What are the zebra crossing in Bangkok made for?

[mikemac]

Zebra crossings indicate to motorists that it is an open speed section of road, and for pedestrians to beware as the traffic in the striped area is out of control.

[Krataiboy]

Zebras.

[indyuk]

Zebra Xings in Bangers are allotments for testing the drying speed of white paint.

[tw25rw]

You can always tell a newbie to Thailand when they step right out into traffic on a zebra crossing, thinking they have the right of way. If they live through that first experience, they never make that mistake again.

I saw an old American guy rip into a taxi driver who nearly hit him crossing Sukh towards soi 4. You just knew it was his first time in Thailand.

[tw25rw]

Last time I was in London I was standing at a zebra crossing waiting for the cars to pass and they were stopped waiting for me to walk.

Sounds like one of the crossings with the belisha beacons. It's law that you stop there when there's a pedestrian in the road. Drivers usually stop for anyone who looks like wanting to cross.

Thaiand could probably do with a major public eduction campaign remind them of the law and educating them about road safety. It might take a generation to learn, but ti would be worth it.

[David48]

Last time I was in London I was standing at a zebra crossing waiting for the cars to pass and they were stopped waiting for me to walk.

Sounds like one of the crossings with the belisha beacons. It's law that you stop there when there's a pedestrian in the road. Drivers usually stop for anyone who looks like wanting to cross.

My members name is close to my age ... so I got my drivers licence more then 30 years ago in Australia.

I failed my driving test the first time ... to this day, I still remember the reason why.

I drove past a Pedestrian/Zebra Crossing while someone was standing ... not crossing mind you ... just there.

The rules (unwritten and survival) are so much different here.

Also ... it takes a while to get used to the 'Turn Left on the Red-light Rule'.

Actually, there is one better that still does my head in.

On Old Sukhumvit Rd, out near the Crocodile Farm, where, if you are in the left lane of the 3 lanes on your side of Sukhumvit Rd (it's 6 lanes wide there with a seperating medium strip) that, if the light is red ... you have permission to drive though it ... ... but only in the far left lane.

.

[AlexRRR]

The zebra crossings in Thailand will be a thing of the past soon enough, noticed they don't keep up with the repainting of them any longer.

The trick is to have your apartment supermarket and bts/mrt all on the same side of the street guys......no need to cross major roads any longer

[MrJohnson]

merely for ornamentation

[IMA_FARANG]

After 2 days in UK my son was mesmerized to learn that pushing a button on the yellow box @ traffic lights has a 'Moses' effect on traffic; "If I tried this at home i'd get killed!"

He's 8!

----------------------

Not necessarily,

Right now I'm staying in Lat Prao on a street called Wanghin Road.

Just outside , about 2 Sois down there is a Maxi Market food store and a small shopping mall area.

Outside the entrances to that store there are Zebra crossings with markings,

Each of these Zebra markings have push buttons to cross and lights on both sides that actually change if you push the buttons to cross,

Amazing, but cars will actually stop if you push the buttons and wait for the crossing lights to go Green.

I was amazed ... traffic actually stopped to allow me to cross.

I think that the difference is that there are a large number of elderly people in this area ... government apartments near by ... and people actually stop for the old folks crossing the road going into that market and the shopping Mall area.

I've done it twice and actually seen it work with my own eyes.

[Mak25]

Just outside , about 2 Sois down there is a Maxi Market food store and a small shopping mall area.

Outside the entrances to that store there are Zebra crossings with markings,

Each of these Zebra markings have push buttons to cross and lights on both sides that actually change if you push the buttons to cross,

Amazing, but cars will actually stop if you push the buttons and wait for the crossing lights to go Green.

I was amazed ... traffic actually stopped to allow me to cross.

I think that the difference is that there are a large number of elderly people in this area ... government apartments near by ... and people actually stop for the old folks crossing the road going into that market and the shopping Mall area.

I've done it twice and actually seen it work with my own eyes.

Just be careful. If there is no intersection, I can imagine that many drivers oversee the red lights or don't care.

Edited October 1, 2013 by Mak25

[AlexRRR]

You mean those faded white lines painted on the road? ho there obsolete now, have been for years and soon enough that monsoon rain will have wiped them clear from the road, you will need to catch a taxi if you want to get to the other side of the road once that happens.

Hope they put in elevated footpaths too like at victory monument, but why do you need to cross the road? All you need is in one block.

[JemJem]

I used to ask the very same question when I lived in Sydney.

Read this earlier... Thought it sounded off (very, very wrong, tbh)...

So, I went decided to walk to the shops this arvo.... Used 4 Zebra Crossings... Every single time I got to it, people stopped...

I also work in Sydney CBD< use Zebra's multiple times a day... Would be months since the last time a person did not stop... Been this way for 15 years ive found..

Frankly... I am calling our your post as complete bull sh|t

I will have to agree with x0r1987. I lived in Sydney for about 2 years in the mid 90's , and maybe except only once or twice, all approaching cars came to a stop every time I was getting ready to cross the street at a zebra crossing. When I saw cpofc's post, I thought maybe things had changed for worse there since then; but according to x0r1987, apparently, it is still the same.

Edited October 4, 2013 by JemJem

[JakeBKK]

here in bkk can cross the road wherever you like. look at the driver, raise your middlefiger pointing finger - this means in thai: one second -pep nueng - and you cross the road.

thais do it. i am as well still alive to post here. so it seems to be working.

Let me say tough, for some of those Mercedes drivers you need some balls - or the female version of (no comment here) before some locals realise, it is not worth to have a dead person ruin your 12 million THB car.

Fortunately the company in question put nowadays electronic assist systems in in the cars , so the local does not have to think at all.

[Mak25]

My insurance broker confirmed: when hit by a car while crossing the street under influence of alcohol, my accident insurance will pay if crossed at a zebra crossing...