the dangers of Beach Road traffic

[MyFriend You]

On 8/25/2017 at 7:15 PM, johng said:

I said it before and say it again
Zebra crossings in Thailand are a danger to pedestrians and should be removed...they only give a false sense of security
best get rid of them so pedestrians will cross with 100% concentration and awareness.

Naah, the real solution is to place stop lights with Cameras at every crosswalk, and make sure they work, and make sure all cars not stopping are photographed and fined 2000 baht.   It might take a year, but sooner or later they will be paranoid enough to stop at the crossings.................Hey, why not fine the Jay Walkers as well, 500 baht crossing against the light.....................

[MyFriend You]

5 hours ago, Homburg said:

What those pedestrian lights really mean: If the light is green for a pedestrian then you may attempt to cross with a reduced risk of being fined for jaywalking.  It does not mean that the traffic will stop, or even slow down or change direction to avoid hitting you, and it may even speed up and change direction towards you. You take your life in your hands every time you attempt to cross a road in Thailand.  And when crossing Beach Road, even though it's one-way traffic (sic), always, always, always LOOK BOTH WAYS - that one nearly caught me out once.  That said, the pedestrian lights on Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok, at Soi 4/Soi 3 junction are even more dangerous - on the north side of Sukhumvit road there are lights for the pedestrians - but none for the traffic turning left out of Soi 3 - so the pedestrians see a green light, but the drivers do not see a red light. TIT.

slight correction  -  look left, look right, look left, look right, look left again then proceed cautiously - even on one way streets, because that F'n Idiot man or woman, on a speeding Motorcycle going the wrong way is the one that will kill ya.

[bbpbbp]

You experience so incredible things ! Either you are 100 years old or it's hopeless for you to ever understand anything....

 

 

 

[hawker9000]

9 hours ago, H508 said:

Of course no. However, streets belong to vehicles. Sidewalks belong to pedestrians. Sometimes you have to walk across a 'car-owned' road. I just think the burden of crossing the road is the responsibility of the pedestrian given the absence of a crosswalking light or policeman directing traffic.

You couldn't possibly be more wrong.  Sidewalks belong to everyone BUT pedestrians in many places:  it's a monumentally ridiculous thing to say.  Shops build out across them to the streetside; vendors erect their stands and touts inflict themselves there; people ride and park the motorbikes on them; power poles spring up on them; they're often badly maintained with broken bricks, missing or doubtful gratings and a multitude of trip hazards and obstacles; sometimes they're just plain non-existent.  And then there's the fact that people DO need to cross them (duh!).  Streets are a public right-of-way and sometimes the only practical way for a pedestrian to proceed. NO, streets do not "belong to vehicles", and it's hard to believe any rational person would even say that.  It's elitist attitudes like this that kill & injure pedestrians, send some thinking tourists elsewhere, and keep Thailand backward and solidly in the third world.  The burden of crossing the road is certainly and dangerously the pedestrian's, but the actual responsibility to accommodate them remains, or SHOULD remain, the motorist's.  Enlightened countries recognize this and drivers who injure pedestrians don't generally fare very well once the legal system gets hold of them.   

[elgenon]

I wrote on another thread that before crossing beach road (in July) I looked both ways and saw a couple vans coming that I could easily avoid. Just before I landed on the opposite side I got hit by a speeding motorcycle taxi who was apparently behind a van and I didn't see him and he didn't see me. I landed on my knee and teeth.

 

Not fun.

[Keesters]

On 8/25/2017 at 7:15 PM, johng said:

I said it before and say it again
Zebra crossings in Thailand are a danger to pedestrians and should be removed...they only give a false sense of security
best get rid of them so pedestrians will cross with 100% concentration and awareness.

That's just giving in and is absolute bullshit. People in Thailand should learn how to respect each other and allow people to cross the road safely as in any civilized country. They key here is civilized and on that score Thailand has a long way to go.

[Keesters]

7 hours ago, TunnelRat69 said:

slight correction  -  look left, look right, look left, look right, look left again then proceed cautiously - even on one way streets, because that F'n Idiot man or woman, on a speeding Motorcycle going the wrong way is the one that will kill ya.

And a lot of those F'n Idiots are not Thai nationals.

