middle aged westerners

[SAFETY FIRST]

I was riding my PCX down soi buakhao the other day, stuck behind a slow-moving baht bus, as I waited slowly riding I heard one of those annoying loud scooters behind so I passed the baht bus swiftly pulling over to the left to allow the Thai rider to pass. To my amazement, it was middle aged, bald, westerner riding his blinged-up Aerox with his family (wife and child) onboard, none wearing a helmet...... you'd reckon he'd be riding in a safe manner with his family as pillion. I had to laugh as he passed as I thought it was one of the funniest/silliest things I've seen for quite some time.
Seriously, this was not a funny sight, why is it that there seems to be so many middle-aged western guys not wearing helmets, sadly many elderly/geriatric men are also not wearing helmets. 
We see the Thais not wearing helmets, the Thais have not had the education we westerners have been given, I can only assume all of those westerners not wearing helmets have no education. 

[from the home of CC]

I see this in Hua Hin often especially when school lets out. IMO western education is vastly overrated..

[EricTh]

Whenever there is a big bike around, you can be assured 95% of the time, they will be westerners.

 

Furthermore, they will be the first ones to zoom at top speed (over the speed limit) once the traffic lights go green endangering other people.

 

These uneducated people don't care about the traffic rules in Thailand.

[mr mr]

momma says life's like a box of chocolates. 

[kingofthemountain]

6 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

I was riding my PCX down soi buakhao the other day, stuck behind a slow-moving baht bus, as I waited slowly riding I heard one of those annoying loud scooters behind so I passed the baht bus swiftly pulling over to the left to allow the Thai rider to pass. To my amazement, it was middle aged, bald, westerner riding his blinged-up Aerox with his family (wife and child) onboard, none wearing a helmet...... you'd reckon he'd be riding in a safe manner with his family as pillion. I had to laugh as he passed as I thought it was one of the funniest/silliest things I've seen for quite some time.
Seriously, this was not a funny sight, why is it that there seems to be so many middle-aged western guys not wearing helmets, sadly many elderly/geriatric men are also not wearing helmets. 
We see the Thais not wearing helmets, the Thais have not had the education we westerners have been given, I can only assume all of those westerners not wearing helmets have no education. 

You are probably right, some of the westerners here in Pattaya

are obviously without any decent education

[Traubert]

I occasionally see, on Soi Buakhao, an oldie with a baldy napper and thin wispy ponytail trying to get his Hardly Dangerous onto the stand.

 

I just think 'give it up mate.'

[Kwasaki]

Thanks for the laugh from the uneducated scooter & m/c riders posting in Thailand. ????

[kingofthemountain]

3 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Thanks for the laugh from the uneducated scooter & m/c riders posting in Thailand. ????

i think it has nothing to do with riding a motorcycle or not

in fact most of them are just walking, but a dumb is a dumb

and Pattaya has a decent percentage in the lot, no doubt about it

[CharlieH]

If you wish this topic to remain open, you need to STOP the generalised flamefest.

[OneMoreFarang]

Most of the time I and my gf wear a helmet. But not 100% of the time.

I.e. maybe we ride 300m around the block to the coffee shop without helmet.

I don't think that is a BIG problem. Most of us don't act 100% perfect all the time. And it Thailand that is possible - good luck for that.

[Kwasaki]

1 minute ago, kingofthemountain said:

i think it has nothing to do with riding a motorcycle or not

in fact most of them are just walking, but a dumb is a dumb

and Pattaya has a decent percentage in the lot, no doubt about it

Well maybe that's what you see in a place like Pattaya. 

Here where I am there are Thai big bike riders who are very responsible. 

Already what I really would like to say would get me a holiday. ????

[kingofthemountain]

2 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Most of the time I and my gf wear a helmet. But not 100% of the time.

I.e. maybe we ride 300m around the block to the coffee shop without helmet.

I don't think that is a BIG problem. Most of us don't act 100% perfect all the time. And it Thailand that is possible - good luck for that.

You might think isn;t a problem however the statistics are against you

it seems most of the road accidents occurs in an area close to home

on a regular and well know travel, like home to work or home to school

(I have to search the link, but i read it few years ago)

[EricTh]

6 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Most of the time I and my gf wear a helmet. But not 100% of the time.

I.e. maybe we ride 300m around the block to the coffee shop without helmet.

I don't think that is a BIG problem. Most of us don't act 100% perfect all the time. And it Thailand that is possible - good luck for that.

 

It's alright if you don't wear a helmet if your destination is just around the neighbourhood.

 

But one thing that irks me is those big bike riders who rev up their engines once the traffic lights go green zooming at top speed.

 

Thai people (whether pedestrians or motorcyclists) are known to come out of nowhere and can cause a serious accident.

 

 

[kingofthemountain]

Just now, Kwasaki said:

Well maybe that's what you see in a place like Pattaya. 

Here where I am there are Thai big bike riders who are very responsible. 

Already what I really would like to say would get me a holiday. ????

Yes Pattaya has a special ''customers'' base.

However like i said even here in Pattaya the big bikes drivers are not

really the problem, i agree with you most of them, Thais and foreigners, are very responsible

(A big bike is a lot of money and a lot of passion too, nobody in his right mind want to lose 

all of it in a stupid accident)

But as usual there are still few bad apples in the basket, and there are the most noticeable

[uncleP]

In some countries  riding with a helmet is a choice not a law. Personally I always wear one , although it did not save my Thai GF in 2006 when a small truck ran over her head ????

