Look Both Ways ! Yeah I Thought Knew That :)

[mania]

Today I am 100% sure I was a split second away from dead

I know look both ways & I thought I always do period.

But today I was at a small shop called CNX Motogear

On Chiangmai Lamphun road

https://www.facebook.com/cnxmotogear

Small two lane road with shops right at roadside.

After talking with the owner & looking around

Got on bike to leave. The shop was on the side of the road

in which direction ( my lane nearest to me ) I wanted to go.

I looked right no cars for a mile so pulled out turning left onto road.

In that instant I see the full face of one of those Silver touring vans

doing at least 60mph passing a row of cars & I swear no more than 20'

in front of me. I hit the left handle forward swerving left & swear I felt

such a rush of air off my right shoulder/arm.

The next 5-10 minutes all I could repeat to myself was Look Both Ways You KNOW this !!!

That I would say was the closest call I have ever had in decades of riding.

No room for error & only a healthy does of luck is the reason I am typing this.

Even now I cannot believe it.

I keep thinking why? how did I do that? The only thing I can think is the owner was so

nice he came out as I was getting on & said goodbye etc. So my mind may have been

still on him standing there. So looked right saw clear & pulled out.

Think I should go out now & buy a lottery ticket

[wantan]

Thank god, only a warning for you. Better not think about all that can happen. Good luck for lottery

[blackpanda]

It is good luck when you buy a new vehicle to buy a lottery number with the same numbers as your license plate.

You had good luck today.

[VocalNeal]

Mania,

I don't know where you are from but since I was very small, it was drilled into me and I think ALL my contemporaries:

Look right,

look left

and look right again

before crossing.

Same applies to motorcycles.

[loserlazer]

Oh man. What a close call!

Just visit a temple and let monks perform a rituel for you and for your bike!

I sometime look both sides twice here just in case.

Have safe rides from now on.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect App

[wantan]

Mania,

I don't know where you are from but since I was very small, it was drilled into me and I think ALL my contemporaries:

Look right,

look left

and look right again

before crossing.

Same applies to motorcycles.

But he wasn't crossing. Or i got it wrong

[cbrer]

Don't think in terms of 'luck'. It's nonsense.

Think that you were almost splattered by an ignorant piece of shit who doesn't care that he almost killed you, and is driving the exact same out there now. As are his brethren.

Consider it educational. Finish off the lesson by typing 'Head on motorcycle crashes' into google images and remember what you see next time you ride a bike on the roads here.

Edited January 3, 2013 by cbrer

[Hedghog]

You were distracted,thats all it takes.

[Briggsy]

Meanwhile the van driver on Thai Van Driver Forum, "The opposite lane was clear for miles so I pulled out to overtake a couple of cars and this motorbike pulls out from a shop whilst looking over his right shoulder and nearly drives into me." ****$£>>??,/!

But seriously glad you're still in one piece. We all get these reminders and close shaves from time to time.

[BSJ]

Death lurks around every corner in LOS. I've been riding for close to 50 years and I have never come across so many stupid/selfish/moronic vehicle operators since I moved here to live!

[poanoi]

It would have been a quick way without anxiety & pain,

still, there is something that dont feel right about it.

Wish you luck with that lottary

[mania]

Thanks for all the replies guys & yes like I said

what really got me was the fact that this is something I know

or thought I knew. I mean I have been riding for decades never a close call like this.

Of course as some of you have said these Silver Van drivers & the Lohr See Dang ( red Truck Taxi's )

Are the worst of the worst & I usually keep a vigilant eye on them...when I see them.

But today....wow what a wake up call.

You know in my days of racing I have come off of bikes doing over 70 miles an hour

flipping for what seemed like forever. Earth, Sky, Earth, Sky over & over.

Anyone who has come off at high speed knows what I mean.

But never in my motorcycling life have I ever felt close to being killed like I felt today.

