Editor:
In regards to the response last week from your reader “Good grace of car drivers”, I believe his assessment is somewhat incorrect. I have been driving for nearly 45 years in the U.S. have certification and endorsements in commercial driving and teaching, a certification from the California Highway patrol for motorcycle and a teaching certification for towing commercial aircraft.
When it comes to driving in Thailand, whether it is a car or a motorbike, the major problem with their driving is that they have been “conditioned” due to lack of education and enforcement through decades to drive in a dangerous manner and not even know it. I have been in situations in the past with Thai drivers and have come away with a conclusion that they don’t even know that they are doing something wrong, so confronting them about their reckless behavior is useless in my book.
What is wrong on their part is the unconscious behavior of cutting off cars by motorbikes, cars tailgating motorbikes even when they are traveling within the proper speed, etc… Both parties are wrong. What both parties don’t get is that a motorbike stands no chance against a car. The truth is you can’t win against a ton of steel. A vehicle is a legal weapon and there is no excuse for a driver in a car to tailgate a motorbike within inches of their fender whether the motorbike is wrong or not!
If you ever get a chance to have a conversation or point out as to why they did a particular maneuver, they would have no idea what you are talking about and many would think you are looking for a fight by criticizing them. In my opinion living here for over ten years for a society that believes/talk so much about “mai pen rai” it seems that once they get behind the wheel they forget all sense of patience.
Jeff Chumuchi
