When I was in Taipei, I saw many people commuting on scooters.
I here here are the reason why.

(1) Commuting by car is not efficient ... too much traffic.
(2) Commuting by subway does not get you to the place you need to go.
(3) Housing is too expensive to live in the city.
(4) Scooter is faster and cheaper to operate.

Rain or shine people use scooter as a main method of transportation in Taipei. People in Taipei are very practical. Considering it rains more often in Taipei than Seattle, this scooter culture is amazing.