Thanks again for all the replies. Some really did make me laugh out loud

[jpinx]

Don't buy that lottery ticket -- you just used up all your good luck for this year

[SantiSuk]

Even us car drivers, after many years of driving can probably recall that one occasion when they momentarily lost concentration and nearly lost it all. Makes those of us who survive it that much better drivers.

[rene123]

What do you mean... BOTH WAYS? You have to have eyes in the back of your head and look in ALL directions at once. You have to expect the unexpected and even then you can get in trouble.

[jpinx]

Even us car drivers, after many years of driving can probably recall that one occasion when they momentarily lost concentration and nearly lost it all. Makes those of us who survive it that much better drivers.

Survival of the fittest most awake

[poanoi]

Not necessarily.

There was once a bike taxi making a U-turn into my lane out from between some cars,

about 2 meters in front of me.

Had i NOT slam the brakes, she would go down but not me, since i got an 1100.

But i slammed the brakes until i stood on my front wheel, she got away and perhaps didnt even know, while i fell down when my bike landed, i couldnt keep the weight.

I wish i could learn NOT to brake when something get in my face,

without thinking & calculating, but rather speed up

Edited January 3, 2013 by poanoi

[cbrer]

There was once a bike taxi making a U-turn into my lane out from between some cars,

I love when tuk-tuks do that.

The way they suddenly turn on a dime without warning to cut across your lane fills my heart with joy.

[Neilly]

Thanks again for all the replies. Some really did make me laugh out loud

Took me ages to find this but:

You know you've been in Thailand too long when:

You think it’s normal to have a beer at 9:00 a.m.

You begin to enjoy Thai TV programs.

You look four ways before crossing a one way street.

You realize that ALL your problems are caused by Thai girls or cranky ATMs.

You put salt and chilli on your fruit

A Thai cop stops you for a minor infraction and you automatically reach for your wallet.

You think that a Honda Civic is a prestigious car.

All your tee-shirts are emblazoned with the name of some bar.

You can’t remember the last time you wore a suit and tie.

You think a polo shirt and jeans are formal attire.

Someone tells you that watching Thai politics is like watching two chameleons making love and you understand the analogy.

You aren’t upset when the bar girl next to you eats beetles as a snack.

Later the same night, you actually kiss the bar girl who earlier dined on the beetles.

You haven’t had a solid stool for five years.

You wake up in the morning and realize that you have nowhere to go and all day to get there.

You think white wine goes well with Som Tam.

You understand when your Thai wife says, ‘My friend you’ or ‘Same, same, but different.’

A Thai bar girl you’ve just met tells you that her mother is deathly ill and you just laugh and walk away.

You realize that your Thai wife’s loyalties belong to

1. Her parents.

2. Her brats from a previous marriage to a Thai scoundrel who deserted her.

3. Any remaining blood relatives.

4. The family buffalo.

5. The family’s goldfish.

6. You.

The Thai Navy buys a new submarine and you’re not surprised when the first thing they do is remove the mufflers and hang a garland from the rear view mirror.

You consider you mobile phone a fashion accessory.

You start wearing slippers everywhere

You start driving cars barefeet

You no longer enjoy Songkran. Instead, you stay home with a stack of videotapes.

You become an expert on buying and selling gold jewellery

Dogs become animals you'd rather kick than pet.

When driving a car you'll start using every free inch of the road.

You flash your 4 indicator lights when driving straight on at an intersection.

It’s two days before payday, so you only go to bars with balloons strung outside.

You realize that all the important words in Thai begin with the letter ‘S’. Sanuk (Fun), Saduak (convenient), Sabai (comfortable), Suay pretty).

You believe that buying a gold chain is an acceptable courtship ritual, or at least a form of foreplay.

You think a calendar more useful than a watch.

You go to a Thai Boxing match and a soccer game breaks out.

You stand in the shadow of a telephone pole while waiting for a bus.

