Harris Blows an Easy Interview, Trump Pounces: She is Just Joe Biden Redux

[dhream]

I disagree with many here who claim that an effective police service is beyond the capacity of this country.

Successive strongmen have used the police to get a lot of things done very quickly, when they put their minds to it. The thing is, it's usually just window dressing, unsustainable, ill-conceived, or criminal, let alone unconstitutional.

Some that come to mind... the what-were-they-thinking Taksin anti-drug death squads, remember them? Whatever your views on the war on drugs, summary executions at traffic intersections? All well and good until you're part of the collateral damage, or worse, rubbed out in 'error'.

The clean up's of 'traditional' tourist vendor areas, by all means, clear the sidewalks, but before that, create legit pedestrian spaces where they can take their livelihoods, a great example is the Kowloon night markets, where the HK Police close the streets to vehicles at night and weekends.

How hard can it be to just build some pop-up steel bollards and close stretches of Silom and Sukhumvit from Nana to Asoke every night?

Computer modelling could also solve traffic congestion problems ahead of time. But that's coming anyway with driverless cars, oh, happy happy day!

Next, charge a painful inner city congestion fee, you'd be amazed how many notoriously tight fisted locals in their expensive metal mobile cages suddenly would not 'have' to be there. Use that to build even more light rail, and charge small affordable rents for the traders, and problem solved and paid for.

The sporadic clean ups of 'red light' establishments/areas. Yeah, but, no, but, so why not just legalize and license, as Singapore has done, complete with legal brothels, and 24hr bars for those that want them?

Anyone who has done any research into this particularly local social phenomenon knows the companionship industry was spawned not from the Vietnam War era, but from historical LOCAL precedent. It's time local sensibilities accepted this pragmatically, it may not be a 'good look' globally, but, if societal and historical precedent hand a nation lemons, then make Lemonade!

Nobody thinks of Singapore (replete with the delicious airport code 'SIN') as the Nevada of South East Asia, but in fact, it is. Yes, SIN did a neat U turn on casinos, but you can bet they made sure the country profited handsomely from swallowing a little moral pride. What's more, I'll wager (haha) you'll see Marijuana legal in buttoned-up SIN once the US federal government give the global nod (SIN already sell chewing gum, shock, horror!) long before it makes a legal come-back here, where it was, until nasty Dick Nixon in the 70's an openly used medicine, recreational relaxant, and culinary herb for centuries.

Still, which country springs to mind worldwide when 'sex' and 'asia' are mentioned in the same breath? Go do the calculus, then wonder why the country that could most profit from modern Asian pragmatism, still pretends Joe Sixpack has flown in for the temples and trekking.

The main takeaway of this post is that the manpower is manifestly available to 'clean up' the roads within 24 hours, the traffic laws are all in place, they just need enforcing, and upgrading to stiffer penalties. If the appropriate authorities deployed their resources with clear orders to apply themselves with the vigor they seemingly only reserve for the fitful, token, and Canute-like promotion of morality, we would witness untold government revenue boosts, and a sharp decrease in what must cost the nation a small fortune in terms of the financial impact of death and injury on local roads.

BTW, getting a drivers licence in Singapore is akin to attending 'Road Safety University', something else they could be looking at here.

Having then adopted these proven Asian solutions (as per HKG and SIN), they need to be consistent, and thorough, and beholden to the rule of law. A six month crackdown on businesses large and small in seedy tourist areas, that tapers off to nada, well, what is the point?

Edited September 1, 2015 by dhream

[dhream]

And finally...

It never occurred to me until I saw this last year, but does Thailand actually even have "L" plates? I was on my push-bike (going downhill) when I overtook a local lass in University uniform on a scooter, what struck me about this was that she had pinned an A4 sheet of paper to her backpack, on which was written in plain ballpoint "New Driver Please Caution" the one learner in Thailand who may very possibly have been raised in a country where learners are highly visible, was doing her best to stay alive, bless!

Sadly, it's debatable whether anyone else sharing the road that morning could spot her sign at all, could then read English well enough and fast enough, to even 'get' what she was trying to convey, in a place where "L" plates are unknown, or perhaps hidden in the unread local 'Highway Code' but just never actually used on a public road, ever.

While 'western' drivers are by no means perfect, I did wonder why she wrote her sign in English, I don't think English speaking/reading drivers would be the primary concern for her in Northern Thailand.

There does, by and large, tend to be a certain 'zen' calm exhibited on most Thai roads, horns are rare, patience is evident, at least in my adopted city, but there is no doubt that there is just not enough 'zen' or 'luck' to go around. As a foreigner, I need to drive very defensively, constantly, anticipating all sorts of unexpected moves, from soi dogs up. Generally, the dogs have more road sense than most humans. I never see a dog on a scooter, no matter how much he's had to drink.

[Thai at Heart]

Such insight.

[PETERTHEEATER]

Just yesterday I was riding my motorbike the wrong way on Sukhumvit in Jomtien from Macro to the next major intersection - it's much shorter to go that way for me. A motorbike cop was driving the correct way, we passed each other, and not an eye was batted. In ANY civilized country where law enforcement is adhered to, I would have received a stiff ticket and an insurance hike. TiT.

