drive slower

[Moonlover]

16 hours ago, JonnyF said:

The blacked out windscreens are more of an issue than people think.

 

1. You can't see if a stationary car has someone in the drivers seat so you can't judge if it's simply parked or if it might start moving any minute. Especially annoying as Thais don't normally indicate before they pull out into traffic.

2. You can't see through the car in front to see what the car ahead of that is doing. Which would be especially useful seeing as the car in front of you is probably only 50cm from the car in front of him.

3. When people know they can't be seen, they drive more selfishly (blocking other lanes, pushing in etc.).

4. You can't see who (or how many people) are in the car so it's difficult to decide whether it's a good idea to get involved in a violent road rage incident.

 

Just kidding about number 4, but I think driving habits would improve if police enforced the laws on how dark the tint can be.

Whilst you make some interesting, some might say novel points. you missed the most important one. The greatly reduced visibility that drivers have when sat behind a blacked out windscreen.

 

And that's especially true at night. I've never driven one, but I've been a passenger and I found the experience very disturbing. It was bad enough to convince me that I will only ride at night on well lit roads and always check my lights before the journey. Now that I live in the countryside that means minimal riding at night.

[DannyCarlton]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

Not correct, a couple of reasons they do it, one is speed to get ahead of the cars and two it's safer, if they are further back they will just have to overtake the cars sooner or later. I guess you don't ride a bike so don't understand. It's like the guys who hate cyclists also

Again, untrue. A scooter is far slower than my car in both acceleration and top speed.

 

Although I've ridden bikes on and off for most of my life, I don't ride scooters. In my world they're exclusively for the use of women to go shopping on.

[CharlieH]

3 minutes ago, DannyCarlton said:

Again, untrue. A scooter is far slower than my car in both acceleration and top speed.

Not in traffic ! you are restricted by space and what's in front, a bike usually isn't and can manouvre through etc.

[DannyCarlton]

Just now, CharlieH said:

Not in traffic ! you are restricted by space and what's in front, a bike usually isn't and can manouvre through etc.

Yes, restricted by what's in front, usually a scooter doing half the speed I would normally do.

[Moonlover]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

1 hour ago, DannyCarlton said:

Probably the most annoying thing that bikes can do in Thailand. All go well beyond the stop line (one law for bikes. one law for cars) spread themselves across the road and blockade cars when the lights turn green. A hazard for all as cars then have to pick their way through the slower moving scooters.

 

A typical Thai philosophy of complete lack of consideration/awareness of others.

 

 

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

Not correct, a couple of reasons they do it, one is speed to get ahead of the cars and two it's safer, if they are further back they will just have to overtake the cars sooner or later. I guess you don't ride a bike so don't understand. It's like the guys who hate cyclists also

When I lived in Udon Thani. I would always 'join the pack' at the front at a red light. I always went for a fast getaway (having checked for amber gamblers first) and even on my humble Click 125 I would reach the next lights well ahead of all but the speediest of 4 wheelers and most of the 2 wheelers as well. Much safer than being in the scrum that follows a green light

[MadMuhammad]

4 hours ago, guzzi850m2 said:

Yes riding slower is generally safer. I have to admit that after upgrading from a 650 to a 900cc bike I sometimes finding myself going way too fast and I force myself into slowing down.

If you want to ride fast, you have to pick your places carefully, no side sois, good view of the traffic ahead. Instead of riding super fast, I instead enjoy the superior acceleration that a big bike has.

Regarding tinted windows, we have it on the truck because my wife feel safer when she drives it alone, which she does 6 months per year when I am overseas working.

 

Safer? Just tell her to just lock the doors 

[VocalNeal]

2 hours ago, Moonlover said:

 

When I lived in Udon Thani. I would always 'join the pack' at the front at a red light. I always went for a fast getaway (having checked for amber gamblers first) and even on my humble Click 125 I would reach the next lights well ahead of all but the speediest of 4 wheelers and most of the 2 wheelers as well. Much safer than being in the scrum that follows a green light

On a motorcycle this is a way to stay safer. Always ride slightly faster than the rest of the traffic so that you are like likely to get interfered with by passing vehicles. 

 

But then again this is TV so at least one person will disagree.

[traveller101]

The safest way for me to get from A to B in outer suburbia or country-side is to follow slightly offset to the right or left in the slipstream of a big, bad, preferably black pick-up truck with bull bar and fancy lights and a "Danny Carlton" type driver behind the steering wheel, who acts

like an icebreaker and clears the lane(s) of any obstacles ahead.

