my glorious yamaha fino motorbike has simultaneously been the most life-saving and life-threatening acquirement of my first month as a kindergarten teacher in thailand. fun, efficient, thrilling, cheap (by US standards at least…), and unreasonably speedy, it has made exploring the beachside city of pattaya a truly enjoyable daily after-work activity. my other experiences living abroad have gotten me quite comfortable with a lack of traffic laws, chaotic speedy unlined roads, and even driving on the opposite side of the street, common realities of international driving standards. but here in thailand, it is all taken to an extreme new level.
one tip i receive from a local after first getting my motorbike pretty much sums up the attitude about driving here: just worry about yourself and what’s right in front of you. they aren’t joking. i wonder why they even include rearview mirrors on motorbikes and cars going to thai dealerships. as i speed along clutching my handlebars for dear life, i insistently try to make eyecontact with the drivers around me through the mirror communication network. hoping to convey with my eyes my plea of i’m getting close to you so please don’t erratically change lanes/switch directions/slam your brakes. my eyes never seem to meet their target, as all other eyes are either fixed straight ahead or directed at some other fixation point –tree, food vendor, friend- …on the roads of pattaya, there are much more interesting things to be gazing at than your fellow traffic companions, it is true. so, i learn, as i make turns/passes/change speed/alter direction and do what i need to do to stay on my course, sometimes it comes down to just closing my eyes, saying a quick desparate prayer to Buddha, and just going for it full speed ahead, hoping i don’t end up as nothing more than a cute teal helmet and a spattered pile of goop on the road…
No comments:
Post a Comment