On a bus tour in France, our guide warned us that French drivers regarded stopping at red lights an option rather than a requirement. We were warned not to cross the road without looking even when we had a green pedestrian light.
On a bus tour in France, our guide warned us that French drivers regarded stopping at red lights an option rather than a requirement. We were warned not to cross the road without looking even when we had a green pedestrian light.
1973 Series III LWB 1983 - 2006
1998 300 Tdi Defender Trayback 2006 - often fitted with a Trayon slide-on camper.
There is that big multi lane roundabout in Paris where your insurance company will not provide cover once you approach and cover starts again once you have exited.
Have stood there with a French friend who was explaining it to me and watched the carnage as no one gives way to anyone, no indicators (something the English have copied) just bash and drive.
Probably this one at the Arc de Triomphe.
1973 Series III LWB 1983 - 2006
1998 300 Tdi Defender Trayback 2006 - often fitted with a Trayon slide-on camper.
Doomadgee has it's own pecular set of road rules.
1. Always drive slowly due to children, dogs, horses & rubish all over the road.
2. It is required to drive with a baby on your lap. If you do not have a baby they can be hired at the Roadhouse.
3. Stop at all intersections, normal give way rulles may not apply depending on the time, wether, level of alcohol or drug intake, car type, if car is stolen & age of driver.
4. Kids on unregistered, un roadworthy bikes & quads are fair game after dark.
5. When it rains you must ripe up all dirt roads as much as possible.
6. Do not turn your lights on untill it is absolutly pitch black, this includes during rain & fog.
7. It is OK to carry 20lt of regular unleaded in a plastic cleaning bottle inside the car while smoking.
8. It is OK to smoke while filling your car & when it is bought to your attention get as abusive as possible.
9. Children do not need to be restrained in a car. Doomadgee kids are tough.
10. Indicators, should they still be attached to your car & working, are not to be used unless indicating that you are turning the opposite way to intended.
Jonesfam
I thought of a few motoring rules in Thailand. How do they compare with Doom?
1. Five people can easily be carried on one motorcycle. Optional are chickens, dogs, bags of concrete, gas bottles and other items.
2. Utes can carry at least a dozen people in the tray, plus any item. Buffalo may need restraining by tying a rope to the nose ring.
3. Indicators are only for pussies and need not be used.
4. Horns may be blown frequently, but not continuously, as in Vietnam.
5. Tyres need not match in any way.
6. Speed limit signs are redundant since everyone ignores them.
7. Highway police are only interested in the behaviour of drivers if they have already crashed or can be forced to hand over a 'fine' to avoid having their licence consficated and taken to the police station. A typical fine is 4000 baht, but foreigners have to pay more. The size of the 'fine' increases if the driver protests. Police officers usually have at least 2 families to support, since a second wife is affordable if the monthly salary exceeds 50,000 baht, although beautiful university student second wives are high maintenance and cost more.
8. Trucks and buses always have right of way - the more dented they are, the more right of way they have.
9. Pedestrians are fair game at all times.
10. Taxi and tuk tuk drivers regularly consume various chemicals to stay awake longer on the job. Fares double for foreign passengers. Long distance bus drivers are clinically depressed and suicidal.
J
Reminds me a bit of my time in Myanmar thirty odd years ago. traffic resembled a mobile (poorly maintained and overloaded) vintage rally, with most vehicles RHD, despite the drive on right rules.
But the most fascinating practice was driving at night - switch headlights on, memorise the road ahead for 100m or so, switch off, drive the 100m, and repeat. If there is moonlight or bright starlight, dispense with lights altogether.
Apparently, the idea is it makes you less of a target.But, for example, early one morning, our surveyor, heading back to town at the 0300 end of curfew, hit a (unlighted) timber jinker parked on the main highway, either where it was at the start of the curfew, or where it broke down. The log went through the windscreen and between the surveyor and his driver.
John
JDNSW
1986 110 County 3.9 diesel
1970 2a 109 2.25 petrol
Search AULRO.com ONLY! |
Search All the Web! |
---|
|
|
Bookmarks