In Taiwan, people always pull out in
front of you without looking. Some
cars and scooters don't even have
mirrors. It used to irritate me, and then
I wondered why they never look.

The answer just came to me. I'm embarassed
I didn't think of it before:

If they don't see you, you don't exist.

That would explain a lot. It also explains why
people stare at foreigners, not with curiosity, but
like they're just watching a dog-food commercial.