Pushing a buggy on the pavements of Krung Thep

[Inspire]

Pushing a buggy on the pavements of Krung Thep

Gerry Carter

When my daughter was born I was lucky to have plenty of free time having recently quit a job I had done for years. I decided that one of the best things I could do was take her out for an hour or two each day in her buggy. I would get exercise and surely we could find some fun places to visit in the Ratchayothin area within walking distance.

Sure, I was wary of the dangers of roads and falling down holes but I figured that with due care and diligence we could bond in Bangkok and enjoy our trips as father and daughter.

Perhaps the hardest thing at first was just traversing the pavements with all their cracks and humps and bumps. It was just as well that my little girl was secure in her seat! At the start much of the pavement space was taken up by vendors then edicts seemed to be issued on high – nothing to do with me – and the whole area was cleared of traders at least until the evening.

This was good but I have to admit that it has made the place much blander in the daytime.

We were now able to stride purposefully along and by and large people were very kind at giving us consideration and room, even cars coming out of turnings, which I was glad for. When they didn’t look for us or ignored us I gave a good old fashioned Thai glare that got some sheepish looks in return.

I never expected people to stop for us at the zebra crossing but it was fun to wave my hands after them as they flashed past oblivious in Benzes. When there was a safe break in the traffic off we would trot.

Large intersections were the worst. I mean there is actually no consideration to pedestrians at all at the Ratchayothin intersection. If you want to cross you literally have to take your life into your own hands as there is no all red light break in the sequence. After a while I managed to work out a relatively safe window of opportunity to cross but it was hardly idea.

The alternative was to use the pedestrian road bridges some way away but as my daughter started to weigh more than ten kilos and the buggy was quite big this usually meant putting my back out or later on walking her up and dragging the buggy. Sometimes people helped the pitiful old Farang which was nice.

Amid all the difficulties was the sustenance of the beaming smiles – seeing all the people young and old cooing at my (admittedly gorgeous!) daughter or just watching and enjoying the seeming incongruity of a 50 plus Western man with a one year old. It usually caused a smile on their faces and mine. I guess many thought she was my granddaughter….

Full story: http://www.inspirepattaya.com/lifestyle/pushing-buggy-pavements-krung-thep/

-- Inspire Pattaya 2016-06-05

[Toany]

You dont look 50 years old in the picture

[ezzra]

Next week, pushing my pushbike on the pavements of BKK..... there's a lot to learn from such experience.....

[12DrinkMore]

You dont look 50 years old in the picture

Doesn't look like a man either.

[pgrahmm]

Common sense applies here.....

Rolling luggage is great in the airports......

Anywhere else in Thailand carry type luggage works best.....

Different worlds = different solutions & methods.....

Because something works at bumf**k somewhere else does not mean that it applies here - or - where-ever....People have used different modes & solved this long before 4 wheeled contraptions popped up - and done well.....

Trying to make your square peg work in a round hole will not work....No matter how you wish the world to apply/comply to Your Wishes & Way.....

Things are different place to place - anyone seasoned knows you don't drag your world into theirs - or visa versa.....

[neeray]

Huhh ?

[StreetCowboy]

Common sense applies here.....

Rolling luggage is great in the airports......

Anywhere else in Thailand carry type luggage works best.....

Different worlds = different solutions & methods.....

Because something works at bumf**k somewhere else does not mean that it applies here - or - where-ever....People have used different modes & solved this long before 4 wheeled contraptions popped up - and done well.....

Trying to make your square peg work in a round hole will not work....No matter how you wish the world to apply/comply to Your Wishes & Way.....

Things are different place to place - anyone seasoned knows you don't drag your world into theirs - or visa versa.....

And yet now, for some reason, people design cities almost exclusively for motorised wheeled vehicles, and people just have to find some way to survive on the fringed of the automobile society. How long before people become extinct, in an environment best suited for cars?

[Dumbastheycome]

Common sense applies here.....

Rolling luggage is great in the airports......

Anywhere else in Thailand carry type luggage works best.....

