Riding madness: a true story

[Brunolem]

Yesterday evening, as I was busy watching a new episode of Billions, grandpa was making the rounds...not my grandpa mind you, but one of the many grandpas living in the village.

After having quite a few shots of lao khao, a.k.a. rocket fuel, being drunk and reeking of alcohol, he decided it was time to ride back to his farm, less than a ki!ometer away, with his 5 year old grandson sitting behind him.

Both of them wore no helmet, and at this point it must be said that grandpa has no licence and thus no insurance (just another regular rider).

Leaving the village, he reached the main road and since he just had to cover about a hundred meters before getting to the small dirt road leading to his farm, he decided to ride on the wrong side in order to avoid crossing the main road twice.

And then all hell broke loose!

His bike's front light somehow blinded a rider who was coming on the opposite side, himself having no front light on, no helmet and...being drunk!

There was a terrifying noise of crunching metal and bones...and then everyone was lying on the road.

Thankfully, the child was unarmed, protected by his grandpa's, who had passed out in the process.

The villagers were quickly on the scene, the police (located a few hundred meters away) and the ambulances not so.

There was some hysteria, with the child crying, thinking his grandpa was dead, even though he was only dead-drunk.

Finally, everyone was taken to the hospital, the grandpa suffering multiple fractures in the lower jaw, shoulder, arm...while the other rider was only superficially injured.

Then came the talking about the real serious issue: who was going to pay, for what and how much.

As a guarantee (to get paid at some point), the police had taken both mangled bikes to the station.

 

The morning after, as I am typing these lines, grandpa has recovered consciousness and is wondering what happened and why his jaw hurts like hell.

Meanwhile, the families are at the police station, debating about money and how to avoid prison for grandpa.

We will soon see how this ends up...

 

So, let's sum things up.

We have a guy riding a bike with no licence, no insurance, no helmet, with a child wearing no helmet as passenger, on the wrong side of the road, and drunk!!!

Back home in Europe, any single of these infractions would be enough to get you in a heap of trouble, but here in Alice in Wonderland country, all this will probably end up with a slap on the wrist...and the exchange of a few thousand baht!

 

Now, for those who wonder how this otherwise charming country came to be ranked number one in road fatalities, this story should help clarify any doubt...

[Odysseus123]

Just stay out of the way and when money is mentioned whistle Dixie..

 

"Look away..look away...drunken land."

 

I once had a terrific argument about a drunken 'Aunty" and her equally boozed up matronly mates climbing into a car..I lost..they crashed about a thousand yards down the road..

 

Two days later they wanted money to pay off their victims.

 

 

[Kwasaki]

2 hours ago, Brunolem said:

grandpa has no licence and thus no insurance

You mean no road tax disc so no insurance.

The other guy himself having no front light on, no helmet and...being drunk!

 

Sounds knock for knock to me for insurance and them being charged for drink driving.

Glad the boy's OK.

[catman20]

17 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

You mean no road tax disc so no insurance.

The other guy himself having no front light on, no helmet and...being drunk!

 

Sounds knock for knock to me for insurance and them being charged for drink driving.

Glad the boy's OK.

no ! Brunolem will be paying once they get a whiff of him in the village. 

good luck ?

[whaleboneman]

"Thankfully, the child was unarmed,"

 

Yes - otherwise there could have been shooting too!

[jesimps]

Yes they should both be hammered for drunk driving, but this riding the wrong way along roads has become the rule here rather than the exception. The first rule of the road must be that all the traffic moves in the same direction. The second rule should be that everyone stops at a red light. Drink makes it more likely that these rules will be ignored. Until the cops deal severely with the basics, then things will never improve.

[ostyan]

Sadly, it is not unheard of riding or driving stoned. Neither wrong lamps.

Sometimes I see the same teenagers after having something. ganja or Coke mix and ride a garbage as it were a perfect vehicle and they were clear. Very dangerous.

 

[thaiguzzi]

Excellent story.

Chaos and anarchy.

One of the many reasons I love this country.

 

[thaibeachlovers]

Unfortunately, can't instill common sense where there is none. I used to see loads of locals riding down a very badly potholed road using only one hand on the handlebars. Usually when on the phone, holding an umbrella when it was raining, or in the worst case, holding a new baby in one arm.

I don't live there anymore, but I'm sure it still happens.

My ex never used to wear a helmet till I made her.

[Brunolem]

1 hour ago, thaiguzzi said:

Excellent story.

Chaos and anarchy.

One of the many reasons I love this country.

 

Here is an interesting update...at least for members who are with Thai families...

 

Even though the Thais are covered for medical expenses by their "social security" system, this doesn't work in case of a traffic accident.

 

In this case, the public hospital expects the insurance of the victim to cover at least a part of the cost.

 

Since grandpa was not insured, as stated above, he or his family now have to pay 30,000 baht in medical expenses, a huge sum for these people who are already deeply undebted...

 

[maximillian]

Yesterday had to drive about 250 km, for the most part in heavy rain.

Nobody slowed down even a little bit, many without lights.

Overtaking like crazy, nobody ever kept a safe distance...

Is this a civilized country ?

[cornishcarlos]

18 minutes ago, maximillian said:

Is this a civilized country ?

 

Don't you read the news on here ?

It's the hub of civilization... There's not much Thailand can learn from all the other countries in the world...

[simon43]

Clearly the accident was Brunolem's fault - for being too selfish to run out and stop Grandpa from riding whilst drunk - just too busy watching Billions.

Shame on you :)

[Amplish]

30 minutes ago, maximillian said:

Yesterday had to drive about 250 km, for the most part in heavy rain.

