Spiderman in Tainan? No, just Taipower engineers at work

Spiderman in Tainan? No, just Taipower engineers at work

2022-11-03

The internet is wondering if Spiderman might have moved to Tainan. A video posted online showed people moving along power cables above a highway. Many people were mystified by the unusual sight. But the truth is simpler – it’s Taipower engineers at work. As the engineers explain, getting up on the cables is just another part of keeping the power grid in order.

This video was posted online. A driver is cruising the highway when suddenly they spot a number of dots on the electricity cables overhead. From far off, they look like birds. But closer up, you can see they’re people. In awe, the driver wonders if Spiderman is at work.

These are the cars that can move along electric cables. They have to be operated by human power. The engineers pull themselves along as they work, like cyclists in the air.

Member of public
You need specialist skills to get up there. It must be really hard work!

Lee Chih-wei
Taipower construction manager
Separators between the electric cables prevent them from swinging in the wind and touching other cables. That ensures the safety of our power supply.

As this engineer explains, the wind can swing electric cables too close together. That creates a risk of short circuits. So separators must be fitted between the cables. The cars comprise a box to seat an engineer and wheels that fit onto the cables. The engineer pulls on the cables to move themselves along, all the while installing, repairing or even dismantling the separators between cables. It’s vital work to maintain the power grid.

Lee Chih-wei
Taipower construction manager
When engineers go up, we have a brake here. It brakes automatically at a certain distance. They stop there and install a separator between the cables.

The video posted online shows separators being dismantled and replaced on a bifurcating cable. These aerial maintenance tasks may be routine, but they don’t take place every day. No wonder it made viewers think of superheroes.

國道半空驚現「蜘蛛人」台電員工搭「宙乘車」維護高空線路

2022-11-03

台南有民眾日前開車上高速公路，在半空中看見似乎有高空電纜車滑行，簡直像蜘蛛人掛在半空中特技表演，畫面被PO上網，也引起許多網友討論。原來這是台電人員搭乘著「宙乘車」，在高空維護高壓電線路，也讓人看見，台電人員不為人知的辛苦一面。

就是這段影片被PO上網，民眾行車在高速公路，赫然發現半空中的電線上，怎麼會有一個個的流籠，遠遠望見還以為是有鳥兒站立，接近時赫然發現，竟然還有人在高空滑行，眼看著蜘蛛人在博命演出，不得不感到敬佩。

這種高空小車，叫做「宙乘車」，掛在電纜上滑動，必須用人力滑行，邊工作邊拉，好像人力自行車。

[[民眾]]
“要有專門技術才能夠上去，這一定是非常辛苦”

[[台電第三工務段二分隊課長李智偉]]
“導線間隔器的部分，防止風吹擺動不會去碰觸到相互的導線之間，確保我們供電的安全”

原來鐵塔間的導線，會因為風速過高而碰撞，產生斷線的危機，因此必須在導線間安裝間隔器。至於宙乘車是由輪子和乘坐箱體組成，把輪子架在導線上，由高空專業人員，雙手拉著導線行進，以便安裝、拆除或修復間隔器，對輸電線路是很重要的作業。

[[台電第三工務段二分隊課長李智偉]]
“人員上去之後，這裡有個煞車器，距離到了它會直接煞車，停在那個點，裝設導線的間隔器”

網友所PO的影片內容，是在執行分歧線導線的更換，拆裝間隔器。這樣的高空作業，例行檢修電線更換，才會看得到，並不是很常見，民眾會意外發現，也是種難得的經驗，更能體會台電維修人員，罕為人知的辛勞。

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Thursday was the last day of Vice President Lai Ching-te’s state visit to Palau. In a meeting before his return to Taiwan, Lai was asked about whether his visit to Palau was a sign that he had presidential ambitions in 2024. Lai said it was nothing of the sort, adding that he was simply traveling under orders of the president.

Several U.S. A-10 Thunderbolts zoom by one after the other. This place is the hotel at which Vice President Lai Ching-te stayed during his state visit to Palau. Several hours before Lai touched down, a number of U.S. military jets rushed from Guam to the island nation.

Lai arrives at a banquet. Turn around and a group of people that look like U.S. military troops are conversing to the side. The suspected presence of U.S. troops has given rise to much speculation.

Lai Ching-te
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I didn’t interact directly with any U.S. troops. When I was in private with President Surangel Whipps, he did mention collaboration with the U.S. military. Taiwan is on the first island chain, and Palau is on the second island chain. It’s a very strong relationship, involving a huge amount of cooperation. I hope we can continue working together to safeguard peaceful and stable development in the Indo-Pacific.

Day three of Palau, he attended an event to donate telemedicine equipment to Palau, and stood with local baseball stars at a baseball equipment donation ceremony. The Palau visit is the third time that Lai leads a state delegation outside Taiwan this year. It has been seen by some as a sign that he could be planning to run in the 2024 presidential election.

Lai Ching-te
Vice president
Taiwan is facing many challenges domestically and internationally. The president herself is extremely busy. She’s been unable to travel. So I travel in her place. It’s the natural course of action. So my three foreign visits this year were not done with the intentions of running in 2024. It is just my duty as vice president, to follow the orders of the president.

At every formal diplomatic event Lai attended in Palau, he referred to Taiwan as “R.O.C. Taiwan.” That has been interpreted by some as a sign that perhaps Lai’s political stance has become more moderate.

