Foreign skateboarder seen joyriding on back of moving bus in northern Taiwan

台灣北部外籍男子拉行駛中的公車尾溜滑板

Video surfaces of foreign skateboarder hitching a dangerous ride on the back of a moving bus in Hsinchu


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- Video surfaced yesterday (March 12) on the Taiwanese Facebook group Baofei Gongshe (爆廢公社) of a foreign skateboarder recklessly grabbing onto a bus to hitch a ride in Hsinchu City, driving Taiwanese netizens into a frenzy and grabbing the attention of the police.

The Taiwanese netizen who posted the video online says that he shot the footage on Guangfu Road in front of National Tsing Hua University in northern Taiwan's Hsinchu City, reported ETtoday. In the video, a man who appears to be a foreign national, grabs onto the rear bumper of a Kuo-Kuang bus as he rides his skateboard wearing only a pair of trousers, a short-sleeve shirt and a backpack.

In response to the post, one Taiwanese netizen said, "Energy saving and carbon reduction starts with you and me." However, many netizens were less than amused:

"When it hits the brakes won't you smash into it "

"Once the thing goes uphill it's game over."

"When you want to commit suicide, don't cause harm to the driver, OK "

"Skateboards have no business being on the road in the first place."

"It would be funny if he loses his grip and falls under the bus."

The video also attracted the attention of the police, who said that because the video is only 7 seconds in length and the facial features of the skateboarder are not clear, they checked surveillance cameras in the area to get a better look. They then found that the man started hanging onto the bus at Guangfu Road and held on until he got to Jingcheng Road, a distance of about 1.5 kilometers.

Police said that his act was in violation of Article 81 of the "Act Governing the Punishment of Violation of Road Traffic Regulations" (道路交通管理處罰條例), which states that "climbing, mounting or jumping on moving vehicles" is punishable with a fine of NT$500 (US$17).

As the features of the man were unclear in the videos, and there was no plate number visible on the skateboard, police have yet to confirm the identity of the man. Police urged the public not to defy the law by grabbing onto vehicles in this way, as it not only violates the law but it also may cause serious accidents.