Inspired by the stabbing rampage on Taipei’s MRT system last year, students in Chih-Kwang Senior Vocational Business and Technology High School’s multimedia department came up with the idea of turning an umbrella into a weapon of self-defense by placing a can of mace in the handle.
During a graduation exhibition on Monday, students at the New Taipei City school said they have developed a “multipurpose defensive umbrella.”
Student Fei Chun-chi (斐俊期) said that many people have been scared of taking the MRT since last year’s stabbing rampage, and that most MRT riders are not equipped to defend themselves against potential assailants. Fei said the students’ goal was to equip everyday items with defensive capabilities.
Photo: Weng Yu-huang, Taipei Times
Student Huang Ssu-kai (黃思凱) said the group had originally thought of hiding a cone-shaped blade in an umbrella handle to “combat violence with violence,” but MRT regulations bar passengers from carrying weapons.
As the goal was to deter an assailant, not to cause further harm, the students thought of making an umbrella handle into an extendable baton, Huang said.
However, if the user was under stress, they might fumble and not be able to extend the baton, he said.
After some more brainstorming, the students came up with the idea of mace spray that would allow users to fend off an assailant’s advances with the umbrella itself, as well as using the mace to disorient the attacker and buy time for police officers to arrive, Huang said.
The students said they were looking to strengthen the umbrella’s fabric as well as reinforce its frame, while keeping an eye on its total weight.
“We hope to produce something that will truly combine the utility of an umbrella while meeting the need for a self-defense tool,” the group said.
Four people were killed and more than a score injured on May 21 last year when 21-year-old Cheng Chieh (鄭捷) began stabbing other MRT passengers as their train traveled from Jiangzicui Station to Longshan Temple Station.
Several Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) officials including Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) are to be summoned for questioning and then transferred to prosecutors for holding an illegal assembly in Taipei last night, the Taipei Police said today. Chu and two others hosted an illegal assembly and are to be requested to explain their actions, the Taipei City Police Department's Zhongzheng (中正) First Precinct said, referring to a protest held after Huang Lu Chin-ju (黃呂錦茹), KMT Taipei's chapter director, and several other KMT staffers were questioned for alleged signature forgery in recall petitions against Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators. Taipei prosecutors had filed
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
NEW WORLD: Taiwan is pursuing innovative approaches to international relations through economics, trade and values-based diplomacy, the foreign minister said Taiwan would implement a “three-chain strategy” that promotes democratic values in response to US tariffs, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said. Taiwan would aim to create a “global democratic value chain,” seek to capitalize on its position within the first island chain and promote a “non-red supply chain,” Lin was quoted as saying in the ministry’s written report to the Legislative Yuan submitted ahead of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee meeting slated for today. The Ministry would also uphold a spirit of mutual beneficial collaboration, maintaining close communication and consultations with Washington to show that Taiwan-US cooperation
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
RSS