richard_smith237

5 minutes ago, Alexjkr said:

So many pot holes in the UK needing to take a wheel off is quite common. Up until last year my car was old enough to have a spare. Now the car I have has no spare, not even a space saver. And not run flat tyres. How useless is that.

Previous two cars, no spare, but run-flats (max 80kmh for 80kms or something like that) - Current car, no spare, and no run-flats.

In 25 years of driving in Thailand, I've had to change the wheel twice - so its not really an issue here, although some roads are also terrible, just like the many of UK's B-Roads.

3 hours ago, Alexjkr said:

 Not even the spare wheel. The wheel that you just took off will do. Cars in the UK don't even have a spare wheel now.

Which ultimately means we'd never need to jack a car up ourselves.

As a kid helping my father, I was taught to 'put the spare' under the car, just in case.

As an adult decades later, I've had to change two tyres myself (flats when out on the road) and followed that approach...  and thats before even getting anywhere close to going under a car !

A tragic loss - but the experienced fella surely must have known the basics... 

4 minutes ago, NorthernRyland said:

sure those would work if we weren't dealing with Thai people. It's not in the nature, never will happen if you ask me.

I quite agree...   In a country where the written law is already very good... the issue is lack of enforcement... 

... I don't see someone getting in trouble here for the actions of their aggressive dog mauling someone.

3 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

Correct....and all sorts of alarms sound but the brake still functions. Often with a pulsing action if I recall correctly.

I wonder how hard the e-brake brakes then...  is it like slamming on the anchors as hard as possible ?? 

.... and I'm guessing it applies brakes evenly to all 4 wheels, rather than just the two rear wheels as per the standard hand-brake on older cars.

I assume the ABS still works with this system...    and of course the brake lights light up to warn followers (which didn't occur with the standard handbrake in my older cars).

12 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

No, they are not. All have a secondary braking system.

I'm happy to stand corrected...    

For the past 15 years or so, all my cars (4 of them) have had an e-brake that's basically a switch that is applied when stationary - a parking brake.

What you seem to suggest it that the e-brake can be applied while the vehicle is in motion, as a secondary braking system - which, if so, is excellent...   Something I never knew before (someone will be along soon to tell us they knew that - but I don't think its wide knowledge that the e-brake can be used as a secondary braking system if the pedals fail or get obstructed).

Just now, NorthernRyland said:

 

So few Thai people know how to keep dogs responsibly. It's a scourge in the country with no solutions in sight.

There are solutions....

IF owners were routinely held to account with no-nonsense prosecutions and actual jail time every time one of these genetic landmines mauls a child or kills a passer-by. How long, would it be before the appetite for owning such animals dried up overnight?

The bravado would vanish the moment the handcuffs clicked shut 

(a comment I just made in the 'other' thread - where Pitbull owners in the US were jailed after a deadly attack).

6 minutes ago, Mason45 said:

9 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

You mean... You get the dogs early enough so you can 'train the aggression' out of them... 

The dogs you adopt does that include pit bulls?

Too hasty - you've misunderstood the context of my comment.... 

1 hour ago, CanadaSam said:

A 58 year old man does not usually "forget" his luggage at an airport.

 

Charge him for the inconvenience of shutting down the airport etc.!

A 58-year-old man doesn’t typically need a babysitter to pack his bags, forgets them entirely, and then goes mute when asked to account for it, unless something’s well and truly off beneath the surface.

Before people rush to string him up in the public square, perhaps it’s worth asking whether we’re witnessing something deeper unraveling, something to do with his mental clarity, rather than just incompetence or deceit.

6 hours ago, Nickcage49 said:

Sad. Pits are lovely dogs if raised right. But the dog obviously had been abused when it was young. That's why these things usually happen.

 

As a dog lover I understand.

 

But we adopt all of our dogs as pups. Then we don't have this kind of issue.

You mean... You get the dogs early enough so you can 'train the aggression' out of them... 

5 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

 

So many other dog breeds to chose from so why even <deleted> around and find out with this breed?

