Maddening Drivers

[Kf6vci]

Have you noticed i) even some bus drivers let the clutch come too fast - so the gears will make a noise? And ii) why are they shifting up or don't shift down fast enough? Often, the tortured engine will vibrate and shudder - if I was the owner of that Baht Taxi, I would fire some drivers on the spot! Some drivers stay in 3rd gear...

[StrongView]

Good point. I'd like to also ask..does anyone know the reason that the drivers pump the gas pedal all the time while driving? Why not just push it, leave it and go? I was told once that it was a way they thought they could save petrol...but I dont see how. Plus, the savings in petrol would be far less than the cost of repairs from engine / gear wear. Can anyone shed some light on this?

[falong]

My favorite is the flashing of emergency lights while crossing an intersection. This means ''I going through this intersection so you better yield"

Also the flashing of bright lights in daytime. This means "I'm not going to slow down, I might be drunk, so stay clear!!"

In rayong i saw another beauty. They had decided to use flashing red lights at some of their intersections. I guess flashing yellows are not good enough.

What about the leaving the engine running at all costs? I saw one driver sleeping in his car with the engine running so he could have air con.

Saw one guy actually reading a newspaper while driving.

Every woman driver does her makeup while stopped at a red light

"duh Which way did he go?"

[penzman]

The "pumping the gas pedal" while driving...DRIVES me nuts. Your head keeps swaying back and forth and makes you car sick after a while. Sitting in the back seat, I counted how many times a driver did it within a minute, on the highway... 23!

[Insight]

In rayong i saw another beauty. They had decided to use flashing red lights at some of their intersections. I guess flashing yellows are not good enough.

As far as I can guess (because nobody's ever told me, because I don't think anybody really knows themselves), yellow means you have right of way but be careful, red means the crossing traffic has right of way.

In reality, doesn't make a blind bit of difference to anything though

[igotworms]

My favorite is the flashing of emergency lights while crossing an intersection. This means ''I going through this intersection so you better yield"

Also the flashing of bright lights in daytime. This means "I'm not going to slow down, I might be drunk, so stay clear!!"

In rayong i saw another beauty. They had decided to use flashing red lights at some of their intersections. I guess flashing yellows are not good enough.

What about the leaving the engine running at all costs? I saw one driver sleeping in his car with the engine running so he could have air con.

Saw one guy actually reading a newspaper while driving.

Every woman driver does her makeup while stopped at a red light

"duh Which way did he go?"

Quite simple:

Flashing red = stop (i.e. treat it as a stop sign)

flashing yellow = yield (i.e. to oncoming traffic)

[chingy_]

Also the flashing of bright lights in daytime. This means "I'm not going to slow down, I might be drunk, so stay clear!!"

this is true, back in the state on California freeway if you are on the fast lane and driving slow people will flash you to move aside, also at intersection they will flash to let you know that im coming fast so don't try, we also flash each other with opposite direction to warn that there are a highway patrol sitting in the bushes, thai people have a habbit of sneaking out of intersection very slowly hoping the other driver would slow down for them to come out, damnn i hate that the most.

[Gazza]

Good point. I'd like to also ask..does anyone know the reason that the drivers pump the gas pedal all the time while driving? Why not just push it, leave it and go? I was told once that it was a way they thought they could save petrol...but I dont see how. Plus, the savings in petrol would be far less than the cost of repairs from engine / gear wear. Can anyone shed some light on this?

I'm not sure, but for the likes of big buses and trucks the driver has to double de-clutch when changing gears. So pumping the gas pedal helps keep up the revs relative to the speed of the vehicle for when the gear is engaged.

I do it myself (rev the engine) on my m/c when climbing a steep hill with a heavy passenger.

Gazza

[Begs]

What about the leaving the engine running at all costs? I saw one driver sleeping in his car with the engine running so he could have air con.

Ummm, it would hit 50c in no time without aircon, i would also sleep in my car with the aircon on.

Falong, i like your avatar for some reason......maybe i am warped....but i like it!

[Axel]

Saw one guy actually reading a newspaper while driving.

Where else can I read my newspaper?

I do it all the time. OK, not when driving 50 kmh but rather when doing 4 km in two hours.

[Totster]

Falong, i like your avatar for some reason......maybe i am warped....but i like it!

looks like a "purple shirt wearer" to me

[Darlek]

my guess is that the engine is badly out of tune and needing essential maintenance.

so they keep pumping the gas to keep it running ! (note the thick smoke at the pipe)

on buses the seat is collapsing and all the pedals are mangled and out of reach of the driver , the brakes are most likely not too hot.

[Simbo]

I know many Thais appear to be dickheads, but I, myself would not sit in the car for a prolonged period with the engine turned off. Begs is right, in no time it would be 50c. Thank god for a/con, how they managed before, Buddha only knows.