Motorcycles Riding on the Footpath.

[Pdavies99]

The worst time for motorcycles on foot paths in Sukhumvit is in the evening. I've been run into twice riders weaving between pedestrians , it's annoying.

What happened to the police busting these riders, didn't last long..

I partly agree with you, but what about the pedestrians who walk along the road and see a moped in his way and then ignore him! Just as bad!

[CharlieH]

flame post removed.

7) You will respect fellow members and post in a civil manner. No personal attacks, hateful or insulting towards other members, (flaming) Stalking of members on either the forum or via PM will not be allowed.

[zackattack]

You like to d

[timmyp]

TimmyP, do you know you have just given me a 'like', was it a mistake or what?

No mistake, possum. Just trying to show that I respect your point, and to not keep a battle going on like so many do on Thai-Visa.

[Paul Laycock]

Walking - what's that I kind of remember, I thought the pavement was for street vendors.

[NoshowJones]

TimmyP, do you know you have just given me a 'like', was it a mistake or what?

No mistake, possum. Just trying to show that I respect your point, and to not keep a battle going on like so many do on Thai-Visa.

From now on TimmyP, you have my complete respect.

[Minnehaha]

was sitting at one of the chiang mai kerbside bars down from the bar beer center back in '91 and it was 4 in the morning. very quiet, except for we few who were waiting for sunrise and the monk parade to tell us to go home.

was chatting with a few others and heard a THWACK !

turned the head and saw a motorcy rolling along the center of moon muang road without a rider for a good 40 meters before it veered into the curb.

we traced the line back and saw 2 guys laying on the ground. the one who got up was a drunk farang who was un hurt. he was walking across the street. the thai rider of the motorcy was flat on his back with his head split in two. dead.

will never forget that sound or the sight of the motorcycle rolling along on its own

[kovaltech]

It really pisses me off when they beep their horn and expect you to jump out of their way.

try not jumping out of their way...

quite funny actually their reactions when you pretend to be deaf...

[macknife]

I don't really see the problem. It's no big deal. Most of the time I see it there are hardly any pedestrians anyway. Most Thais don't care so why should we?

But wait!!! We need to bring Thailand into the 21st century and make it a 1st world country!!! Er, no thanks, I'm quite happy just the way it is. I left all that crap behind for a reason.

[ronthai]

Why did you hit somebody?

As a farang doing it, well OPEN your wallet.

You can drive on the "foot" path, just not hit any Thai, very expensive.

(unless the lady was driving and you ran, before they saw a farang.)

[HerbalEd]

Of all the rule-breaking, selfish things in Thailand, riding motorbikes on the sidewalk is the one that pisses me off the most. Blows me away that they actually think they have the right away and the pedestrians are the problem. Bloody bastards!

[Liquorice]

I've just read words like, footpath, walkway and sidewalk used in this thread, which sort of gives a clue

as to who has the right to use them.

Also the word kerb, which I always thought was the dividing marker to differentiate between the area for pedestrians to safely walk and the area where traffic flows.

For those who suggest riding a motorcycle on the footpath is ok, do you by any chance step of a kerb into the road and expect traffic to move for you...............just wondering if the same mentality applies?

[Keesters]

Be nice to actually have a footpath. My ~10 minute walk to the shops (tesco express, 7-11) is along a busy road with no footpath. And this is in South Pattaya not the jungle.

[northernphil]

I've just read words like, footpath, walkway and sidewalk used in this thread, which sort of gives a clue

as to who has the right to use them.

Also the word kerb, which I always thought was the dividing marker to differentiate between the area for pedestrians to safely walk and the area where traffic flows.

For those who suggest riding a motorcycle on the footpath is ok, do you by any chance step of a kerb into the road and expect traffic to move for you...............just wondering if the same mentality applies?

You just beat me to it Faz. SideWALK, I prefer FOOTpath as from England . But either clearly indicates what they were designed for. For those who say it is normal and ok to ride on the sidewalk/footpath............would not 2 Harleys slowly making their way along an 8ft wide path be just slightly inconvenient to mums and kids walking ?

In Maechan up here in the north there is a huge Friday Market. It pisses me off when scooters come through , barely room for pedestrians . Oh but wait ....the market does use the main drag through town. Hmm , does this give the scooters the right of way ?

[Jdiddy]

I don't get out of their way unless injury to me is imminent. I'd really like to push one of them over,just to make my point, but I know better than to do that here. All hell would rain down on me from other Thais beating on me, to the police joining in, then arresting me!

