Whilst riding either my bicycle or motorbike, I find it very frustrating, people are always walking in the middle of the road!

On the bicycle today, coming down Soi bouhkao, towards subway, there were 3 men side by side walking in the middle of the road, basically taking up one lane.

I had 2 choices attempt to go round them, without hitting a baht bus, or colliding with a motorbike.

Or

Attempt to drive through them.

I chose the latter, I actually ended up clipping one of them with the handlebar, it wasn't on purpose but they were in the way. The guy wasn't to pleased.

I know there are no pavements for pedestrians, but it really annoys me how they actually walk in the middle of the road, they pay no attention to vehicles behind and if it comes to a small collision or a near miss, it's the drivers fault.

Be careful OP...you will always be at fault!

Take the good with the bad .... It's a live and let live culture.

Or you could have slowed down until the baht bus had gone and then you wouldn't have clipped anyone.

Lucky you weren't driving a car. Then what would u have done?

I had 2 choices attempt to go round them, without hitting a baht bus, or colliding with a motorbike.

Or

Attempt to drive through them.

You had three choices.

Wait for the bus to pass. Just saying.

Lucky you weren't driving a car. Then what would u have done?

Run the b*}|>%}ds over.

It's easy to say, wait for the bus, do this do that. At the end of the day 3 men, took over one lane of the road, would you really want to ride a bicycle into on coming traffic, on Soi boukhaow on a market day.

Try riding around Pattaya on a motorcycle and every time someone or something pisses you off just smile, you end up riding around smiling all the time, works a treat and people start smiling back its a win win situation.

Does your bicycle have a bell?

You could shout 'Rawang rawang' in a cheery voice and with a smile. That worked for me

Simon

why dont you ride on the pavement like the thai's do.

It is your responsibility to accommodate the pedestrians. Getting from A to B quickly is not an acknowledged priority here. It's all about the journey not the destination, jai yen yen.

Or move to a country that values efficiency and safety.

Easy...buy a big mercedes, black out the windows, put some police or army emblems on it and drive over who ever gets in your way...you can even drive into a bus stop if you want....big mercedes...blacked out windows...get out of jail for free...

It is your responsibility to accommodate the pedestrians. Getting from A to B quickly is not an acknowledged priority here. It's all about the journey not the destination, jai yen yen.

Or move to a country that values efficiency and safety.

Oh come "Johnny"...didnt think you would be that low to use the :"if you dont like it leave line"....that line is for the real bottom feeders who dont have 2 brain cells to rub together

Road rage on a bicycle.... LOL.

Do the Thai version of the old game....

Knock down yai....1 point

Knock down yai with small child....2 points

Knock down fast moving kid.....3 points

Knock down teenager......4 points

Skittle out 3 pedestrians at same time.....5 points

Knock down policeman directing traffic....6 points

Run songthaew off the road.....7 points

Run tuk tuk off road....8 points ( good luck with that )

Run bus off the road....9 points

And the ultimate prize.......

Run down a grocery carrying Jingthing....10 points

( 5 bonus points if you manage to avoid the jar of pickles he will launch at you )

See, don't regard it as a a burden, every day is a new game

Enjoy!!

Do the Thai version of the old game....

Knock down yai....1 point

Knock down yai with small child....2 points

Knock down fast moving kid.....3 points

Knock down teenager......4 points

Skittle out 3 pedestrians at same time.....5 points

Knock down policeman directing traffic....6 points

Run songthaew off the road.....7 points

Run tuk tuk off road....8 points ( good luck with that )

Run bus off the road....9 points

And the ultimate prize.......

Run down a grocery carrying Jingthing....10 points

( 5 bonus points if you manage to avoid the jar of pickles he will launch at you )

See, don't regard it as a a burden, every day is a new game

Enjoy!!

What about passengers waiting at a bus stop ?

Do the Thai version of the old game....

Knock down yai....1 point

Knock down yai with small child....2 points

Knock down fast moving kid.....3 points

Knock down teenager......4 points

Skittle out 3 pedestrians at same time.....5 points

Knock down policeman directing traffic....6 points

Run songthaew off the road.....7 points

Run tuk tuk off road....8 points ( good luck with that )

Run bus off the road....9 points

And the ultimate prize.......

