Let's Talk Transportation

Ever since I set foot in this foreign land I've been trying to snap pictures of vehicles. It's gotten to the point where someone in the entourage is liable to giggle a little each time they hear the shutter on my camera. It's as if someone is thinking, "There he goes again." Well, I can't help it.

Here in Thailand are a couple types of vehicle here that don't exist in the western world -- and maybe it's about time they did. The first example is the Tuk-Tuk above. These are sturdy three wheeled golf-cart sort of things with LPG powered one-cylinder engines. I can tell they're thumpers because of the sound. They've got automotive type back axles and wheels and they appear to have a top speed in the 40 mph range. They're noisy and smelly (something that could be improved), but just like my pedicab back in Austin, they can turn on a dime! Of course they take some degree of skill to operate because anything on three wheels can get tippy under the right (or rather, wrong) circumstances. They're perfect for hauling a couple of people just about anywhere.

The other type of vehicle is the little 200cc class motorcycle or scooter with a big sturdy sidecar attached. Some are simply bare sidecars with benches and plenty of rails and handholds, Others are built up into rolling tool boxes, hardware stores on wheels, vending carts, even mobile food carts with propane equipped cooking equipment. These are the ones that elicit the giggles from members of the entourage when I get snap happy. These things are almost as ubiquitous as motorbikes over here and I guess that's why the locals smile at my fascination with them. I mean, as long as you're only going 40 mph, why use a pickup truck when you can haul nearly as much with your scooter? I'm sure the gas mileage is much better. By the way, I've only seen two motorbikes larger than 200cc; one was a Harley and the other a BMW. 

I guess the average traffic flows a bit more slowly here, but it's so very complicated that you need the slower speeds to keep it all together. Slower traffic keeps to the left (Queen's rules here, Yanks) and passing traffic slides to the right, but that's just the official protocol. In reality, everyone seems to be cooperating, trying not to kill each other, but nevertheless trying to get there first. Motorbikes will slip by on the left or right if there's only one lane, and we'll pass them right back later if things speed up. On highways with limited turn-arounds there are daredevils going the wrong way on the shoulder (usually just the motorbikes) and at other times two lanes become three. No-cop-no-stop is also popular. But ultimately, the traffic has a flow to it and there's a beauty to it all -- like a river -- as long as everyone has their head in the game and nobody gets savage.

 I'd venture to say it's something like downtown Austin during a super-event when the cops are too busy breaking up fights to mess with us pedicabbies.