Lai Ching-te
Vice president
Taiwan is not part of China. This is the consensus of Taiwanese society. China’s understanding of the “Taiwan independence” is that if you are not in favor of uniting with China, you are in favor of independence. Meanwhile, the U.S.’ understanding of “Taiwan independence” is to carry out legal changes. So the U.S. and China differ on how they see the matter of “Taiwan independence.” That’s where this issue becomes complicated. Tsai Ing-wen once coined “four commitments,” which are basically agreed on by all of Taiwanese society. These have naturally become a very important path for Taiwan to take as we move forward.

In her National Day Speech in 2021, President Tsai had listed out Taiwan’s “four commitments.” They are the “commitment to a free and democratic constitutional system,” the “commitment that the R.O.C. and the PRC should not be subordinate to each other,” the “commitment to resist annexation or encroachment upon Taiwan’s sovereignty” and the “commitment that the future of the R.O.C. Taiwan will be decided in accordance with the will of the Taiwanese people.”

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Analyst expects Fed to further hike interest rates by 0.5 points in December

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Central bank governor takes lawmaker’s questions after sharp Fed interest rate hike

The governor of Taiwan’s central bank, Yang Chin-long, on Thursday took questions from lawmakers regarding the rapid rise of interest rates in the U.S. Yang stressed that the strengthening of the U.S. dollar and depreciation of the new Taiwan dollar were short-term trends. As such, he said, investors shouldn’t rush to exchange U.S. dollars, as they might end up losing. Asked about whether the world could see another major financial crisis, Yang said it was unlikely, as financial systems worldwide are more stable now than in previous decades.

The U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday approved a 0.75-point hike to interest rates, and ripples of the decision have hit markets worldwide. A lawmaker on Thursday asked the Taiwan central bank governor how the government would respond.

Lai Shyh-bao
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Yang Chin-long
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Even if investors make an earning from the gap in interest rates, in the end they could end up losing due to the exchange rate.

The governor said he was confident in the development of the new Taiwan dollar. He also added that four measures would be taken to stabilize the foreign exchange market. They are establishing on-site and off-site supervisory mechanisms, offering financial market liquidity, preparing foreign currency liquidity, and closely monitoring supply and demand in the foreign exchange market to launch adjustments in a timelier manner.

Yang Chin-long
Central bank governor
The U.S. has been raising interest rates very fast. So they will eventually lower the rates drastically too.

With the U.S. dollar picking up strength, several countries are seeing currencies depreciate, and some could even face a debt crisis. A lawmaker asked the central bank governor whether another major financial crisis could be brewing.

Yang Chin-long
Central bank governor
The likelihood of something like that happening is not high. We all learned our lesson from 1997, and from 2008. So financial systems around the world are more sturdy and healthy now.

The rapid rise in U.S. interest rates is testing the abilities of Taiwan’s central bank to stabilize exchange rates and launch effective policies.

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No special arrangements needed at polling stations for patients fresh out of isolation

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Starting Nov. 14, COVID patients who’ve completed five days of isolation will be able to go out and vote in the local elections. The CECC says there is no need for special arrangements at polling stations.

Chuang Jen-hsing
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After three days, the vast majority of patients are still positive, and they are in a state in which they are still quite infectious. So for now, we are not considering anything like that.

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A local meat bun shop in Miaoli has been serving up delicious fare for customers for almost 30 years. Already passed down to its second generation, the shop offers limited quantities of handmade buns daily. The ingredients are bought and cooked the same day, and everything from the cooking oil, to the buns’ signature purple markings are made by hand with natural ingredients. Selling out in just five hours, this shop proves that good flavor comes from sticking to your philosophy.

The aroma of the juicy buns frying on the hot plate is like a wake-up call to the senses. The shop has just opened up for the day, but the queue is already full of hungry customers.

In the kitchen, some are rolling out the dough, some are shaping the buns, and others are frying them up. Although it’s a tiny shop, it’s bustling every day from the time it opens at 2 p.m.

The secret to the buns’ delicious flavor lies in the filling, which is chock full of green onions and pork. The filling is wrapped in a thin, delightfully chewy dough. Even if you scald yourself on the first bite, you won’t be able to resist taking a second. The shop, located in front of Miaoli Railway Station, has been in business for 27 years, and its philosophy is written right on the wall: "Cheap and delicious no matter what."

Ho Shao-wei
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We buy the ingredients in the morning and cook them up in the afternoon. My mother taught us that freshly cooked ingredients are the most delicious.

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Ronaldinho Gaucho
Brazilian soccer legend
Hello Taiwan, I will be with you for a sports event on Dec. 9, 10, and 11. I will see you soon! I am counting on you!

Natalia Guilter
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Hello Taiwan! I am very excited to come to Taiwan on Dec. 9, 10, and 11 for a sports event and charity event with Ronaldinho to introduce you to footvolley. We have come to support the missions of the Garden of Hope Foundation. We are counting on you to join us!

Alexandre Paul
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We have the pleasure to invite Ronaldinho and Natalia, two big stars in the football field and footvolley field. Both were champions. They are coming to Taiwan in December this year on the 9th, 10th, and 11th. We have big events at Tianmu Baseball Stadium this year. We are happy to make the promotion of sports in Taiwan and have the opportunity to introduce a new, different sport that the Taiwanese have never seen before. It’s called footvolley. It’s a mix between football and volleyball. It’s a very impressive sport, very techincal, it has lots of show, and is very entertaining.

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Alexandre Paul
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We have the second event, which is a side event. It’s a charity event. We are fundraising by organizing a lottery where people by buying tickets are going to have a chance to have gifts to maybe for the luckiest have a signed autograph from Ronaldinho and a possibility to get free entrance tickets for the events. For the luckiest, luckiest we are going to give 10 people the opportunity to meet Ronaldinho.

Through the event, organizers hope to raise funds for underprivileged households, as well as to introduce footvolley to more people in Taiwan.

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