I successfully failed to run over a scooter today

[urleft]

Well today I think I missed hitting a Thai with his bicycle by about an inch. 


I entered town from the north along side cut in, I crossed the RR tracks and was turing right on Lukmuang Road and traffic was very heavy.  I had to pull up around a car to go wide into the turn, I was watching the car blocking me from turning, and the on coming traffic. 

As I made the turn, a Thai was walking his bicycle across the street (I had not seen him), I made a quick turn and just missed hitting him and he continued walking into my path of travel and was not watching where he was going. 

My TG berated me for almost hitting him and asked what I would have done it I hit him?


I honestly replied I would have kept going as he made no attempt to avoid me or watch traffic. 

[davureborn]

Blimey. For about 40 years about 25% of my working day was driving in all sorts of traffic, never an accident (apart from that police car but I don't talk about that) and about 600Km a week for three years in Thailand now without having an accident. I'm beginning to think that it isn't a question of 'if' you have an accident, but 'when'.
A year or two ago I took a few miles of driving off the tyres doing an emergency stop for a cyclist that shot out of an entrance and fell over in front of the car. We had seat belts. My wife stopped me getting out of the car which I didn't like. Eventually the guy got up, didn't even look around and went on his way. Nasty suspicious mind that I have, I reckon he had seen me going through the every day at the same time and was looking for some ready cash. Can anyone recommend a reliable carcam, and where to buy, please?

In reply to your wife's question about what you would have done if you had hit him, I might add the Yorkshire option of getting out of the car and hitting him again before driving on.

[CO-CO]

Have a look at Lazada Thailand for car cams.


My only accident so far in Thailand was earlier this year when I reversed into a small Honda car at traffic lights in Bangkok.

Poor bugger wasn't expecting that !!

Nice chap, took it well, I gave him and his wife 500 Baht to get themselves a meal on me.

[Graham1]

May I first say that having read all of this post - urleft you are a very patient and honourable man .
On the car cam - I use a free app - iblackbox on my iphone and have a gopro on the dash when driving in Thailand.
The app records speed , audio and video for every journey and I use it every journey no matter how short.
Happy new year sir.

[Adam]

I'll hit someone, one day, it is only a matter of time, and the wife will blame me even though it will not be my fault!!

[Graham1]

My apologies re : dash cam app - it is icarblackbox

[davureborn]

Have a look at Lazada Thailand for car cams.


My only accident so far in Thailand was earlier this year when I reversed into a small Honda car at traffic lights in Bangkok.

Poor bugger wasn't expecting that !!

Nice chap, took it well, I gave him and his wife 500 Baht to get themselves a meal on me.

Thanks, I am giving Lazada a go, cash on delivery, middle of the range model. About ฿1000.- Invadeit is often recommended but they don't accept my credit card and don't answer my mail when I asked what I should do about that.

[mxyzptlk]

I've bought quite a few items from InvadeIT, but I usually pay by bank transfer via internet banking. I have also paid via paypal but this incurs a small surcharge. Never tried paying by credit card. Always found them to be helpful.

[urleft]

Well it was a very good day, no encounters with Thai Scooters. 

But it might have something with me not driving anywhere today. 

[davureborn]

Just a footnote really, I bought a ฿1000.- carcam from Lazada, took me a week to work out the crappy 'instructions' in a google translate English in very tiny print, buy a mini SD card (฿1000.-) and get it working. Well, you get what you pay for, and you can't even read number plates, the HD option in an abbreviation for highly doubtful. By the time I had got around to complaining, the TWO WEEKS guarantee had run out. I now use the iPhone as a webcam, still in a free app. version but now willing to pay for a 'pro' version. Apparently Android has an app that will GPS you to your destination AND record your drive, I might end up with that instead of having two phones stuck to the wind shield as at present. (One of which now contains the SD card).
Evil mind that I have, I may consider turning the cam in the direction of any cop that stops me in Chonburi next time I go there.

[toffo]

Buy a Go Pro

[davureborn]

 

Buy a Go Pro

[urleft]

Well today twice I was making a right turn with my turn signal engaged when the scooter behind me passed me on the right by going into the on coming traffic lane.  Luckily I saw them both coming and did not complete my turn. 

In the first case the two boys were traveling at high speed, they would have been road kill. 


Thailand is teaching me to look behind me when turning or passing. 

[urleft]

Wow, it has been a rough 2 weeks. Since I moved here in 2011 I really try to avoid being on the roads from 7-8 am and 4-530 pm.  However with my angel in school I have to drive at those times.  What a nightmare. 

Like today I had lady on the scooter taking her daughter to school driving slow in the middle between the right and left lane, she would not choose a lane, just continued there for about 500 meters.   

Or this evening I was making a right turn out of the back gate of the catholic school at about 5 pm, very heavy traffic, the right side on coming traffic seemed to clear, and a hole open on the left side on coming traffic.  What I did not account for was 3 Thai boys on a scooter the kept increasing their speed.  My initial estimate was I could make it, but I failed to account for the scooter accerating to about 100 KM an hour, but I was committed and turned.  The scooter finally braked and all was well. 

But it brings to mind that teenage males have little common sense, and with no driver's education, expect them to be real real stupid. 

The TW berated me all the home saying it would have been my fault if they hit me.  (Yes I know she was correct)

[urleft]

Another day another successful not hitting a scooter. 

I was making a right turn by the bus station onto Thani road about 4 pm, of course heavy traffic.  Just as an opening cleared and started to turn my TW screamed Scooter Scooter.  So I stopped just as 2 girls on a scooter passed me (and the 3 other cars) on the right continuing straight through the intersection. 

Even driving here for over 5 years I have trouble believing how stupid these scooters can be.