Nobody slowed down even a little bit, many without lights.

Overtaking like crazy, nobody ever kept a safe distance...

Is this a civilized country ?

I have the exact opposite experience around Chiang Mai. Whenever there is a reasonable amount of rain people start slowing down and are hesitant to overtake, very sensible driving. They often don't turn on their lights though, even if it gets really dark during a thunderstorm.

[maximillian]

19 minutes ago, Amplish said:

I have the exact opposite experience around Chiang Mai. Whenever there is a reasonable amount of rain people start slowing down and are hesitant to overtake, very sensible driving. They often don't turn on their lights though, even if it gets really dark during a thunderstorm.

Good for you and Chiangmai.

Regards from Korat.

[JAFO]

2 hours ago, thaiguzzi said:

Excellent story.

Chaos and anarchy.

One of the many reasons I love this country.

 

Same here TG. Never a dull moment and the further out in bumfuknowhere one goes the chaos is even greater.  

 

Glad nobody died but doubt anyone learned anything.

 

Funny how most posters always think the Westerner will pay.  I wouldn't give up a 1/4 satang. I am not their insurance policy and never will be. 

[swissbie]

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Unfortunately, can't instill common sense where there is none. I used to see loads of locals riding down a very badly potholed road using only one hand on the handlebars. Usually when on the phone, holding an umbrella when it was raining, or in the worst case, holding a new baby in one arm.

I don't live there anymore, but I'm sure it still happens.

My ex never used to wear a helmet till I made her.

Not only when it's raining, also used as sun protection..

[Mansell]

Three  years ago I was involved with a delightful woman near Wichian Buri. She was a government nurse and ran a large clinic, and she constantly traveled all over Thailand for conferences. She was smart, intelligent, funny, and very good at her job. Commercial over. Her Thai husband was killed driving a scooter at night probably drunk, and drove into a stationary tractor in the countryside. Her thirteen year old son rode around on a scooter without a helmet......I tried to point out to her how dangerous it was, but she didn't get it at all. Her neighbor, a schoolteacher had just bought a car. One day she took us into Wichian Buri, and I asked my nurse girlfriend where this woman got her license as she was a horrible driver and I would not ride with her again as she was dangerous. She said the teacher had a friend in government who got her the license with no test. Two weeks later the nurse sent me pics of her teacher friend's car......she had driven it into the front of her house basically destroying the front of the new car, and it was half way into her living room. I responded, she confused the brake and the accelerator. She said, Yes, that is what happened. Could you imagine the carnage this woman could have created on the highway with her lack of driving training, and how many people she would have killed? Being driven by her I knew within a few hundred meters she didn't know how to drive.

[arithai12]

On 5/24/2018 at 11:47 AM, Brunolem said:

Now, for those who wonder how this otherwise charming country came to be ranked number one in road fatalities, this story should help clarify any doubt...

Not really, since no one died.

 

[arithai12]

deleted double post

[madusa]

9 hours ago, whaleboneman said:

"Thankfully, the child was unarmed,"

 

Yes - otherwise there could have been shooting too!

I thought the child was a handicap without arms (born without arms because mother took thalidomide painkiller during pregnancy).

[madusa]

5 hours ago, Mansell said:

Three  years ago I was involved with a delightful woman near Wichian Buri. She was a government nurse and ran a large clinic, and she constantly traveled all over Thailand for conferences. She was smart, intelligent, funny, and very good at her job. Commercial over. Her Thai husband was killed driving a scooter at night probably drunk, and drove into a stationary tractor in the countryside. Her thirteen year old son rode around on a scooter without a helmet......I tried to point out to her how dangerous it was, but she didn't get it at all. Her neighbor, a schoolteacher had just bought a car. One day she took us into Wichian Buri, and I asked my nurse girlfriend where this woman got her license as she was a horrible driver and I would not ride with her again as she was dangerous. She said the teacher had a friend in government who got her the license with no test. Two weeks later the nurse sent me pics of her teacher friend's car......she had driven it into the front of her house basically destroying the front of the new car, and it was half way into her living room. I responded, she confused the brake and the accelerator. She said, Yes, that is what happened. Could you imagine the carnage this woman could have created on the highway with her lack of driving training, and how many people she would have killed? Being driven by her I knew within a few hundred meters she didn't know how to drive.

I guess I may be wrong. The average thai thinks that driving is no big deal. Just get in the car and drive what is so difficult about driving. Can you really kill someone with a car?

[grollies]

7 hours ago, Mansell said:

she had driven it into the front of her house basically destroying the front of the new car, and it was half way into her living room.

Yeah, because that never happens in the west.

 

Ad nauseam.....

[toofarnorth]

On Friday, May 25, 2018 at 9:51 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

Unfortunately, can't instill common sense where there is none. I used to see loads of locals riding down a very badly potholed road using only one hand on the handlebars. Usually when on the phone, holding an umbrella when it was raining, or in the worst case, holding a new baby in one arm.

I don't live there anymore, but I'm sure it still happens.

My ex never used to wear a helmet till I made her.

Your last line. No mine never wore a hat , does now as I tell her " Have you forgotten something ? ".   It takes a while but keep reminding and in the end they know it makes sense .

[VocalNeal]

25 minutes ago, toofarnorth said:

Your last line. No mine never wore a hat , does now as I tell her " Have you forgotten something ? ".   It takes a while but keep reminding and in the end they know it makes sense .

Buy here a $1000 helmet from "German" that nobody else has. (actually French but...) 

 

 

 

or buy her a Hello Kitty helmet or similar gaudy coloured one that makes her look more special or cute.

 

She will wear it every time! 

Simply psychology.