impulse

Posted many times...

That's why I actually bought a scooter (2nd hand), rode it around Asoke for a week, then parked it for the next 5 years. I gave it to a Thai friend when I left LOS after my job ended. Helmet or no, it wasn't worth the risk to me. I still took scooter taxis when it made sense, but only when it saved enough time to justify the risk. And I didn't tie myself up into a pretzel justifying why it was okay to take a scooter if I just wore a good helmet. The statistics say that's not the case.

Great that the story has a happy ending. Being 13 and hiding in the grass, I suspect it's not the only one.

I don't know who was at fault, but the guy with a ton of steel and seatbelts seems to be in better shape than the guy on the scooter. Another data point.

I don't see my choice: "I still haven't recovered from my 2nd Pfizer. No way I'm taking another".

Are we back to weird?

I have zero objection to that. I do stuff all the time that puts me at some increased risk, including taking scooter taxis when it makes sense. And some outdoor activities that the super safe (nanny) people recommend against. Like solo hiking, solo kayaking, SCUBA, marathon roadtrips, and a lot of others. I just object to the gyrations that people will go through to convince themselves (and others) that their decisions don't put them at increased risk. Riding a scooter is more dangerous that driving a car. With or without a helmet. There's nothing wrong with choosing that risk if that floats your boat. (And the 99 baht Big C plastic helmets on offer from a lot of the scooter taxis are just a little less than useless except to pass a police checkpoint. They won't protect your head.)

Does Sweden have a FCPA?

So, can I presume you're in favor of NATO boots on the ground and risking WW3 and Armageddon? Because that's what you're advocating. Risking the end of the world as we know it.

Don't forget duck lips. Whoever started that trend should be lined up against a wall... ...and pelted with rotten tomatoes.

I'm calm. How about you?

I'm not sure if the technology exists at an affordable price but it would be great to have a paper dip-strip test that you could keep with you to see if there's methanol, ethylene glycol, bug spray, etc. in whatever they're serving you. Lacking that, I always tell my friends visiting Asia not to drink anything served in a bucket. Not an issue for me since I took the oath in the '80s. Which usually makes me the designated driver.

What on earth would be wrong with that? It's one thing to know about the prophet in a historical context. But it's quite another if they start indoctrinating the kids about the infallibility of his teachings.

The OP is a good cautionary tale. My heart goes out to the OP since I've had similar issues with UPS and FedEx. Their pricing and fee structure is not geared toward small dollar shipments. Paying 5000 baht in fees is fine if you're importing something expensive. Not so fine if it's a set of Airpods. Best if you can find a vendor who ships by Post, because of pricing and T&C treaties. On an aside, I'm pretty sure they're fake (Edit: Like, 100% sure...), but I bought a pair (Airpods Pro 2) from a kiosk in BKK Chinatown for 350 baht. Very convincing packaging (all spelled correctly) and they pair up and sound great. I wasn't even in the market, but I just couldn't resist seeing how convincing they would be.

Agreed. Especially after the disaster that saw the highest spending country in the world with 4% of the population suffer 16% of the world's Covid deaths. They should all hang their heads in shame. Their only success was grifting more money from Americans. And, dollars to donut holes, she's really leaving for a high paying job in Big Pharma. Watch this space...

To the folks celebrating the attack on the Russkie bombers, it's not going so well for the people of Kiev last night,.. Depending one whose (very early) reports you read, it's either a major or a minor attack. Personally, I think it's tragic and wrong. But very predictable. That's what happens when you poke the bear. Russia launches missile, drone attack on Kyiv days after Ukraine’s audacious strike on bomber fleet | CNN It's long past time to concede the facts and out an end to it. The only way Russia loses this is NATO boots in Ukraine and the risk of WW3 and nuclear annihilation. Anyone postulating dreaming otherwise is fooling themselves.

Hmmmm. I wonder if that's why so many of the drivers look nothing like the photo on the taxi windshield?

She probably said the same thing on her Onlyfans.

tuk... Is that code? I've never heard it called that. Will she know you're going on patrol?

I've made no secret about being a wingnut conspiracy fan. But so many of them keep coming true recently...

It's also quite possible that they secretly agreed to the public dustups to get Musk back in good graces with the lefty terrorists attacking his various business interests. It's 4D chess. Not checkers like the ex-Biden team's playing.

What are the women like in Mae Hong Son and Mae Sariang? They're all the same on the inside. Pink and wrinkled.

It's more likely a new crop of big screens and fancy sneakers.

They need to hire YouTube's BushBarbie to do a PSA. The woman's a national treasure. Well worth a YT search if you've never heard of her.

You cross the safety Rubicon when you throw a leg over a scooter instead of buckling up in a car. Helmets are just a band-aid. Your friend who nearly lost his leg... How would a helmet prevent that? OTOH, over a ton of steel would have.