[NanLaew]

6 hours ago, melvinmelvin said:

On 12/5/2019 at 9:45 AM, OneMoreFarang said:

I think it's not so much about speed. It's about expecting the unexpected all the time.

Sometimes speed is good, because it brings you fast far away from all the others.

I ride bikes in Bangkok now since about 20 years without any accident with more than walking speed. Obviously it can also happen to me. But I think most of the time I avoid trouble by anticipating all the bad things which others might do. And in doubt I don't do anything which could go wrong.

 

wow man,

you don't do anythinhg that could go wrong, Hmmm, king of the road are yoiu?

I think he's saying that he drives defensively and doesn't do anything that is illegal or has an outcome based on chance or luck. This would be acts such as shooting the gap, running the amber, under-taking, wrong-way or wrong side of road, illegal u-turn, turning the lights off, etc., etc..

 

It's not rocket surgery.

[NanLaew]

5 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

It's like the guys who hate cyclists also

What's to hate?

 

 

[NanLaew]

7 hours ago, guzzi850m2 said:

...Regarding tinted windows, we have it on the truck because my wife feel safer when she drives it alone, which she does 6 months per year when I am overseas working.

 

Safer from what? The sun?

 

Sorry, but I don't buy any claims to an improved sense of personal safety. It's just an excuse for the blacked out, non-confrontational, no loss of face anonymity that most locals need to fit in with society or excuse their lack of driving etiquette.

 

There's nothing better that allows the lower social strata in their body-kitted Honda Rollerskate to demand "Dont you know who I am?" than their blacked out glass.

[NanLaew]

5 hours ago, Moonlover said:

On 12/5/2019 at 11:28 AM, NanLaew said:

Then there's the head-whip as everything around him takes off with the ensuing manic pumping of the selector to get a gear before weaving all over the shop as he gives it right-hand laldy.

On an automatic Scoopy? That'll be a first!

I did say it was his girlfriend's Scoopy. He normally rides a Wave but the tire was flat this morning.

[kingofthemountain]

8 hours ago, guzzi850m2 said:

Regarding tinted windows, we have it on the truck because my wife feel safer when she drives it alone, which she does 6 months per year when I am overseas working.

Very strange as i have never heard of a case of car jacking here

Thailand is not Brazil

[NanLaew]

4 hours ago, DannyCarlton said:

5 hours ago, CharlieH said:

Not in traffic ! you are restricted by space and what's in front, a bike usually isn't and can manouvre through etc.

Yes, restricted by what's in front, usually a scooter doing half the speed I would normally do.

Perpetually conflicted, concerned and annoyed by what's in front of you and staying in front are we? It appears that you have been blighted by the lack of spatial awareness that most here would claim affects only the locals. Don't worry, iappens to most of the 'been there, done that' sort of farangs. All you need now is some heavily blacked out windows on your Fortuner.

[Nemises]

44 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

non-confrontational, no loss of face anonymity

We talking about tinted car windows... or TVF posters? 

[NanLaew]

5 hours ago, Moonlover said:

 

When I lived in Udon Thani. I would always 'join the pack' at the front at a red light. I always went for a fast getaway (having checked for amber gamblers first) and even on my humble Click 125 I would reach the next lights well ahead of all but the speediest of 4 wheelers and most of the 2 wheelers as well. Much safer than being in the scrum that follows a green light

Yes, much safer to do the pre-emptive jump on the front edge of the green and get broadsided by the well-after-the-amber-and-well-into-the-red gambler.

 

Are you sure you have ridden in Udon?

[NanLaew]

8 minutes ago, Nemises said:

58 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

non-confrontational, no loss of face anonymity

We talking about tinted car windows... or TVF posters? 

To paraphrase Dubya, "Bring it on!"

[DannyCarlton]

16 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Perpetually conflicted, concerned and annoyed by what's in front of you and staying in front are we? It appears that you have been blighted by the lack of spatial awareness that most here would claim affects only the locals. Don't worry, iappens to most of the 'been there, done that' sort of farangs. All you need now is some heavily blacked out windows on your Fortuner.

No. Just concerned about having to make my whole journey following a Thai family on a day out or a saleng carting a bag of plastic bottles from one end of Pattaya to the other. Thanks for the baseless insults, par for the course for you.

