Taipei metro mass stabbings a violent jolt to Taiwanese sense of safety

TAIPEI – When a young man pulled smoke grenades from a bag in the middle of a busy Taipei road and lobbed them at shoppers on the pavement, some passersby scuttled away but many more just stood watching. Earlier, commuters at an underground station walked unhurriedly through the smoke from the grenades, many not bothering to cover their mouths and noses . But Zhang Wen, 27, did not just hurl smoke grenades during the Friday after-work rush hour on Dec 19. Wielding a long knife, he went on a rampage through central Taipei, leaving three people dead and at least…