[Keesters]

16 hours ago, H508 said:

Of course no. However, streets belong to vehicles. Sidewalks belong to pedestrians. Sometimes you have to walk across a 'car-owned' road. I just think the burden of crossing the road is the responsibility of the pedestrian given the absence of a crosswalking light or policeman directing traffic.

Streets may 'belong' to vehicles but a zebra, panda, pelican, etc crossing belong to pedestrians. A pedestrian on a crossing has higher priority than some ahole in a car.

[Henryford]

I had a similar experience crossing Beach Road on a zebra crossing a few months ago. A motorbike missed me by inches. Now i think zebra crossings are dangerous and i never use them. They should all be removed until thai drivers know what they are for.

[bbpbbp]

3 hours ago, elgenon said:

I wrote on another thread that before crossing beach road (in July) I looked both ways and saw a couple vans coming that I could easily avoid. Just before I landed on the opposite side I got hit by a speeding motorcycle taxi who was apparently behind a van and I didn't see him and he didn't see me. I landed on my knee and teeth.

 

Not fun.

 

Next time open your eyes.

 

 

[bbpbbp]

3 hours ago, Keesters said:

That's just giving in and is absolute bullshit. People in Thailand should learn how to respect each other and allow people to cross the road safely as in any civilized country. They key here is civilized and on that score Thailand has a long way to go.

 

Yes, keep talking ! during that time nothing will change and it's perfect this way. I also support wars around the world so that only the strongest people survive. This world is full of weak energy consuming people that should not be here anymore !

 

 

[Asiantravel]

19 minutes ago, bbpbbp said:

 

Yes, keep talking ! during that time nothing will change and it's perfect this way. I also support wars around the world so that only the strongest people survive. This world is full of weak energy consuming people that should not be here anymore !

 

 

WOW ! That's a rather scary statement.it sounds like you are an advocate of eugenics.

with that kind of outlook on life I hope you never become an operative in some future sinister totalitarian government.

[Asiantravel]

4 hours ago, elgenon said:

I wrote on another thread that before crossing beach road (in July) I looked both ways and saw a couple vans coming that I could easily avoid. Just before I landed on the opposite side I got hit by a speeding motorcycle taxi who was apparently behind a van and I didn't see him and he didn't see me. I landed on my knee and teeth.

 

Not fun.

so what happened next? presumably you must have damaged your teeth so who paid for that?

[Asiantravel]

2 hours ago, Henryford said:

I had a similar experience crossing Beach Road on a zebra crossing a few months ago. A motorbike missed me by inches. Now i think zebra crossings are dangerous and i never use them. They should all be removed until thai drivers know what they are for.

and after spending all that money on gallons of red and white paint on all those crossings and 40 km/h signs further up Beach Road. You could say they have the right intention............... but I don't think it's going to be enough to save lives

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎8‎/‎26‎/‎2017 at 11:13 AM, joepattaya1961 said:

For a lot of (Thai AND foreign) drivers/riders a pedestrian crossing is nothing more than a bullseye on a dart-board. 

It means.........."BULLSEYE"!!

Apart from that and I can say that in general: Social behavior amongst drivers/riders in Thailand is at an almost zero. As soon as people step into their black-plasticed en window-tinted cocoon they are "Alone on this World" and everyone who gets in their way has to suffer. 

As other posters said: Zebra crossings do give pedestrians certain rights in some countries, but in Thailand it's certainly not the case. Not even with the traffic lights working.......they're just ignored!

When I lived with my wife I always drove when we were together, but when I finally let her drive I was terrified that she was going to kill someone as she was so dangerous on the road.

[thaibeachlovers]

5 hours ago, Keesters said:

And a lot of those F'n Idiots are not Thai nationals.

Area around Sunee Plaza is exceptionally dangerous due to the insane riders of a certain non Thai ethnicity that inhabit that area.

[bbpbbp]

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

When I lived with my wife I always drove when we were together, but when I finally let her drive I was terrified that she was going to kill someone as she was so dangerous on the road.

 

And you where not able to teach her how to become smart ? So the problem seems to be you, not her.

 

 

[murraynz]

0ne of my first pieces of advise to friends visiting pattaya....dont use pedestrian crossings..this is being suicidal...but of course a normal visitor would be aware of this.

[elgenon]

17 hours ago, bbpbbp said:

 

Next time open your eyes.

 

 

Yikes! I will sir. Thanks.

