Why Don'T People Give Each Other Way

[DowntownAl]

Several posters have said they have experienced a Thai purposely veering into them or, in some cases charging at them. I find that odd in my experience. Albeit I'm not a little guy (6'1” - 220) but, I have not seen this sort of thing outside North America. It happens in Toronto, NYC, Chicago etc. but personally, in regards to Asia, I haven't seen it here either in Chiang Mai, Manila, Hong Kong or Tokyo. I will always “share” the space, meaning I will give up half and they should, and usually do, reciprocate. If there is a minor collision, offer a light moving on apology and get on with your day. If it's a crowd of partiers I tend to turn it into a football (American style) play, rugby players will also understand, look for the seam up the middle, put a shoulder down, and go for it. You can meet some very nice people that way.

Edited July 9, 2012 by DowntownAl

[arthurwait]

It just seems a large number of Thais just seem to take absolutely no notice of what's going on around them whether walking or driving or anything. Maybe heat has something to do with it or it's just they've never been taught anything else.

I especially noticed this a few weeks back when I was the only person who noticed a coach trying to drive away with a man and his motorbike trapped underneath the front fibre glass valence. The driver was too much of an idiot or drunk to stop his coach and get off and look what was stuck under his coach and see what was causing him difficulty in driving away.

I was 40 metres away while there must have been at least 20 people 10 - 20 metres away who never saw it and that includes while I ran the 40 metres shouting at the coach driver to stop.

Mobile phones and I-pads have just made this even worse. People who stop on the steps of the BTS to read their phones and expect everyone just got off the train to wait behind them while they do.

Drink probably pays its part as well for some either currently drunk or still feeling the effects of the previous night.

Then there seems to be the new money brigade in the shopping centres or in their little toyota on HP that they suddenly think means they are more important than others.

There was one occassion though once when a group of 10 or so teenage lads were walking towards me taking up the whole pavement when one of them saw me and told some of them to move out the way and his jestures were for his friends to pay more attention.

Then there's the gay guys and ladyboys who see a blondish haired, blue eyed lad coming and purposely change their path to walk into me or slow down if in front to try and get me to walk into them. Depending on my mood this either makes me chuckle or pissed off.

[Bagwan]

The best way to navigate a crowded sidewalk is to look far ahead and keep walking to the location.

Perzactly. Driving past the temple and market on Pattaya Tai at almost any hour is best done with headlights on main beam and usually a clear path opens up as if by magic.

[mr3cho]

Oh reminds me of when I was walking through the streets of London at night a few years back with a female friend, when a group of drunk guys walking arm in arm plowed right into my friend. I turned and shouted out some obscenities with fists clenched and soon saw that I was outnumbered 5-to-1. Scared but ready to start throwing but she pulled me away as I most-certainly would have gotten my ass kicked. I blamed that on the English culturally not wanting to lose face

[metisdead]

Some inflammatory insulting posts have been removed.

[canuckamuck]

Navigating the streets is nothing compared to the malls.

I am working on a theory that a large number of people in the malls are actually computer generated and are programmed to meander in nonsensical erratic patterns. I also believe the stores have set these AI characters on the slowest setting, Maybe to keep us from getting through the store too quickly. It definitely works.

The same people design the escalator routes which cause you to walk at least 100 meters per floor when it is possible to set them up so you only have to walk 1 or 2.

Edited July 9, 2012 by canuckamuck

[transam]

Navigating the streets is nothing compared to the malls.

I am working on a theory that a large number of people in the malls are actually computer generated and are programmed to meander in nonsensical erratic patterns. I also believe the stores have set these AI characters on the slowest setting, Maybe to keep us from getting through the store too quickly. It definitely works.

The same people design the escalator routes which cause you to walk at least 100 meters per floor when it is possible to set them up so you only have to walk 1 or 2.

Perhaps you are right but when l am in Tesco's and Two natives trolleys are blocking the isle, l wait, they know l am there but nothing happens, THEN, l say, BEEP, BEEP, swadikup.. They move.

[canuckamuck]

It is very advanced programming.

[transam]

It is very advanced programming.

Me or them.?

[canuckamuck]

definitely them

Edited July 9, 2012 by canuckamuck

[bendejo]

Giving anything, even just an inch, is a sign of submission.

And weakness.

Edited July 9, 2012 by bendejo

[transam]

Giving anything, even just an inch, is a sign of submission.

Giving anything, even just an inch, is a sign of submission.

Sounds like one for JT.

[KeyserSoze01]

I remember many years ago, when I was still coming for holidays, before I moved to Bangkok, I was barged into by a particularly large Thai on Victory Monument walkway. When I asked him why he'd done it, he said I was moving through the crowd like some sort of untouchable God, treating the locals with complete disdain!

He was right, it's an easy trap to fall into when one first comes to Thailand. A very useful reminder to keep humility to the fore.

Complete and total BS. You believe that crap?

So how do you deal with it?

If they are being completely ignorant of those around them and are being a twit about it, I'll walk right through them.

[Beetlejuice]

Because basically people are primates and this is only human nature.

When out and about either driving or as a pedestrian, people only see others as an inconvenience and obstacles that are invading they’re space and believe that they have a priority to press ahead more than anyone else.

It`s an established fact that if two monkeys are placed in a small container and then that container is shaken about involving the monkeys being pushed or thrown against each other, that they will fight.

The same applies to humans if placed into crowed environments, and although we manage to constrain our natural instincts to fight and push these obstacles out of our way, we still have the pent up feelings of hostilities inside us and I’m sure that if we were armed with a device that on the press of a button everyone around us would be vaporised and disappear, we would use it.

On the whole this just means that people are not very nice.

[dingdang]

with the monkeys... then it has to do with the EQ, (too)...

[BngkkB]

What about escalaters? Getting off of one and stopping to look around, boggles the mind. Never a thought that the people still on the escalater can not stop.

I have found although some Asian people will slow down or stop to look around when getting off the escalater is a bit bothersome, what really gets me are the middle eastern people that stand in front of the escalater and chat. Absolutely no regard to the fact that are blocking it.

[eeeya]

Saw a pile up at the airport. People stopped at the end of the moving walkway and dawdled around while the people behind crashed into them toppling over their luggage cart, then tripping over the cart and started rolling around on the end of the walkway on their backs.

Security sprinted over to hit the emergency stop.

Amazing to watch

(Notice how I didn't point the finger at any particular nationality)

Sent from my HTC One X using Thaivisa Connect App

[VocalNeal]

The best way to navigate a crowded sidewalk is to look far ahead and keep walking to the location.

+1

[F1fanatic]

I've noticed the same thing.

Being polite (and moving aside immediately when there is someone nearby coming in the opposite direction) I'm always suprised that nobody else does the same.

Its always pleasant when the odd person smiles and acknowledges my moving to the side though.

Westerners are often as bad as Thais in this respect.

[canuckamuck]

Being Canadian, I move out of the way even when it is not necessary.

[eeeya]

...and go to the right when picking a side to pass. Left results in awkward side stepping

[NBD]

I don't over-analyse it - it's basic rudeness.

Same as they will barge straight into people exiting a lift or BTS to try and get in, same as they will stop their car across a junction preventing anyone from turning into it, same as they will slam a door shut into an old woman or someone carrying a baby. They are convinced they are being as polite as is humanly possible if they follow a set of learned rules about saying pee, norng, lung, plaa etc and remember their khas, krubs, naa, jaa and noys, and thus basic consideration and civility to those around them is completely unnecessary.