Scamming Police At Wtc

[Mig15]

For the second week in a row I have seen the tourist police fining some poor farang tourist on the bridges over the road near the World Trade Center. Last week two lads handing over 500 baht for some minor infraction – dropping a fag end I suspect. This week a middle aged gent getting a lecture about his behavior (don’t know why) from the brown slime.

If you are in this area – or any tourist area for that matter- be on your best behavior. Don’t give them an excuse.

[PvtDick]

For the record, these guys are "Tessakit" (Metropolitan Authority), not police. And personally, I think anyone who is inconsiderate to throw a cigarette on the ground deserves what's coming to him.

[Up2U]

Tourist police - 'brown slime'? In Pattaya the normal police are dressed in brown, the Tourist police in black. The former are a problem to everyone, Thai, farang, asian tourist alike. The latter are only a problem to Thai scam artists.

[tuky]

In S'pore where they have harsh fines for littering (including throwing you cig butt on the ground) they back the laws up with rubbish bins everywhere.

In essence it is harder to throw the butt on the ground than it is on the street in most places. This really works.

Where there are no bins, nobody is going to be able to put their rubbish in a bin are they?

I do not know the WTC area at all, if there are bins then these guys get what they deserve, if there are no bins then hey, what can we do about it?

[huski]

on rama 9 near lumpinee, mostly on weekdays a gang of 20 police officers have been standing in the road and by the toll booths writing tickets. i made my seat belt infraction "donation" a few weeks ago.

they have a police booth right there so the hard working officers can take breaks and rest from their dangerous jobs.

[Mig15]

Don’t get me wrong I have no problem with the even-handed application of the law. What sickens me is the sight of a middle aged man sitting like a school child with a finger wagging twit in over tight brown uniform lecturing him for farting in the wrong direction when 50 yards away there are thousands of similar offences being committed by people who have different colored skin and no money that rate no attention what so ever. While these robbers in uniform collect their beer money for the evening.

[marquess]

Don’t get me wrong I have no problem with the even-handed application of the law. What sickens me is the sight of a middle aged man sitting like a school child with a finger wagging twit in over tight brown uniform lecturing him for farting in the wrong direction when 50 yards away there are thousands of similar offences being committed by people who have different colored skin and no money that rate no attention what so ever. While these robbers in uniform collect their beer money for the evening.

HERE, HERE!

[PvtDick]

In a perfect world, yes, the law would be applied evenly. Unfortunately, it's not. So whining "why are you hassling me when that guy is doing the same thing" is never going to be an acceptable defense. You break the law, you face the music -- regardless of who else is doing the same thing.

[Guest IT Manager]

Sounds suspiciously like an excuse to me.

Agree as I do with the reasoning, sometime, somewhere, someone has to say enough.

[cdnvic]

I find that acting bewildered and speaking french makes them give up on you eventually.

I got nabbed by these guys the first time, not for throwing a cig out, but for dropping the cherry off of it on the ground to put it out (the butt went into the back pocket till I find a bin). I thought this was ridiculous. So did my wife who quite loudly told off this glorified meter maid who tried to scalp 100bt from me that it was people like him ripping off forgieners who made Thailand look like a nation of beggers and we weren't going to pay (they had just charged a local 200bt for the same thing). We did, sort of.. 200bt, with a reciept.

He said we were lucky because "In Singapore..."

"Singapore has working sidewalks...this ain't Singapore." I responded.

I wouldn't argue quite so much if these 'fines' and the inflated park fees and such actually went into improvements, but if they do I haven't seen it. Back home one security guard can do this job, here the expense seems to go towards having eight guys standing around to write one ticket.

cv

[tutsiwarrior]

sheee-it...did someone try to imply that BKK would be a more desireable place to live without discarded cigarette butts???

Holy baloney...

[tuky]

tutsi,

wouldn't anywhere?

[tutsiwarrior]

listen...fag ends are part of the usual detritus of urban living...whether they are there or not ain't gonna make a lot of difference, not like AIR POLLUTION, NOISE, CORRUPT COPS and etc...nothin' to get excited about. There is a more messy problem with dog shi*t that the brits have not been able to get a handle on without arresting 80% of the pensioners in the UK and their filthy canine associates. One sighs heavily and carries on.

In fact any SE Asian city without a major helping of cig butts in the gutters should not be referred to as such...Singapore is an anomaly and who cares about going there anyway except to go 'shopping'?

where are my marlboros...

[Jeepz]

As a smoker (perpetually trying to quit) I can hear the frustration when it comes to cigarette butts. You'd like to do the right thing and of course you'd really like to avoid the one-on-one when "tagged" for littering.

A guy I worked with had one of these. He smoked cigars, but they are marketed primarily for cigarettes. Worked like a charm for him, and I plan to have one before I ever set foot in LOS again.

Pocket Bobken

Jeepz

[Note: I'm checking with the manufacturer about availability in Thailand. If any smokers over there are seriously interested in one or two of these, let me know. Shipping via Postal Service (slow boat to Thailand) costs five bucks. Packaging probably another buck or so. Worst case cost: $10 - $11 US for one, shipped surface mail. If there is interest and not already available there, I'll see about getting a few and selling at cost plus actual shipping. ]

[mouse]

Jeepz

[Note: I'm checking with the manufacturer about availability in Thailand. If any smokers over there are seriously interested in one or two of these, let me know. Shipping via Postal Service (slow boat to Thailand) costs five bucks. Packaging probably another buck or so. Worst case cost: $10 - $11 US for one, shipped surface mail. If there is interest and not already available there, I'll see about getting a few and selling at cost plus actual shipping. ]

I say get one take it apart and then make them over here, in a different design, while changing 10 aspects and sell it here. You would make a bundle due to the much lower cost of manufacture. Then you sell advertisement space on the product and you have a winner.

[Jeepz]

Mouse~

That is a thought. I am going to order a couple. Since I'm in the states shipping isn't a problem. But next time I'm in Thailand, I may actually just troll back and forth in front of cops and slipping the cig butt when I'm finished into the hidden bobken. The interior is fireproof so popping a lit cig in it isn't a prob. Just have to put a little heat proofing between me and it.

Jeepz (the wannabe artful dodger)

[Koh_Falang]

The police will be out of business if you just do the right thing. Its obvious as to why its in place.. dont give them an excuse to fine you.. I dont think there would be too many people complaining if Thailand was free of alot of its rubbish problems it has today.

Without trying to sound like a green hippie.... It would be good to see a cleaner Thailand. Fag butts are just the start... but a good one.

[parryhandy]

The police will be out of business if you just do the right thing.

wrong . the police will always have to find "criminals" one way or another.If there was no crime tomorrow do you honestly thing the police could fund itself ? there will always have to be "criminals" the way the police is funded and paid in this country.

Like the "war on drugs".The police will be paid for results so results will be achieved one way or another.