 

 

Too many halfwits are polluting this thread with the same tired drivel - 'there's no such thing as a bad dog, only bad owners.' ...... The kind of saccharine, brain-dead platitude people parrot when they’ve never encountered the raw, inbuilt aggression some breeds carry like a second skin.

Yes, a skilled owner might be able to suppress the ticking time-bomb of violence bred into certain dogs - but that's precisely the point.....  Other breeds don't come pre-packaged with that kind of volatile wiring. You’d have to go out of your way to brutalise them before they lash out.

With these 'Bull Terrier based breed....   It’s just a matter of time and circumstance, the stats speak for themselves. 

4 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

First Richard, you always continue nagging as an old bitter woman who hasn´t got any for 10 years.

Pathetic attempt to fire a shot - bit sad really...

4 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

Just to amuse you, I will be open to other solution. Let´s say the break does not work because the bottle is there. Then it will not be possible to let go of the break and steer the car slowly into the shoulder until it finally stops, or even better, apply the handbrake soft and slowly to lower the speed of the car?

Most cars are automatic, most modern cars don't have a classic handbrakethat can be applied.

And you call yourself a decent driver without considering that ??  

4 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

Now take a cup of tea more, look bitter and come up with a new nagging approach. Why not start with, as I already pointed out to make your post sound a little bit over and superior to others?

Now sharpen up and understand that there are too many variables - like many of your comments, your criticism was flawed and made with 20/20 sanctimonious hindsight, highlighting you are quick to pass judgement without really thinking.

1 minute ago, factual monk said:

100% road rage... he is cooking up the...  angry with wife angle... just to save himself from the harsh punishment...   

I'm waiting for the next excuse, this time from someone who constantly gets butt-hurt on this forum...  and has a traffic tantrum then states... "angry with Aseannow posters" !!!...  

4 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

It will be interesting to see how these charges compare with the road rage incident In Pathum Thani, involving a local political figure's son driving a BMW

Exactly, it's curious how the police were so swift to bring five charges in this case, yet no charges have been mentioned against the BMW-driving son of the political figure.

It’s a glaring example of double standards unfolding in real-time. If we had the chance to observe this, it would be fascinating to watch how it plays out. But with such minimal reporting follow-up on these matters, we’ll likely never see the results or have anything to compare it to.

1 hour ago, Dan O said:

It may be a deadly assumption true but the truth is most foreign tourist have no idea of the traffic issue if its their first time here. You see a cross walk with signs and in some cases light, you wait see a driver slow to a stop and there is nothing that says its not ok to walk. With speed of the truck driver and the position of the stopped car the tourist may not have even seen him coming.

 

Thai's passing a stopped car at any intersection or crosswalk or even red traffic light is never deterred and little to no punishment ever happens for a violation, accident or even death. The news never follows up on these cases so the evaporate just like the law enforcement. Thailand is absolutely vacant of spatial thinking and consequences of their actions, especially when they driver any vehicle. They think in the now and what they want to do at the moment and never about what might happen or that other drivers aren't mind readers to their intent. 

Valid points - Particularly this: [With speed of the truck driver and the position of the stopped car the tourist may not have even seen him coming.]

Generally, when we see people crossing the road here, particularly when the view is obstructed, or when walking across through stationary traffic, many will 'lean out' to view whether its clear or not, checking for lane splitting motorcyclists or vehicles that will blow straight through before stepping out.

It seems madness to walk across any road, not check in both directions and not triple check for on coming traffic - its utter craziness when not doing so with a child - and for both mother and father to walk straight across like this blissfully ignorant to the risks shows an alarming level of disregard for self-preservation. 

1 hour ago, Gottfrid said:

15 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Attempting to slow to a stop on the shoulder also has risks

Not if the brakes still works.

Sure - lets play 'whatifery' now... 

'if something like this happens - maintain composure' (as you wrote earlier) - there is no sure fire course of action, no SOP as you want to imply, there are still too many variables... 

Maybe the driver in this case attempted to slow already and couldn't, hence his attempt to remove the object.