[Keesters]

11 hours ago, murraynz said:

0ne of my first pieces of advise to friends visiting pattaya....dont use pedestrian crossings..this is being suicidal...but of course a normal visitor would be aware of this.

Another piece of bullsh_t advice. If you're going to get run over crossing the road at least have it done on a crossing where the pedestrian has the legal right of way.

[gmac]

1 hour ago, Keesters said:

Another piece of bullsh_t advice. If you're going to get run over crossing the road at least have it done on a crossing where the pedestrian has the legal right of way.

Regrettably the law means nothing in this country (unless you are rich and powerful), having right on your side doesn't make you any less dead when you get hit.  I consciously avoid using marked crossings as they merely give you a false sense of security.

[mrwebb8825]

I'm not going to read through 4 pages but wanted to pass along: My wife (Thai) told me when I complained about trucks and such driving like asshats and was going to get a few rocks and just toss them in front on their windshields to use 1 baht coins instead. Apparently in Thailand, you can NOT be attacked by money. Works like a charm. :D

[Keesters]

On 8/28/2017 at 9:12 AM, gmac said:

Regrettably the law means nothing in this country (unless you are rich and powerful), having right on your side doesn't make you any less dead when you get hit.  I consciously avoid using marked crossings as they merely give you a false sense of security.

Ignore a proper crossing and cross where there isn't one. What a great piece of advice. I hope you get run over.

[gmac]

Just now, Keesters said:

Ignore a proper crossing and cross where there isn't one. What a great piece of advice. I hope you get run over.

Not a Thailand resident I assume.  If you cross at a crossing in Pattaya and assume you are safe the chances are you will get run over.  Crossing elsewhere takes that false sense of security away.  Thanks for the well-wishing by the way!

[ross163103]

On 8/28/2017 at 2:12 AM, gmac said:

I consciously avoid using marked crossings as they merely give you a false sense of security.

As a driver in Pattaya I do look for pedestrians all the time but am more aware of them at the crossings. Just be advised at crossings you have a better chance of cars stopping--most times, anywhere else there's less chance of a driver seeing you which results in a higher probability of getting hit. 

[gmac]

10 hours ago, ross163103 said:

As a driver in Pattaya I do look for pedestrians all the time but am more aware of them at the crossings. Just be advised at crossings you have a better chance of cars stopping--most times, anywhere else there's less chance of a driver seeing you which results in a higher probability of getting hit. 

Actually not as I'm not talking about crossing a road and expecting traffic to stop for me but rather waiting for a suitable gap and crossing taking responsibility for my own safety rather than relying on a driver obeying a traffic signal.

[Keesters]

On 8/30/2017 at 9:31 AM, gmac said:

Not a Thailand resident I assume.  If you cross at a crossing in Pattaya and assume you are safe the chances are you will get run over.  Crossing elsewhere takes that false sense of security away.  Thanks for the well-wishing by the way!

Thailand resident 33 years. Longer than most. Never had trouble with police, they are always nice to me. Always use a crossing when it is available and have never been hit while doing so.

You can have that same false sense of security on or off a crossing. Makes no sense not to use a crossing when there is one available and it gives you the right to cross by law whereas crossing elsewhere leaves you with a possible jay walking offense. It appears you just want to get run over.

Edited September 4, 2017 by Keesters

[CGW]

On 8/27/2017 at 4:36 PM, bbpbbp said:

 

And you where not able to teach her how to become smart ? So the problem seems to be you, not her.

 

 

Now now, calm down, take your tablets, its a wonderful world out there full off lovely people :)

Have a nice day.

[Asiantravel]

4 hours ago, Keesters said:

Thailand resident 33 years. Longer than most. Never had trouble with police, they are always nice to me. Always use a crossing when it is available and have never been hit while doing so.

You can have that same false sense of security on or off a crossing. Makes no sense not to use a crossing when there is one available and it gives you the right to cross by law whereas crossing elsewhere leaves you with a possible jay walking offense. It appears you just want to get run over.

" gives you the right to cross by law "

 

but you can't attribute much value to that if you are a corpse lying on Pattaya Beach Road after being hit by a driver who totally disregards speed limitations (painted on the road)or indeed even the very significance of a pedestrian crossing?

[balo]

Nothing new here , you need to use your eyes and stay focused, forget about zebra crossings in Thailand. You will learn how to navigate after a few months here.