I'd join in too

[mmh8]

saw an armed clipped by motorbike on pedestration path, well heard it, saw it, person on bike came back apologising and waiing then drowve off.

ive seen the local plod ride on footpath and almost hit a counter current plod <deleted> when doing a u turn, I did see em, but had not expected the burst of acceleration. lucklily no collision occured but I feel it would have been jsutified if I had not done the breaking bit and just nocked him off his bike.

I very rarely risk the footpaths in thailand, walking is only done in parks or shopping malls,

Edited July 16, 2015 by mmh8

[claffey]

The worst time for motorcycles on foot paths in Sukhumvit is in the evening. I've been run into twice riders weaving between pedestrians , it's annoying.

What happened to the police busting these riders, didn't last long..

I remember that, like all the other crackdowns, it lasted about 24 hours.

In all fairness there are hundreds of thousands motorbike taxis in Bangkok and most of them drive on the footpath at some time of the day.How are they gonna stop it?

[NoshowJones]

The worst time for motorcycles on foot paths in Sukhumvit is in the evening. I've been run into twice riders weaving between pedestrians , it's annoying.

What happened to the police busting these riders, didn't last long..

I remember that, like all the other crackdowns, it lasted about 24 hours.

In all fairness there are hundreds of thousands motorbike taxis in Bangkok and most of them drive on the footpath at some time of the day.How are they gonna stop it?

The police could keep on hammering them with big fines and keep doing it, not just have crackdowns, they would soon get the message.

[NoshowJones]

I don't get out of their way unless injury to me is imminent. I'd really like to push one of them over,just to make my point, but I know better than to do that here. All hell would rain down on me from other Thais beating on me, to the police joining in, then arresting me!

I'd join in too

Another coward who can't fight one to one.

[MyFriend You]

I'm sure I read somewhere that motorcycles are allowed on the footpath in some circumstances.

Those dropped kerbs at junctions are not for wheelchairs!

Define FOOTPATH are we talking about Sidewalks here??? or Dirt paths in a up country village......I once saw a Moto beep the horn insistently at an old man trying to pass him on a log path across a Klong - Old man was pissed and waited till the Moto got along side of him and pushed it into the Klong water, driver & all - I laughed until I almost peed myself, asked my lady friend "Why did he do that?? she said "Young Moto driver shouldn't have used his horn, it is an insult to old people" Beware of us old farts on for bridges........we will attack young Moto drivers.

[MyFriend You]

I'm sure I read somewhere that motorcycles are allowed on the footpath in some circumstances.

Those dropped kerbs at junctions are not for wheelchairs!

I think years ago they were put in for the push carts for the vendors so they can set up their Som Tam or Kwiteo stands

[timendres]

I don't get why people are so freaked out by motorbikes on the sidewalk. I've never seen anyone being a jerk on on a motorbike while driving on the sidewalk, but I have seen farang dramatically leap out of the way like an accident was imminent, or refuse to step aside when a motorbike approaches. I don't doubt that accidents have occurred, but all the motorbikes I've seen driving on the sidewalk do so carefully enough to not threaten pedestrians (again, I don't doubt that their are aggressive jerks, I'm only saying that it's far from the norm). I live in Bangkok and ride my motorbike everyday (yes, often on the sidewalk if the sidewalk is clear and it seems like the most sense to get through a traffic jam). I find there to be an appropriate amount of accommodation and give-and-take between pedestrians and motorbikes on the sidewalk, both when I am walking on the footpath, and when I am on a motorbike.

Really, I think some people have a rather restrictive sense of the rules, and they have a meltdown when they see something that rattles their paradigm.

Agreed. I have seen European tourists react as if a child was slaughtered in front of them when they see a motocy on the sidewalk. Get a life.

Here on Sukhumvit, it is mostly those who have to go 2 or 3 sois in the opposite direction of traffic. The proper u-turn is quite a long ways off, and they cannot go against the traffic on Sukhumvit as that would be suicide. So they make the short leg on the sidewalk, then onto the side soi. I have no issue with these folks.

But I must say that those who are going in the same direction as traffic, while Sukhumvit has little traffic, but still ride the sidewalk, well, I just want to kick them in the head.

[jerojero]

There's a footpath? Where? You mean the one obstructed with street vendors, parked bikes, Soi dogs and litter?

[WorthyDan]

saw an armed clipped by motorbike on pedestration path, well heard it, saw it, person on bike came back apologising and waiing then drowve off.

ive seen the local plod ride on footpath and almost hit a counter current plod <deleted> when doing a u turn, I did see em, but had not expected the burst of acceleration. lucklily no collision occured but I feel it would have been jsutified if I had not done the breaking bit and just nocked him off his bike.

I very rarely risk the footpaths in thailand, walking is only done in parks or shopping malls,

Just listen and look. It isn't that hard.