 

Edit. I don't drive a Fortuner or anything remotely resembling it.

 

 

[NanLaew]

2 minutes ago, DannyCarlton said:

No. Just concerned about having to make my whole journey following a Thai family on a day out or a saleng carting a bag of plastic bottles from one end of Pattaya to the other. Thanks for the baseless insults, par for the course for you.

Oh Danny... don't be such a wet blanket. Otherwise we may have to assume that your faster-than-anything-else 'farang battle cruiser' IS a Fortuner.

[DannyCarlton]

1 minute ago, NanLaew said:

Oh Danny... don't be such a wet blanket. Otherwise we may have to assume that your faster-than-anything-else 'farang battle cruiser' IS a Fortuner.

Assume what you like, you invariably make the wrong assumptions about me.

[NanLaew]

1 minute ago, DannyCarlton said:

Assume what you like, you invariably make the wrong assumptions about me.

I may well be guilty of wrong assumptions about what you drive but that's about all.

 

Never mind mate, you just keep on nudging motorbikes in front of you, splitting your sides and whatever else floats your boat.

[DannyCarlton]

2 hours ago, NanLaew said:

I may well be guilty of wrong assumptions about what you drive but that's about all.

 

Never mind mate, you just keep on nudging motorbikes in front of you, splitting your sides and whatever else floats your boat.

Sorry, I didn't realise that I needed your permission.

[Moonlover]

2 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Yes, much safer to do the pre-emptive jump on the front edge of the green and get broadsided by the well-after-the-amber-and-well-into-the-red gambler.

 

Are you sure you have ridden in Udon?

Rode in Udon Thani for three years and never had a single incident.  I do not do 'pre-emptive jumps' ever. Where did I say that?

[Moonlover]

10 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

At traffic lights, bikes should filter down the side and make their way to the front. Not a good idea to stay behind a car especially when lights have just turned red.

 

Probably twice the amount of thinking required riding a bike vs driving

I completely agree and have always done this way. The only time we've had an incident was when I hung back after foolishly listening to my wife. We slipped and came off after running over an oil slick.

 

Had I done it my way it would have been clearly visible to me and I'd have avoided it. I didn't see it because the crawling pick up in front of me masked my view of it.

 

From that day on I have never taken my wife's advice when riding and she's got the message now and keeps quiet.

[scubascuba3]

10 hours ago, DannyCarlton said:

Again, untrue. A scooter is far slower than my car in both acceleration and top speed.

 

Although I've ridden bikes on and off for most of my life, I don't ride scooters. In my world they're exclusively for the use of women to go shopping on.

This isn't about you but I'm guessing you are scared of riding a bike. Generally speaking the motorbikes will be quicker than the cars who are usually asleep when the lights go green

[DannyCarlton]

5 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

This isn't about you but I'm guessing you are scared of riding a bike. Generally speaking the motorbikes will be quicker than the cars who are usually asleep when the lights go green

Correct. In, Thailand I'm of the opinion that driving a car is much safer, particularly if it's a scooter. I rode a scooter for 8 weeks when I first came to Thailand. Buying a car quickly became a priority.

 

I don't sleep at the lights and a typical 125cc scooter is nowhere near as fast as my car. 10 metres maybe, 100 metres, no way.

[scubascuba3]

8 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

On a motorcycle this is a way to stay safer. Always ride slightly faster than the rest of the traffic so that you are like likely to get interfered with by passing vehicles. 

 

But then again this is TV so at least one person will disagree.

I'll disagree with you, i think it's safer to use other vehicles as shields, you at the front are a shield for the others from people pulling out at risky junctions

[NanLaew]

Some days you're the windshield, some days you're the bug.

[brokenbone]

1 hour ago, DannyCarlton said:

Correct. In, Thailand I'm of the opinion that driving a car is much safer, particularly if it's a scooter. I rode a scooter for 8 weeks when I first came to Thailand. Buying a car quickly became a priority.

 

I don't sleep at the lights and a typical 125cc scooter is nowhere near as fast as my car. 10 metres maybe, 100 metres, no way.

by the time we reach the other side of the intersection,

we are already at 50 km/h speed limit and stop accelerating

to honor traffic rules

[guzzi850m2]

5 hours ago, kingofthemountain said:

Very strange as i have never heard of a case of car jacking here

Thailand is not Brazil

Where did I write car jacking?

Well we gonna keep the window film no matter what people say here.

Waay off topic now which was about riding slower.