MaxYakov

4 hours ago, MrJerome said:

That was the longest description of a traffic accident i've ever read here.. 

Wait until you see the NTSB report!

Be sure to let us know when they get it back onto a truck and find a sober driver.

2 hours ago, travelman6 said:

ADD to that, Tuk Tuks, the most noise polluting vehicle in Thailand and outlawing all but the electric ones would be GREAT.

Many Thais will avoid electric vehicles because they can't be easily modified to be ear-splitting noise makers and the electrics are too civilised and don't pollute enough.

Skytrain Concrete Slab Slips, Falls On Onto Road

57 minutes ago, Thian said:

I don't mind to look like a dork...i can't understand why the Thai accept those volume levels while shopping...to me it's very low class to yell to me like that and even expecting that i'll buy something. I can't understand that the Thai accept it.

Have you considered that they yell like that because the have a hearing loss? Could it be a vicious cycle of hearing loss to louder and then even more hearing loss...

29 minutes ago, laislica said:

 

Maybe look into these?

 

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Sports-Outdoors-Hunting-Shooting-Earplugs/zgbs/sporting-goods/3413521

 

Can you recommend something specifically?

In addition to the two ear plugs on a connecting string (HomePro safety goods - string minimizes losses of a single earplug), I carry a more stealthy pair of silicone ear inserts (FoodLand) for those situations where I don't want to appear totally like an over-the-top dork (which I actually am ????).

I wonder how many Thais have suffered hearing loss due to the high noise levels. My sister could not even talk on the telephone after years of on-the-job noise that was not addressed and it was not even a particularly noisy environment. I believe it was the type of noise that caused the damage. I've taken serious steps to avoid the same - Ref. HERE.

At least one person on this thread indicated that my hearing protection effort was humorous. Go figure.

I wear ear plugs like these at all times when outside my abode:

I have these available to me at all times when outside or inside and use them often and while wearing the above ear plugs. Particularly useful in noisy restaurants and to make a silent statement about the high noise levels - particularly emitted from people's mouths. My only lament is that I cannot put them on quickly enough for the ridiculously loud motorcycles and ambulances. I think I'll work on that deficiency:

I'm not joking.

Ban Chiang - Wiki

10 hours ago, atyclb said:

similar to the litterbug police that extort cash from foreigners for throwing cig butts on the ground

I call those (alleged) BMA officials "sidewalk commandos".

1 hour ago, wwest5829 said:

By all or by some?

Pessimistic or optimistic?

16 hours ago, Borzandy said:

Sure, that cannot be Thais who robbed this man.

Yep, they were from Myanmar (aka Burma) no doubt.

He's suffering form BUS - Billionaire Unrealism Syndrome. What they need to do first is solve the motorbike/cycle infestation/disease that's killing so many travelers. Or maybe providing a solution for this is also unrealistic?

1 hour ago, Proboscis said:

Trolling.

Partisanship? do you mean against Clinton who claims that they lost her the election by bringing up the email issue again (when new info came to light?) or do you mean against Trump when they were investigating connections between his campaign and the Russians?

In both cases they were right. The additional Clinton emails were relevant; there was prima facie evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians (although to what extent it went is unclear although enough heads have rolled over it).

Lets look at this another way. Imagine for the moment that the FBI had done exactly the opposite to what they did. Imagine they had let the additional Clinton emails slide or said nothing about them or that they had hushed up the Russian connection with the Trump campaign? Now we couldl be discussing serious partisanship in either case! Or if they had done both, we could have said that the FBI is afraid to do its job, afraid of pissing of a winning candidate!

 

There are lots of points that could be made about all of this, including that there should be a separate entity that is independent of the office of the President and Congress who investigates such matters. But remember that the FBI has to work within the bounds of the constitution.

 

Having raised the issue, what would you have them do in that situation? What would you have done?

Who are "them"? I don't have dog in this fight. Pulled out the insanity ten years ago. Trolling indeed.

5 hours ago, manarak said:

 

actually, the term "racism" has been extended to cover any preference or dislike for the aspects or antics that could in majority be attributed to some stereotyped group, based on race, sexual preferences, social origins, religion, etc.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism
I expect soon it will be racist to express preference or dislike for types of music or literature.

52 minutes ago, blazes said:

North Korea, quite rightly, refuses to cave in to the American gangsters....

On 9/27/2018 at 1:53 PM, smedly said:

sorry but you are wrong, there are many quality helmets here in Thailand in the 2-3k price bracket, they are tested to Western Standards and in some cases better than some of the expensive brand imports.

 

Problem with the OP is that the typical crappy plastic helmet supplied by MB taxi drivers offer no protection at all, it is also worth noting that a good helmet will protect you to an extent but hit anything solid above 30kmh and your chance of survival is minimal, same goes for gear, they are designed to protect from a 4ft drop to the road from the seat and gear protects against road rash - hit anything solid and it doesn't matter what you are wearing unless it is a car.

 

Imagine this - put on the best gear you can buy and jump from a 2nd floor balcony head first - see how you survive, better still drop onto a wall from the same height and see how that goes, on impact you will be travelling at about 35-40kmph (less than 30mph.

 

Very few fatal MB accidents in Thailand would have had a different outcome if the person had been geared.  

 

This helmet issue from the OP is either total lack of understanding or they need more tea money or a mixture of both

 

Also putting on the provided headgear from a MB taxi driver is not only poor quality but also filthy 

Additionally, the fit of the helmet must be correct for the individual (according to my Index^TM motorcycle helmet user manual) and the strap fastened to be effective. I witnessed an helmeted motorbike operator misread the traffic situation and slam at high speed into a right-turning car. He lost the helmet upon the initial impact with the car and then he went head-first into a concrete parking lot where he sustained a serious head injury upon impact.

I don't see any practical way for a motorbike taxi operator to carry enough different sized helmets to meet the proper fit requirements for passengers. So all of this helmet is only a partial and deluded solution to "motorbike/cycle-diseased" Thailand's genuine problem - motorbikes/cycles.

21 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

These are my two helmets.  I can't imagine carrying one around all day shopping and eating in Bangkok.  I get your point and it makes sense but I can't see anyone doing it. 

Time to look at alternative and safer transportation? Helmets won't protect against a plethora of fatal injuries anyway. I predict that there will be people carrying helmets and/or checking them in at customer service package checking. Time to start thinking outside the box?

On 9/27/2018 at 7:46 PM, marcusarelus said:

You can't expect a customer to put on a helmet with bugs and lice in it.  So what to do?  Are the paying riders supposed to carry their own helmet?

Absolutely - paying passenger or not paying - Ref. Reply HERE. Or potentially pay a/the fine.

On 9/27/2018 at 11:57 AM, marcusarelus said:

A lot of Thai kids have head lice (seen in school) this new rule should be fun. 

The alternative to sharing head lice with others is to provide one's own helmet of a quality and fit suitable to one's wealth desire to live. A minor inconvenience in motorcycle/bike-infested Thailand. /sarc