Edited July 16, 2015 by WorthyDan

[mesquite]

This sounds like mainly a Bangkok issue. Here in Chiang Mai, we have the opposite problem: tourists walking 2-4 abreast on the narrow sois.

[petedk]

I'm sure I read somewhere that motorcycles are allowed on the footpath in some circumstances.

Those dropped kerbs at junctions are not for wheelchairs!

It is against the law, ask the Thaivisa lawyer.

I see cops and other motorcyclists doing it every day.

I anm sure I read it was legal if there were traffic jams

[NoshowJones]

I'm sure I read somewhere that motorcycles are allowed on the footpath in some circumstances.

Those dropped kerbs at junctions are not for wheelchairs!

It is against the law, ask the Thaivisa lawyer.

I see cops and other motorcyclists doing it every day.

I anm sure I read it was legal if there were traffic jams

Why should traffic jams make it legal? people still have to walk on those footpaths.

Motorbikes have to wait their turn the same as other traffic.

It is against the law, not that it matters much in Thailand.

[Stan42]

Never seen anybody get hit (yet), but what really disturbs me is the fact that it's 100% legal!!! for motorbikes to use the sidewalk. The police in front of Benjaksiri park do this regularly, right up there with Pizza deliveries. Each time I walk from Suk 22 to Suk 26 I'm taking a risk.

[Craig krup]

I saw a woman put the brake lever into a kid's kidney in the covered market in Nong Khai. "Come to Nong Khai and see our famous covered market, and watch a half-wit ride a ******* scooter through it". That's nothing, though, to seeing an idiot look both ways in a shamefaced way, and then gun his tuk-tuk/sam law full power down the walkway on the Mekong. Imagine your kid is runs over to look at the river. But the clown who does it will be okay. He'll just buy some fish or birds and release them, and that'll make everything alright.

The most interesting thing about Thailand is how the farangs it attracts are exactly that subset of the first world population who haven't understood what it is that allows the west to be rich. Hegel said that the plain man and the true philosopher take their stand on the same ground. They both believe the same thing, but for different reasons. So, for example, the philosopher knows why there are property laws and they have to be remorselessly enforced, and the ordinary man thinks that you must never, ever steal. But isn't really complicated. Each of us finds it convenient to do as we please - drop litter, ride a motorcycle on the footpath, have a noisy house party, own a gun - so long as nobody else does this. But if I'm to be an exception then everyone is an exception, and so we don't have a rule. So either none of us ride scooters on the footpath, or everyone will. The only question then, is, "Is it a good idea to prevent people from riding scooters on the footpath?" The answer to this question is obviously "Yes". Thailand has the second worst "road" safety record in the world, and given the relative paucity of four wheeled vehicles you know what is going on. As Rousseau said, to be free is to live in an orderly society. But each of us would gain more from breaking the rules than we would lose by that particular breach - I'd gain more from stealing than I'd lose from the undermining of property rights so long as nobody else stole. So I have to be "forced to be free". I have to have the law enforced on me because if it isn't enforced in my case it isn't enforced in any case, and then we don't have the benefits of the social rule. Stupid people need to think whether they are in favour of repealing the law and allowing scooters on the foorpath. Because any argument for allowing the rule to be broken is an argument not to have it at all. But there's a cohort who don't see this. They've never thought about why the rules are as they are, and why they should be enforced. They saw the rules in the west as arbitrary and without any good justification, and given that they don't understand the purpose of rules they see all rules-based systems as equally noxious. If you want to see what this results in read a book like "On the Cobbles" by Jimmy Stockin, a champion bareknuckle fighter. Stockin's travelling community doesn't accept the rules a society like the UK enforces, but they still want the advantages of living in the UK and they still wail about the terrible things that happen to their friends and families, all of which can be traced back to refusing to accept good rules which were made for sound reasons. This mentality - a refusal to either think or just obey - is exactly what will make Thailand seem so congenial to that group who always found obeying difficult. They'll be "devastated" when the inevitable happens and they suffer some dreadful wrong, but they'll probably never understand that for any community to avoid these wrongs they have to have decent rules rigorously enforced.

If you really think motorcycles should be on the footpath I'm tempted to say, "Have another Chang", but you've probably already had more than enough.

The Thais could make the entire country massively better both for themselves and for visitors at very low cost if they just got the scooters off the sidewalk and put a .22 rimfire through every snapping aggressive dog.

Edited July 16, 2015 by Craig krup

[gemguy]

I have had them behind me on the foot path beeping their horn while I ignore them and do not move out of their way.

The audacity of the motorcycle riders and especially the motorcycle taxi guys is worthy of a slap up the side of the head ...and then one more....just for good measure.

Meantime I have never seen an accident ...but I surmise there are more than just a few ...over the years.

Cheers