. Was slightly disgusted to see this happening. And yes: 6pm is rush hour, but commuters may as well use the stop trains on the same trajectory rather than the airport express.
Apr 8 at 4:18amWeb
Show threaddlupham1d ago
@bikejourno In the crowded situation that you are talking about I have generally solved by simply getting in the front of the line for the next train so that I will have a seat. Have had to do that several times riding the JR in Japan and a few times on the MRT in Taipei as well as a couple of times on the Airport express. Never seemed to be a big thing for me to get upset about.
Show threadbikejourno1d ago
@dlupham I boarded that rain very early, queued before it arrived. But shameless commuters snatched the seats while I safely stowed away my bag. Not what I expect from Taiwanese folks that I usually experience as polite and forthcoming rather than selfish cunts staring at their phones. Unless they drive, that is, than they turn into cut-throat savages ;)