[rene123]

It's been my experience that people everywhere will only wait a certain length of time and then go regardless of the situation or danger. And, very often they've already passed up safer moments to make their move.

[jpinx]

Thanks again for all the replies. Some really did make me laugh out loud

Took me ages to find this but:

You know you've been in Thailand too long when:

You think it’s normal to have a beer at 9:00 a.m.

You begin to enjoy Thai TV programs.

You look four ways before crossing a one way street.

You realize that ALL your problems are caused by Thai girls or cranky ATMs.

You put salt and chilli on your fruit

A Thai cop stops you for a minor infraction and you automatically reach for your wallet.

You think that a Honda Civic is a prestigious car.

All your tee-shirts are emblazoned with the name of some bar.

You can’t remember the last time you wore a suit and tie.

You think a polo shirt and jeans are formal attire.

Someone tells you that watching Thai politics is like watching two chameleons making love and you understand the analogy.

You aren’t upset when the bar girl next to you eats beetles as a snack.

Later the same night, you actually kiss the bar girl who earlier dined on the beetles.

You haven’t had a solid stool for five years.

You wake up in the morning and realize that you have nowhere to go and all day to get there.

You think white wine goes well with Som Tam.

You understand when your Thai wife says, ‘My friend you’ or ‘Same, same, but different.’

A Thai bar girl you’ve just met tells you that her mother is deathly ill and you just laugh and walk away.

You realize that your Thai wife’s loyalties belong to

1. Her parents.

2. Her brats from a previous marriage to a Thai scoundrel who deserted her.

3. Any remaining blood relatives.

4. The family buffalo.

5. The family’s goldfish.

6. You.

The Thai Navy buys a new submarine and you’re not surprised when the first thing they do is remove the mufflers and hang a garland from the rear view mirror.

You consider you mobile phone a fashion accessory.

You start wearing slippers everywhere

You start driving cars barefeet

You no longer enjoy Songkran. Instead, you stay home with a stack of videotapes.

You become an expert on buying and selling gold jewellery

Dogs become animals you'd rather kick than pet.

When driving a car you'll start using every free inch of the road.

You flash your 4 indicator lights when driving straight on at an intersection.

It’s two days before payday, so you only go to bars with balloons strung outside.

You realize that all the important words in Thai begin with the letter ‘S’. Sanuk (Fun), Saduak (convenient), Sabai (comfortable), Suay pretty).

You believe that buying a gold chain is an acceptable courtship ritual, or at least a form of foreplay.

You think a calendar more useful than a watch.

You go to a Thai Boxing match and a soccer game breaks out.

You stand in the shadow of a telephone pole while waiting for a bus.

Thanks for the light relief

I *did* laugh out loud at a couple of them, and I forwarded the lot to my daughters so they might get some idea of why I am here.

[blackpanda]

Now that I think about it I had a few close calls on my way to work these last two days.

The first one was on Wednesday when I was on my way home that I was making a turn when all of a sudden a scoot comes out shoot from the opposite lane and almost straight into my rear wheel. I just thought that that was a close call.

The next morning on my way bike to was a lady slams on her breaks because there was a passages truck trying to marge on to her, so she come to a complete stop and sit there for a few seconds until she decides she has the right away. In the mean time I'm break and sliding almost into her. As she begins to move along redlining my bike in rage about how stupidly dealt with the matter.

Oh and my wife gets mad at me because I get so mad about how stupid some people drive. She just says "it's Thailand, it's normal"

[nikster]

Not necessarily.

There was once a bike taxi making a U-turn into my lane out from between some cars,

about 2 meters in front of me.

Had i NOT slam the brakes, she would go down but not me, since i got an 1100.

But i slammed the brakes until i stood on my front wheel, she got away and perhaps didnt even know, while i fell down when my bike landed, i couldnt keep the weight.