How proud you must be.......

[impulse]

Based on a lot of the white guys who have gone native around my place, many of them will be in for a very rude awakening if they ever do start enforcing the rules...

Not to mention the hours of traffic tangles when scooters have to actually obey the rules and line up neatly at red lights instead of the dash to the front and mad, jackrabbit starts when the lights turn green. It'll take an hour on green to clear them all in one light cycle at Asoke, for example.

I'm forecasting a lot of pain before any real benefit is seen in the way of improved safety. I'm not sure I'll be around long enough to enjoy the fruits... But the misery will be instantaneous.

[robblok]

Based on a lot of the white guys who have gone native around my place, many of them will be in for a very rude awakening if they ever do start enforcing the rules...

Not to mention the hours of traffic tangles when scooters have to actually obey the rules and line up neatly at red lights instead of the dash to the front and mad, jackrabbit starts when the lights turn green. It'll take an hour on green to clear them all in one light cycle at Asoke, for example.

I'm forecasting a lot of pain before any real benefit is seen in the way of improved safety. I'm not sure I'll be around long enough to enjoy the fruits... But the misery will be instantaneous.

There is no law against motorcycles going to the front of the cue, its a benefit of motorcycles. That is why people ride motorcycles no where in the traffic laws of Thailand does it state you cannot do this. Your only not allowed to cross the line in front. If more people would use motorcycles there would be less traffic.

I am against motorcycles going against traffic, but motorcycles are the solution to traffic problems if you treat them unfairly you will only get more cars on the road. The reason i select my bike instead of my car is because you can get through traffic.

I hate it when people go against traffic on motorbikes, i refuse to do this myself but seen plenty of foreigners do so. I safe so much time on a single trip into BKK i save hours i would not want to do the same trip with my car it would take stupidly long plus I would be adding to the already large cue while bikes if handled good don't cause much of a delay.

[dhream]

Bikes are hugely popular here because they are cheap and the majority poor.

Don't think for an instant they would not fall over themselves to get a big shiny pick-up if they had the means.

The red light advantage is a happy coincidence that bikes are, well, bikes, and not trucks.

Bikes everywhere also exact a vicious toll.

Most police deaths in Londons Metropolitan Police roll of honour are overwhelmingly those reporting or departing their work on near deserted well lit and maintained roads, in the EARLY HOURS on MOTORBIKES.

Death as a direct result of a duty shift being considered death in the line of duty.

It is easily Google-able and very sobering. If British coppers are dying like flies on near empty roads, that are generally considered reasonably safe by global standards, it means your average rider here, of any nationality, has buckleys. Indeed, they may just be right about 'luck' as there is not much else between them and much greater than average odds of an early visit to the boneyard at present.

[robblok]

Bikes are hugely popular here because they are cheap and the majority poor.

Don't think for an instant they would not fall over themselves to get a big shiny pick-up if they had the means.

The red light advantage is a happy coincidence that bikes are, well, bikes, and not trucks.

Bikes everywhere also exact a vicious toll.

Most police deaths in Londons Metropolitan Police roll of honour are overwhelmingly those reporting or departing their work on near deserted well lit and maintained roads, in the EARLY HOURS on MOTORBIKES.

Death as a direct result of a duty shift being considered death in the line of duty.

It is easily Google-able and very sobering. If British coppers are dying like flies on near empty roads, that are generally considered reasonably safe by global standards, it means your average rider here, of any nationality, has buckleys. Indeed, they may just be right about 'luck' as there is not much else between them and much greater than average odds of an early visit to the boneyard at present.

No denying that riding a bike is more dangerous then riding a car. I take that risk because riding my car into the center of BKK makes no sense. On the bike it does and it goes faster, for shopping trips I use the car.

Im not sure if British coppers on bikes are dying like flies like you state but I am sure there is a higher dead risk.

[evadgib]

2 days into his first visit to UK my son, 8 at the time, marveled at the adherence to road discipline. As we walked to the park he ran ahead, pushed the button & waited for the lights to change. When they did so he stepped confidently onto the Zebra crossing safe in the knowledge that pedestrians had right of way and that the cars would wait their turn. When we reached the far side he said 'If we did that at home Dad we'd both be killed'.

He was equally impressed at seeing dog-walkers using poop-scoops & using the bin provided.

[jerojero]

Requires tougher law enforcement. No Sh*t, Sherlock. That took a lot of investigate journalistic insight!

[gp2002]

"Cutting road deaths requires tougher law enforcement"

Do ya think?????

[CarolJadzia]

Bikes are hugely popular here because they are cheap and the majority poor.

Don't think for an instant they would not fall over themselves to get a big shiny pick-up if they had the means.

The red light advantage is a happy coincidence that bikes are, well, bikes, and not trucks.

Bikes everywhere also exact a vicious toll.

