Iwas in the back seat of a taxi in Taipei when I noticed an apparatus hanging down the back of the front passenger seat. At the centre of the contraption there was an unassuming little button. It was in the shape of a hand, sort of like a teddy bear's hand. The instructions stated simply: 'In case of emergency, push button.' I assumed that it was meant to protect the passenger in case the driver had unlawful intentions.
But what exactly did it do? Probably nothing. I didn't see how the press of a button could possibly save me in a real emergency - unless it was linked to an ejection seat or something. But as the ride continued, my mind could not stop pondering that button. Pretty soon I could think of nothing else. I wanted to push it.
All it would take was one little finger. The prospect was so tempting. It required serious discipline for me to suppress the urge. Maybe pushing it would cause handcuffs to spring out and clasp the driver's hands firmly to the steering wheel, just in the nick of time. Or would it be more like a steel hoop released near the headrest, clamping across the driver's neck?
When the car rolled to a stop, I still hadn't given up, and in a burst of courage I finally asked the driver what the button was for. He responded by handing me my change along with a name card. It read, 'Taipei Satellite Cab Company.'
They made it sound pretty impressive, actually: pushing the button activated a global positioning system, for finding your location. It also triggered microphones, which started recording the sounds inside the vehicle.
So that was it? As I was being strangled by a deranged cabbie, they would heroically record my death cries while viewing a tiny blip on their computer screen showing my exact location? Not exactly the timely and drastic response that an emergency requires. Well, useful or not, at least the intriguing gizmo was innovative, and it had brought some exciting twists and turns to my own thoughts.
But the Taiwanese aren't the only creative ones. I'm reminded of when Beijing brought in its unprecedented seat-belt laws. It seemed like a huge infringement on a luxury our people hold so dear: convenience. Anyone photographed not wearing a seat belt in a moving car would be fined, without exception.