I wish i could learn NOT to brake when something get in my face,

without thinking & calculating, but rather speed up

Hehehe, same thing happened to me once, I t-boned a scooter that popped out between the cars for a convenient U-turn. Nothing happened as I'd slowed down to a near halt at the time of impact - then I struggled to keep the bike upright for a few precious seconds, pulled with all I got, grrrrrr.......... stood, started, and off I went. The scooter had already continued on their merry way. No damage as only my front tyre touched.

In the LOS, look left, right, forwards, and backwards. And between the cars.

Two days ago a Vespa came at me in the middle of my lane, at speed. I didn't really know what to do as the rider did not show any intention to go back to their lane or at least get out of the way. I hit the brakes hard & almost stopped, neither moving left nor right. He didn't brake at all and narrowly avoided me. On my right! Had he hit me I'd have to say that would have been my first unavoidable accident. Nothing I could do better in that situation. If I go left or right, he might choose the same direction and we might end up in a head-on collision.

Edited January 3, 2013 by nikster

[RED21]

One of the worst close calls I had was today. <deleted> retard of a school van driver decides to drive in the opposite side of a narrow road while on a blind curve, which meant I could not see him. If I slammed the brakes too hard I'd probably end up doing a "stoppie" then go flying off into his windshield. On my left was a brick wall, so I could not avoid him by turning that side or I'd slam on the wall. The only course of action I thought taking was swerving into the side where he was supposed to be, I almost didn't make it. Would have lost it, but didn't want to make a scene, plus it happened just a few meters from work... Was glad me and mine came out unscathed from the incident so I just shook my head, made a low "wheew!" and went my way.

A few meters from home another retard in a new shiny white Vios decides the traffic is too slow for him (what does he expect it's the evening rush) and drives in the opposite side at "ramming speed", without even using his turn lights, luckily I had barely enough room on the left to avoid him.

[poanoi]

There was once a bike taxi making a U-turn into my lane out from between some cars,

I love when tuk-tuks do that.

The way they suddenly turn on a dime without warning to cut across your lane fills my heart with joy.

LOL !

[BirdsandBooze]

Some years ago in Holland I looked right, left right before turning right on to a main road and was nearly taken out by a speeding Volvo coming from the left. He avoided me. I'd momentarily forgotten that I wasn't in England, where I'd travelled from that very same day. One lapse in concentration can be fatal and here you can multiply the chances of an accident many times.

[VocalNeal]

Mania,

I don't know where you are from but since I was very small, it was drilled into me and I think ALL my contemporaries:

Look right,

look left

and look right again

before crossing.

Same applies to motorcycles.

But he wasn't crossing. Or i got it wrong

Sometimes one has to wonder at the intelligence of people on forums.

NO he wasn't crossing, neither was the van driver. But the same common sense rules apply that are taught to children in most societies. Had he looked to his right and then to his left and then to his right again, which is second nature to most, the indecent may not have happened.

Mania will not make the same mistake twice, I think.

[blackpanda]

^

Even though he doesn't make the same mistake again you know know when someone will be speeding right past where you are pulling out.

[SumetCycle]

It is good luck when you buy a new vehicle to buy a lottery number with the same numbers as your license plate.

You had good luck today.

My plate number came out in the lottery the day I got it. Didn't play it though. dam_n!

[mania]

^

Even though he doesn't make the same mistake again you know know when someone will be speeding right past where you are pulling out.

You know dropping my wife at work today I was still thinking about it &

I also thought exactly as you are saying here.

While riding to drop her off I was noting the road we were on today was exactly as the one yesterday

Remember I said shops right at road side?

So on the way today I see many of the same setup but also noted that many times a car is also parked forward

right at roadside of what ever shop went into.

I guess in hindsight that is another lucky thing about yesterday.

at least a car was not parked roadside so I could in fact swerve left back off the road.

This is within a few feet of where I pulled out

I was pulling into the lane that shows the red truck & pulled from that same side

Edited January 4, 2013 by mania