Different worlds = different solutions & methods.....

Because something works at bumf**k somewhere else does not mean that it applies here - or - where-ever....People have used different modes & solved this long before 4 wheeled contraptions popped up - and done well.....

Trying to make your square peg work in a round hole will not work....No matter how you wish the world to apply/comply to Your Wishes & Way.....

Things are different place to place - anyone seasoned knows you don't drag your world into theirs - or visa versa.....

And yet now, for some reason, people design cities almost exclusively for motorised wheeled vehicles, and people just have to find some way to survive on the fringed of the automobile society. How long before people become extinct, in an environment best suited for cars?

No extiction! We will mutate to become mobile telephones on wheels!

[ableguy]

Common sense applies here.....

Rolling luggage is great in the airports......

Anywhere else in Thailand carry type luggage works best.....

Different worlds = different solutions & methods.....

Because something works at bumf**k somewhere else does not mean that it applies here - or - where-ever....People have used different modes & solved this long before 4 wheeled contraptions popped up - and done well.....

Trying to make your square peg work in a round hole will not work....No matter how you wish the world to apply/comply to Your Wishes & Way.....

Things are different place to place - anyone seasoned knows you don't drag your world into theirs - or visa versa.....

And yet now, for some reason, people design cities almost exclusively for motorised wheeled vehicles, and people just have to find some way to survive on the fringed of the automobile society. How long before people become extinct, in an environment best suited for cars?

This may suprize you USA bashers but in the golden land pedestrians take precedence over motor vehicles in every given situation, i.e. Parking lots , zebras, lights the list goes on.

[StreetCowboy]

Common sense applies here.....

Rolling luggage is great in the airports......

Anywhere else in Thailand carry type luggage works best.....

Different worlds = different solutions & methods.....

Because something works at bumf**k somewhere else does not mean that it applies here - or - where-ever....People have used different modes & solved this long before 4 wheeled contraptions popped up - and done well.....

Trying to make your square peg work in a round hole will not work....No matter how you wish the world to apply/comply to Your Wishes & Way.....

Things are different place to place - anyone seasoned knows you don't drag your world into theirs - or visa versa.....

And yet now, for some reason, people design cities almost exclusively for motorised wheeled vehicles, and people just have to find some way to survive on the fringed of the automobile society. How long before people become extinct, in an environment best suited for cars?

This may suprize you USA bashers but in the golden land pedestrians take precedence over motor vehicles in every given situation, i.e. Parking lots , zebras, lights the list goes on.

I was having a go at Bangkok, not Los Angeles. I know how pleasant it is to be a pedestrian in the USA, having, as I said in another thread, hitch-hiked my way back and forth across the country, and up and down it, as well.

[MadMuhummad]

''Admittedly gorgeous' pffft, not really necessary. I've never heard anyone refer to their 1 year old as anything less so how about we leave out the casual unrelated to the article brag?

[pgrahmm]

Common sense applies here.....

Rolling luggage is great in the airports......

Anywhere else in Thailand carry type luggage works best.....

Different worlds = different solutions & methods.....

Because something works at bumf**k somewhere else does not mean that it applies here - or - where-ever....People have used different modes & solved this long before 4 wheeled contraptions popped up - and done well.....

Trying to make your square peg work in a round hole will not work....No matter how you wish the world to apply/comply to Your Wishes & Way.....

Things are different place to place - anyone seasoned knows you don't drag your world into theirs - or visa versa.....

And yet now, for some reason, people design cities almost exclusively for motorised wheeled vehicles, and people just have to find some way to survive on the fringed of the automobile society. How long before people become extinct, in an environment best suited for cars?

This may suprize you USA bashers but in the golden land pedestrians take precedence over motor vehicles in every given situation, i.e. Parking lots , zebras, lights the list goes on.

Who was bashing the US old sport?

[colinneil]

Play nice girls,do not get too stroppy.

Think yourselves lucky, if like me you were stuck in a wheelchair , then you would be f.....d.