[Kwasaki]

2 minutes ago, uncleP said:

In some countries  riding with a helmet is a choice not a law. Personally I always wear one , although it did not save my Thai GF in 2006 when a small truck ran over her head ????

Nor would a helmet. 

[Surelynot]

21 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Most of the time I and my gf wear a helmet. But not 100% of the time.

I.e. maybe we ride 300m around the block to the coffee shop without helmet.

I don't think that is a BIG problem. Most of us don't act 100% perfect all the time. And it Thailand that is possible - good luck for that.

75% of all road accidents occur within 5 miles of home......I'd consider moving.

[RichardColeman]

47 minutes ago, mr mr said:

momma says life's like a box of chocolates. 

Maybe, but sometimes life gives you the 'Crunchy Frog'

[Pottinger]

Flash - life is dangerous and there are irresponsible people about. Who knew?

[uncleP]

15 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Nor would a helmet. 

She was wearing a helmet. it kept her intact but did nor prevent her receiving enough pressure to be instantly fatal. She looked normal apart from a little blood from her ears. They stole her gold also. Interestingly this happened in my first year of living here. Her funeral  was something  else where I had to actually set fire to her and pick through her ashes the next day to collect the pieces of unburned bone which were placed in a family tomb .  In the UK death is very sanitized unlike here.

[RJRS1301]

53 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

I see this in Hua Hin often especially when school lets out. IMO western education is vastly overrated..

Especially for those with an acqired brain injury from no helmet in a collison

 

[OneMoreFarang]

26 minutes ago, kingofthemountain said:

You might think isn;t a problem however the statistics are against you

it seems most of the road accidents occurs in an area close to home

on a regular and well know travel, like home to work or home to school

(I have to search the link, but i read it few years ago)

I am aware of that statistic.

But should we all really all the time do everything to lower risks?

Riding a bicycle, crossing a street as pedestrian, there are always risks. And lots of accidents happen at home in the kitchen...

Recently on TV was an article about smoking and passive smoking and that risk.

I am sure living in Bangkok and breathing that air is a risk.

It should be everybody's own decision which risks we take and how often. Even if try to live risk-free there still will be lots of risks which we can't avoid.

[Surelynot]

5 minutes ago, Pottinger said:

Flash - life is dangerous and there are irresponsible people about. Who knew?

I bet Flash already knew that.

[RJRS1301]

3 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I am aware of that statistic.

But should we all really all the time do everything to lower risks?

Riding a bicycle, crossing a street as pedestrian, there are always risks. And lots of accidents happen at home in the kitchen...

Recently on TV was an article about smoking and passive smoking and that risk.

I am sure living in Bangkok and breathing that air is a risk.

It should be everybody's own decision which risks we take and how often. Even if try to live risk-free there still will be lots of risks which we can't avoid.

In ageing there is a fundalmental right, in the "Dignity of Risk" also for the competent to make their own decisons, even bad ones

[kingofthemountain]

21 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I am aware of that statistic.

But should we all really all the time do everything to lower risks?

Riding a bicycle, crossing a street as pedestrian, there are always risks. And lots of accidents happen at home in the kitchen...

Of course each on his own

i have already seen enough of my friends and family members to die around me

to minimize for myself (And the others) the risks that are easily avoidable

like to chose to wear an helmet (And to force my passenger to do the same)

as soon as i am on a scooter or a motorbike

[Lacessit]

I've found it seems to be mainly Americans that don't wear helmets, they regard it as an infringement on their personal freedom.

I can still remember when wearing seatbelts became compulsory in Australia, and I visited America about a year afterwards. Every American I met then was incredulous such a law could exist in a democracy.

I guess that's why the same insistence on personal liberty has had such tragic consequences during a pandemic.

[Kwasaki]

31 minutes ago, uncleP said:

She was wearing a helmet. it kept her intact but did nor prevent her receiving enough pressure to be instantly fatal. She looked normal apart from a little blood from her ears. They stole her gold also. Interestingly this happened in my first year of living here. Her funeral  was something  else where I had to actually set fire to her and pick through her ashes the next day to collect the pieces of unburned bone which were placed in a family tomb .  In the UK death is very sanitized unlike here.

I'm very sorry you had to live through that, I to have lost loved ones and dear people to road accidents. RIP. 

[VocalNeal]

3 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

I was riding my PCX..............  westerner riding his blinged-up Aerox ........

 

Not jealousy I hope?

[Cricky]

59 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

 

Not jealousy I hope?

Not at all.

Over the the many years living in Thailand I have owned 3 proper motorbikes, all 1000cc and above.

 

The guy obviously is on a budget, the Aerox is a cheap bike, its much cheaper than a PCX.

[Natai Beach]

5 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

I can only assume all of those westerners not wearing helmets have no education. 

 

I went to school but I can’t remember motor scooter helmet education. 
Most of the time I see farangs on motorbikes in Khok Kloy/Natai Beach they are not wearing helmets. Most of the Thais don’t bother either. I usually don’t bother either, usually drive a car, only use the bike for small trips up the shop, local market. 

 

i rode a BMX on roads, over jumps and ramps when I was a kid. It wasn’t a law to wear a helmet then. Never bothered then either. I survived.

 

Dont always wear a seatbelt either.