Most police deaths in Londons Metropolitan Police roll of honour are overwhelmingly those reporting or departing their work on near deserted well lit and maintained roads, in the EARLY HOURS on MOTORBIKES.

Death as a direct result of a duty shift being considered death in the line of duty.

It is easily Google-able and very sobering. If British coppers are dying like flies on near empty roads, that are generally considered reasonably safe by global standards, it means your average rider here, of any nationality, has buckleys. Indeed, they may just be right about 'luck' as there is not much else between them and much greater than average odds of an early visit to the boneyard at present.

I really don't know what you have been looking at but you are completely wrong. Yes there have been some British Police Riders killed in Road Traffic Accidents, however these are very few and far between. Most Police Riders I have worked with over the past thirty years are still alive and well and looking forward to retirement.

Even if you take all the annual motorcycle road deaths on UK roads it totals a fraction of the situation on Thai highways.

In 2011 almost 10,000 people died on Thailand’s roads. In Britain, which has a comparable population, that figure came in below 2,000.

http://asiancorrespondent.com/111079/thailands-road-carnage-continues/

Police Riders in the UK has all spent years in Training. The Police Riders Manual called Motorcycle Roadcraft is an internationally recognised standard which has been honed and perfected by years of research and experience.

Thailand has nothing that compares to the advanced standards expected from British First responders.

But even now with the most recently updated version of Roadcraft released in 2013 we are currently challenging many ways that have been taken for granted for years. As better understand becomes available about how the human brain works and we get better at working out why accidents happen and not just playing the blame game we are working on reducing the accident rates in the UK even further.

One thing that is of significance here is now the Police in the UK are learning to work with the public towards reducing the figures as they have learned the stick also needs a carrot!

In the UK we challenge the current ways even though the UK only has a fraction of the problems Thailand has.

But the same ideas apply.

nosurprise.org.uk

[eldragon]

If I understand this culture correctly, "bad luck" is pretty much the explanation for everything negative in the world, and personal responsibility is very low.

[LennyW]

Just yesterday I was riding my motorbike the wrong way on Sukhumvit in Jomtien from Macro to the next major intersection - it's much shorter to go that way for me. A motorbike cop was driving the correct way, we passed each other, and not an eye was batted. In ANY civilized country where law enforcement is adhered to, I would have received a stiff ticket and an insurance hike. TiT.

Being part of the problem is nothing to gloat about!

[SABloke]

The police simply don't have the equipment or training for driving law enforcement. You can't have safer roads using just road blocks.

Phuket just got 40 new breathalyzers. This will have no effect on driving safety but it will present more opportunity to fatten cop wallets.

In most case the police only need thei eyes, not new equipment. I see buses turning from lane 4 every day (only 1 and 2) are turning lanes, I see people running reds up to 3 seconds late ate almost every traffic light, I see motorbikes overtaking cars on incoming traffic lane forcing all those cars to break and/or drift left which adds to the traffic problem in the morning, I see people pushing in at the front of the uturn slowing the whole process down..more traffic...at all these incidents I also see police, but the do sweet f all. Why would having more equipment change anything?

[Seastallion]

The OP points out almost everything that needs to be done, and why.

It neglected one thing, though, and that is driver education. Most people don't know the rules, or how to drive defensively.

And part of that education should be from the religious side.....bad luck etc. OK, if it is the culture to believe in bad luck, so be it, but it would not take much to convince drivers (and pedestrians) that they create their own bad luck by their choices....if the temples got in on the act, as well as influential people and celebrities.

[duckmandon]

The point system is good as we use in Australia (which has low fatality rates) as if you are caught speeding, carrying out illegal stuff on the roads you lose points. When your points are gone you go to court & in most cases lose your licence for a period of time. For drink driving the police suspend your licence straight away & then you go to court. You lose your licence for a period of time & are fined (not a small amount). Once you have served your suspension you go on to a provisional licence. The licence training sytem works well as they have to complete 100 hours of driving with a qualified driver over 12 mths (log book requirements) & then sit a written test & then a practical driving test. This helps new drivers with basic driving skills. They are then given a provisional licence for 3 years. In some parts of Australia new drivers are not allowed to carry passengers at certain times of the day. This helps keep the road toll down. This is what is required here.

Edited September 2, 2015 by duckmandon

[trogers]

I disagree about the Thai religious belief on bad luck contributing to road death tolls.

The real reason is that most Thais have been brought up the natural way - the way of Nature. As a result, their lives follow emotions and instincts, with a pathetic lack of patience and discipline.

[CarolJadzia]

If further evidence was required on Thailand's position have a look at this article in Todays British Newspaper the Telegraph:

Most of the bottom 10 - including Eritrea, the deadliest driving destination, according to the World Health Organization's figures (with 48.4 deaths per 100,000 residents), Libya (40.5) and Iraq (31.5) - are unlikely to feature on the travel itineraries of most Britons. But a couple - Thailand (38.1) and South Africa (31.9) - are popular holiday destinations.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/activityandadventure/driving-holidays/11823464/Mapped-The-worlds-most-dangerous-places-to-drive.html