If something is in the footwell, it may or may not roll under the pedals - any action depends on the specific issue - whereas your comments seem 'fixed' on one solution which may not be possible depending on the individual situation and you are going down the rabbit hole of doubling down on that rather than thinking critically.

1 hour ago, Gottfrid said:

 

15 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

You think that provides any proof that I am a worse driver than you ?

YES, but you seem to be oblivious to that fact.

You have just highlighted why are you are solid example of the 'Dunning Kruger effect'.... I bet you think you are one of the best drivers on the roads...  Would you even admit there are better drivers ?  - I bet you don't even accept that statistics prove your driving standard is now entering decline due to your age and over the coming decade will get worse.

1 hour ago, Gottfrid said:

However, you very lucky guy, 4 accidents and blame others for 3 of them.

I didn't blame anyone - Insurance / Police did.

The three same accidents that were not my fault would happen to you in the same situation, but your immediate reaction to that comment will be to falsely believe you wouldn't be in any of those situations, further highlighting flawed thinking.

In all of your comments to criticise the Swedes actions with the sanctimony of 20/20 hindsight you omitted to mention that something should never have been 'present' to roll into the passengers footwell in the first place, thus missing the most important facet...   Clearly, you are not the excellent driver you think you are if you miss such points.

2 hours ago, PomPolo said:

Hahahaha Karma at it's best, I would have ran over his motorbike just for good measure

I think you might be the example of 'good farangs in, bad farangs out' that people keep discussing when idiotic behavior reaches the media !!!  

I was with Cigna for 3 years - through work...   I wanted to move to private cover when my contract ended.

I contacted Cigna on this matter a few times - they never bothered to respond - I wouldn't call that personal care !!!

11 hours ago, CharlieH said:

With over 40 years of experience, Cigna has built a reputation for combining global service with personal care. Whether you're moving for work, family, or adventure, Cigna offers the support you need for a healthy, worry-free life abroad.

That said, through the company cover was great - but when making a claim they sometimes wanted some 'daft' paper work which had me running around back to the hospital to get additional Dr's letters ( which ultimately cost them more as that cost went on the claim too ! )

14 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

Wait, you're saying gasoline isn't a gas.

Shouldn't it be called go-juice then?

Scroll up !!!

24 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

59 minutes ago, still kicking said:

Why do Americans call it gas? Unless it is LPG  

 

Isn't that a liquid?

Indeed...  Liquefied Petroleum Gas...  

Gas refers to the category of fuel, where as liquid / liquified refers to the state.

5 minutes ago, still kicking said:

Why do Americans call it gas? Unless it is LPG  

It is thought that as far back as the mid 1800's a British company marketed a fuel product under the name Cazeline (named after the inventor John Cassell). It is thought that this became adapted into gasoline in America....

.... and thus: Gas....

Where as in the UK Petroleum comes from Latin: petra (rock) + oleum (oil) - literally rock oil... 

.... and thus: Petrol....

1 hour ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

2 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

Thailand needs to hand out travel warnings to people then. Imagine them trying to make it a family friendly tourist destination with the caveat, oh by the way if you don't inch across crosswalks with extreme caution you may get killed because that's just how people are here. Seems like a pretty damn important issue for them address does it not?

 

That's a tough sell. They never admit their own failings, and will lie through gritted teeth in denial.

 

Embassies and consular services need to be very vocal about the dangers of travelling to Thailand.

Thailand doesn't need to hand them out - our own countries could put this advise in their travel advisory, but who really reads those ??...    So, any warnings or advisories are likely to go unnoticed.

If Embassies start getting very vocal, they will damage ties they have built and a major part of their mission is to develop ties with Thailand.

That said - this is a 'pretty damn important issue for Thailand to address' [road safety] - but as you mentioned, getting those in positions of authority and power to admit failings is a pretty tough sell.

A cultural shift is required, and perhaps thats part of the issue, for the safety culture in many Western nations results in people becoming desensitised and somewhat ignorant to the risks overseas - perhaps thats something we should take care of with the education in our home countries now that the world is so much smaller and the vast majority of folk will travel overseas - educate people that elsewhere its different.