Quote:
Originally Posted by Hans Tucker
Friends came back from Thailand and describe a similar situation with the traffic there. No apparent rules but it somehow works and the biggest thing of all...No Road Rage.
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I can definately confirm the traffic in Thailand. I got stuck on a tour bus trying to re-enter Bangkok after a tour to Kanchantanaburi (?spelling) and the Bridge on the River Kwai. We were on the outskirts of the city, in total gridlock for 1.5 hours, when a police officer came wandering along. The driver then suggested we all get off and walk to the nearest train station, as the police offer said it would take at least another two hours to clear the jam.
Even when the traffic is flowing, speed limits seem to just be a suggestion, pedestrian crossings are for decoration, and the dotted lane markings are simply pointing out that there can be another lane between the existing ones. Most disturbing though, the Tuk-Tuk driver we hired for the day would often wait in the nearest bar with a beer while we went off and saw the sights.
Crossing the road was horrifying the first few times, especially in our 'lessened state of awareness' (ie drunk
)... Best tip was to not hesitate, don't look at the cars, keep your eyes forward and they'll stop or go around, which they all did without as single fuss or yell.
But at the same time, it's a kind of controlled chaos, we saw not a single accident, and nobody seems worried about road rage.
Davin