Run down a grocery carrying Jingthing....10 points

( 5 bonus points if you manage to avoid the jar of pickles he will launch at you )

See, don't regard it as a a burden, every day is a new game

Enjoy!!

What about passengers waiting at a bus stop ?

Jackpot!!!

Do the Thai version of the old game....

Knock down yai....1 point

Knock down yai with small child....2 points

Knock down fast moving kid.....3 points

Knock down teenager......4 points

Skittle out 3 pedestrians at same time.....5 points

Knock down policeman directing traffic....6 points

Run songthaew off the road.....7 points

Run tuk tuk off road....8 points ( good luck with that )

Run bus off the road....9 points

And the ultimate prize.......

Run down a grocery carrying Jingthing....10 points

( 5 bonus points if you manage to avoid the jar of pickles he will launch at you )

See, don't regard it as a a burden, every day is a new game

Enjoy!!

What about passengers waiting at a bus stop ?

Jackpot!!!

Correct!!....it makes every day eventful and exciting

Oh come "Johnny"...didnt think you would be that low to use the :"if you dont like it leave line"....that line is for the real bottom feeders who dont have 2 brain cells to rub together

My point is that we need to adjust ourselves to reality as it presents itself. The problem the OP presented isn't going to yield no matter what he does as long as he chooses to remain living where he is and traveling the way he does.

IMO the best solution is to adjust one's attitude and relax about the differences that aren't actually important, trying to get from A to B here as efficiently as possible just isn't important enough to justify relocating nor investing in a Merc, IMO even less realistic for most than leaving the country.

People have rushed to the conclusion that the three gentlemen the OP rode through were Thai. Given the location of the incident, I suspect it's much more likely they were fat, bald, drunk and penniless westerners.

(In which case we would need to amend the points tally on theblether's game. Downwards).

Pedestrian walk on the road either because

- the footpath has become a shopping tunnel covered by sheets of plastic with an alley that narrows every day, which means that everytime an old lady goes in there or someone has the great idea to want to buy or even look at something everyone going each way has to queue and wait until it's over to just get to where they are trying to go

- motorbikes, have decided that one way road can just be ridden anyway by using the footpath and beeping anyone that dares being in their way.

For the very first time - and most likely the last - I find myself in agreement with aneliane.

It feels odd.

Pedestrian walk on the road either because

- the footpath has become a shopping tunnel covered by sheets of plastic with an alley that narrows every day, which means that everytime an old lady goes in there or someone has the great idea to want to buy or even look at something everyone going each way has to queue and wait until it's over to just get to where they are trying to go

- motorbikes, have decided that one way road can just be ridden anyway by using the footpath and beeping anyone that dares being in their way.

Or, as the OP has mentioned there isn't a pavement on that soi

I usually slow down for people strolling, but for vehicles not observing the right of way, in the rare cases I am driving myself I do tend to 'educate' folks as to who has the right of way. When folks aren't quite sure about the value of a vehicle, they usually either A) assume they can't afford to have it fixed (which is often true) and will quickly yield or B ) assume the person driving is way more important than them (not true in this case) and will quickly yield.

Road rage on a bicycle.... LOL.

Whats he going to do...beat the offenders to death with his bicycle pump..?....

pedestrians are not that bad, at least they bother to move away.

its those dam_n cars that park at the side despite the road being so dam narrow and jam up the traffic. but come to think again, who can blame them where there is no parking within the row of shop houses

OP, the simple solution was to slow down, wait for your opportunity and then pass them. It's about responsible riding too. Never forget you are driving a deadly weapon at speed and a collision could more than likely kill or at the least seriously injure somebody.

It probably would have cost you 10 seconds in time to wait.

Bangkok should bring in a system like Singapore where purchasing the certificate - very limited in number - that gives you the privilege of using a private car in the city, costs as much or more than the car does.

People have rushed to the conclusion that the three gentlemen the OP rode through were Thai. Given the location of the incident, I suspect it's much more likely they were fat, bald, drunk and penniless westerners.

....

Excuse me? I am not fat and bald and John is a teetotaler. Graham however was able to call '<deleted>!' at the wally on the bike that nearly ran up our <deleted>.

[media=]

[/media]