The first view holds that neither tachiale nor motorcycle drag racing is a matter of great concern and that both can be solved as long as the government adopts the appropriate countermeasures. If it decides to prohibit them, then it should strictly carry this out to maintain public authority; otherwise, it should simply legalize and regulate them.
Between prohibition and legalization, a number of experts lean toward the latter. They believe that the problems entailed by tachiale and motorcycle drag racing involve legal, psychological, social, and family aspects and that relying solely on the law alone will probably not eradicate the problem.
They believe that tachiale is basically a form of gambling and, as such, a part of human nature. The psychology is universal and, faced with this fact, many countries provide an outlet for the urge through horse racing, dog racing, or other forms of gambling. "In Chinese tradition, however, the government acts not only as a political leader but also as a moral one," one scholar points out. "That means that even if the government were to legalize tachiale, it would hardly be likely to sponsor a similar activity."
The problem of motorcycle drag racing must not be blown up out of proportion either. Teenagers naturally seek excitement and a way to let off energy. Hence it would be best to imitate counties that provide legal race areas and regulate the participants' equipment.
Another view maintains that legalization will not cure the root of the problems. In its August 15th editorial, the newspaper Min Sheng Pao mentioned certain "impulses and drives toward irrational and even blind danger" in the country recently and called on the public to pay attention to "a crisis of social alienation."
If motorcycle drag racing is not just a pursuit of excitement and a venting of energy but a form of social alienation and suicide, then a crisis of alienation may indeed be lurking in our society, and tachiale and motorcycle drag racing would be only the tip of the iceberg. An even more serious question in a time of rapid transition, as the value concepts and beliefs of an older era gradually become blurred, is how to quickly establish a common set of social ethics and norms.
[Picture Caption]
Tachiale fans sometimes turn to the occult to find their lucky numbers. (photo by Yang Chia)
What needs are the spectators at motorcycle drag races trying to satisfy ? (photo by Hsu Shih-ching)
What needs are the spectators at motorcycle drag races trying to satisfy ? （photo by Hsu Shih-ching）
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