In Taiwan, you go to Prison for Writing Critical Restaurant Reviews

Singapore's has pretty tough laws too, I'm sure you heard of the canings for littering. Spit your gum out and miss the garbage? Smack with a stick. Do drugs of any kind? You're dead lol

 

First, the fine is about $7K in US Dollars. Second, if it actually was a fraudulent review, she deserved it. Called the owner a "bully" for the parking situation. Sounds like she had a personal problem with the owner.

 

I wish we had laws like that here. My dream has always been to open a restaurant with cockroaches, salty food and bad parking but I am afraid of those damn US bloggers giving me bad reviews.


$7K US...probably about a third to a half of a year's salary over there. I wonder what's the exchange rate on Taiwan Jails. 30 days in jail there is like a year in a county jail here?

 

It doesn't change the fact that the amount is misleading.

 

NT$200000 is NT$200000. What's misleading about that? And how is converting it to US$7000 with no relative context of worth somehow less misleading?

 

Was the article written in Chinese? Since the article was written in English, it is logical to assume that the intended readers are American or British. I doubt anyone in either country knows the exchange rate for the Taipei Dollar. The failure to list the conversion amount in the article is misleading. Honestly, if it had been $20K, it would have fooled me since I was just glancing over the article. It was only when I saw $200,000 in conjunction with a 30 day jail sentence that it caused me to stop and read it more carefully.

Furthermore, my comment does have context. If you are an American traveler in Taipei and you are found guilty of this offense, it makes little difference that $7K US is half a year's salary for a Taipei resident.

 

Note to self:

Do NOT move to Taiwan and pursue a career as a restaurant critic.

 

It wasnt a US news site so I suspect you and I aren't the specific audience. It is probably for national and international readers And since the blogger wasn't tried In the US nor paying in USD, your conversion was fairly irrelevant. I'd say totally irrelevant but I am feeling generous this morning since it is Friday. Plus I am sure all of the people here traveling to Taiwan to blog about places to eat will find your conversion extremely helpful. So you have that going for you.

 

So the intended audience was english speaking people living in Taipei? And there are all kinds of people who blog about everything they do, especially when they travel.

 

The fact that all their articles that are about the US are under 'World News' might clue you in that we aren't the primary audience. They don't even have a US Section or sub-Section. A look at their Sports section might help you too...hint: it's not focused on the US sports. But, again, kudos for doing the math for the international traveler/food and lifestyle bloggers who are reading this thread.

But, really, even with your very helpful ciphering, the compensation to the restaurant is not the news in this story. You could face monetary penalties here for a libel case. That is a typical civil issue. It is the jail sentence, making it a criminal issue, that is the news in the story...as the OP highlighted in his post.

 

Wow, how surprising that China will imprison people unfairly. Breaking news for sure!

 

Now you are just being a clown.

 

Enjoy your holiday!

 

Another clown comment. I wouldn't do the crime if I was worried about the time.

 

Enjoy your extended holiday! Or are you saying it was only directed at a specific individual?

 

I am saying that any 'holiday' I get for calling a spade a spade, or in this case... a clown a clown... is ok with me.

 

Just to clarify words such as clown/fool/idiot/stupid are ok (so Lehigh you can still use it LOL) it is the more personal and abusive attacks that are out of order specialy when they become vulgar

 

Good news for Leigh. He can stop being afraid and let his inner Angry Clown run free.

 

Nobody is afraid here Stuclown, just wanted clarification. Sorry to use you like that, but it's okay, you had no idea.