Thread: Dead Man's Curve

I was out on my bike one Monday night,
When a Honda Wave pulled up on the right.

(Apologies to Jan and Dean.)

It was on the left, actually.

I went for one of my favorite bicycle rides late this afternoon. This is a 25K dash out to Khok Kruat; mostly on a secondary highway that is nicely paved and usually quite empty. About half way along you reach Baan Deua where the road makes a quick left turn over the railway tracks and back to the right again.

As I'm approaching the curve I see a motorbike ahead, on the left, doing about 20 KPH. I'm doing 30 or 35 at that point and figure I'll just pass them on the curve. Big mistake.

Just as I come abreast of the bike the driver changes her mind and instead of going around the curve she just continues on straight headed for the Baan Deua market. At that point there was nothing I could to do avoid a collision. We crashed with a lot of noise. I lacerated a finger and smashed up her rear view mirror. (No loss, she obviously never uses it.)

She was pretty nice about it though. She apologized (in English) and dashed into the mini-mart for bandages, cotton swabs and some alcohol and then proceeded to patch me up with great skill.

I thanked her and went on my way.

Of course, the accident was my fault. How could I be so daft as to think that a motorbike driver would ever use their turning indicators, rear view mirror, brain, eyes or any other safety equipment provided either by God or the manufacturer.

Silly me.

glad your allright mate.

Originally Posted by MeMock

glad your allright mate.

Thanks. I gotta sign off for the night -- getting blood all over the keyboard!

When I was a sprog, I was bombing fown a hill on my montain bike when my stupid mate decided to stand in the middle of the road and stop me. He obviously thought that I would swerve or stop.

I ran him down, straight over the top with a little wheelie. Then I lost it and came off as well. He had fucking bruises all over his just and back.

Stupid bastard.

James I think his name was.

glad you're ok buad.
i learnt long ago what the horn is for here in thailand.

to wake them up.
back in aus. the horn was the last resort. over here, high beam flash, toot on the horn, anything it takes to ensure that they, the other road users are aware that they are not alone in this world.
again, hope the finger is ok

You gotta watch 'em and keep watchin 'em.

Just try to guess what they're gonna do next.

Originally Posted by buadhai

...the accident was my fault. How could I be so daft as to think that a motorbike driver would ever use their turning indicators, rear view mirror, brain, eyes or any other safety equipment ...

You're dead right, I'm afraid. I've been driving in Phuket for 3 years in a pick-up and a few months on a bike and never had a collision with anybody.

(OK, a tiny exaggeration - I did clip wing mirrors once overtaking someone on the left who was turning right. But no damage done, just 1/16th inch misjudgement).

The way I drive is to expect a bike to come out of everywhere - every house, every shop, every soi, every bit of dirt, both sides of the road. Any twitch of the rider's head means he's going to turn, any biker's mirror that you can't see his face in means he can't see you - so beep him.

You really do have to treat them like idiots.

Originally Posted by buadhai

I lacerated a finger and smashed up her rear view mirror. (No loss, she obviously never uses it.)

After thinking about this over night I realize I was mistaken here. The loss of the rearview mirror means she'll have no place to pluck her eyebrows....

Thanks for the suggestion of a horn. The other day I was joking that I needed one of those little bells for my bike. Now I realize that something like that is a great idea.

Originally Posted by buadhai

I was out on my bike one Monday night,

Is this a push bike or a motor bike...

I figure it was a push bike...in which case it was definately your fault....25 - 30 kms on a push bike...unheard of in LOS...no wonder she didn't know you were there BH!!...

It was a push bike, but I regularly do 25-30. In fact I often have to pass slow moving motor vehicles. This is farm country. No one is much in a hurry. I'm not either, but I need to get my heart rate up which just doesn't happen below 25.

Originally Posted by buadhai

It was a push bike, but I regularly do 25-30....

Blimey! Are the roads up to it? I always imagine up-country roads being a mass of pot-holes joined together by the occasional bit of cracked concrete.

Well, that's how it is around Chaiyaphum, anyway.

Originally Posted by RDN

Blimey! Are the roads up to it?

One reason I like this route is that the road is good and not so crowded. Sure, there are a few potholes here and there, but it's mostly smooth sailing all the way from my place (Baan Mai) out to Khok Kruat. I think this road may have once been the main road to Bangkok before they built the Mittrapap Highway (Route 2).

Originally Posted by buadhai

Originally Posted by buadhai

I lacerated a finger and smashed up her rear view mirror. (No loss, she obviously never uses it.)

After thinking about this over night I realize I was mistaken here. The loss of the rearview mirror means she'll have no place to pluck her eyebrows....

Thanks for the suggestion of a horn. The other day I was joking that I needed one of those little bells for my bike. Now I realize that something like that is a great idea.

yep - strap a 50volt motor bike battery to the frame and buy the biggest fuck off air horn you can find.....

with a bitta luck it i'll scare 7 sorts of shit and daylight outta them before you get near (and by that time they have already crashed off the road, safely clearing it for your leisurely pasage...)

I was thinking of one of those high pitched marine rescue whistles that we use for scuba diving. Very effective and no need for that battery....

Originally Posted by RDN

The way I drive is to expect a bike to come out of everywhere - every house, every shop, every soi, every bit of dirt, both sides of the road. Any twitch of the rider's head means he's going to turn, any biker's mirror that you can't see his face in means he can't see you - so beep him.

You really do have to treat them like idiots.

Your dead right there, never expect anyone else to of seen you, the smaller the vehical you are driving the more defensivly you have to drive.
Anyway glad you were'nt seriously hurt BH

It's totally nuts at times. The other night we're coming home from dinner. I need to turn right. I stop, turn on the indicator and wait for an opening in the on-coming traffic. In other words, to any observer it ought to be obvious that I'm about to make a right turn.

Just as I begin to make the turn a motorbike whips around and tries to pass on the right! I jammed on the brakes just in time to avoid smashing him.

What was he thinking?

He wasn't.