Tea with Taiwan Railway Police 茶与台湾铁路警察

The Taiwan Raillway Police showed me the most hospitality of any of my visits so far. When I identified myself as a retired railroad police captain they were at first puzzeled but, quickly engaged enthusiastically in comparing our two departments.

I gave them a Union Pacific Railroad Police patch, which they thought I was just showing them.  Officer Daniel seemed genuinely surprized that I was giving it to him. Another officer rushed out and soon came back with a cup of hot tea, This was the best tea I've ever had.  Seriously, this was tea like tea is supposed to taste like and everything is is a poor imitation

Notice the UP calendar.

His Sergeant came by and was introduced. Soon the other officer ran back in with a fancy red and gold flat box full of what looked like white mini-Hostess Snowballs. It was very sweet but, the center was chopped pork in a favorable sause. It tasted a little like a white bacon tiny-cupcake. Very yummy. Then they refilled my teacup with more hot tea.

I gave them a 2019 UP calendar.  They looked at the calendar photos as I asked if they had theft from containers.  Their trains are all small.  They are modern and the passenger trains fast and efficient but, they are narrow gauge, They 're an island. They don't have double-stack trains like in the calendar. They have plenty of containers but, they're seen in the ports and on trucks. They don't have auto-racks either.  So there are two problem areas that are non-existant for them.

Their track gauge is 3" 6" which means their equipment is much smaller. These locomotives are about 1000 hp. It's hard to see in these photos but there is an even smaller (about 2 ft.) track switching into the larger track with duel guage track all over the place.  You can just see the 3 rail track further from the camera. 

Their railcars seem so small. I think those flatcars could only hold one full lenght container.

The railway police are part of the National Police. When I asked Daniel about how he became a railway police officer, he said he had to have high marks to apply and then do much better than most to get on the railway division of the agency.  Wouldn't that be interesting to have in the U.S.?

They gave me one of their patches.  They admired the eagle on the UP patch I gave them but, I really wish we had a really nice professional patch like their's pictured here.

Most of their area of responsibity is passenger service.  That part is vast but, they also have the same issues, mostly with theft, that we do on the freight trains and railroad property. 

The photo of the poster on the wall is their railway police code-of-eithics.  It contains most of the things you'd expect however, I can't read it. Daniel acknowledged that came to be because they've had problems in the past with corruption but, he felt that now that was no longer the case. He is young. However, I hope he is right. These are the kind of guys you'd like to work with, like the Dallas Division. You get the idea that they really like working there and with each other.

I asked before I left what kind of tea they'd served me. I wanted to get some to take home. (It really is that good.)  One officer came back with a near empty package and said it is very expensive. I thought it was I could get the brand. He added a bunch of tea from a new package and gave it to me despite my objections that it was too much kindness.  

They explained that it was Taiwanese high mountain tea.  The best in the world they said. Who am I to question that, especially after their generous hospitality?             

                谢谢兄弟们

谢谢你的茶