Why do taxi drivers remove rear seatbelt buckles???

**The Gentleman Scamp** · 28-04-2011, 07:03 PM

Can anybody give me a sensible answer as to why the seatbelts in the back seats of most Thai taxis have had the buckles removed or hidden under the seat?

Gareth from cardiff says:

so they can't get sued for whiplash. straight through window for death is cheaper than compo

Thai national Natnaree, from Bang Sue says:

If u r not afraid not wearing helmet on the back of taxi bike, there is no point asking for a safety belt on the back of taxi car.

So I replied...

Why are you avoiding the question and defending them woman?? I AM afraid of not wearing a helmet on the back of a bike, and it's a risk we all take, but my point is that there ARE seatbelts in the back of taxis but they are modified so that they can't be used. So if there's a group of friends in the back or a mother and child and the driver makes a mistake, they die and the driver lives.

Pete from Dover says:

maybe if the seatbelts are enforced then only 3 people can sit in the back rather than the usual 8?

To which I replied:

You haven't thought this through at all have you. Look, you could still fit more than three in the back. A seatbelt buckle is smaller than a pack of cigarettes and has softer edges... I'll say it again. A seatbelt buckle is smaller than a pack of cigarettes and has softer edges.

And he goes:

if seatbelts were enforced as in people must wear them !

So I said:

People would have to wear them in the back (which is not the law) and no more than three people could sit in the back (which is the law here though it's hardly enforced) - the buckles are deliberatly hidden under the seat or cut off. Is it illegal to give people the option of saving their lives in the back seat??

Which I think is a very valid point, and only Travis from Long Beach CA is on my side and he had this to say:

bro. i asked the same question the first day i was in bangkok... i asked the driver and said if we where to die the seatbelts wouldnt matter. tis the way of buddha. then he pointed at his little buddha on the dash and said we will be fine... and the crazy thing was we ended up ok...

Seriously - this has to be one of the most idiotic, dangerous and stupid traits of Thai motorists, it doesn't make any sense at all - or does it?

**taxexile** · 28-04-2011, 08:04 PM

tink too mutt no good.

**Carrabow** · 28-04-2011, 08:11 PM

Originally Posted by The Gentleman Scamp

Seriously - this has to be one of the most idiotic, dangerous and stupid traits of Thai motorists, it doesn't make any sense at all - or does it?

That would be the actual drivers themselves

**socal** · 28-04-2011, 08:23 PM

Because they don't think the chances of getting in a serious accident are very high.

**DrAndy** · 28-04-2011, 08:40 PM

Originally Posted by The Gentleman Scamp

Seriously - this has to be one of the most idiotic, dangerous and stupid threads

yes, tedious and unamusing

**Chico the Fox** · 28-04-2011, 08:40 PM

Aren't the rear seat cushions just covering them?

I'm sure if you're that worried you can dig your hand down the back (you'd have to be worried to this manuvuer) you can pull them back out.

**English Noodles** · 28-04-2011, 08:47 PM

Hello Chico. How are you?

**superman** · 28-04-2011, 08:50 PM

Cancelled.

**dirtydog** · 28-04-2011, 08:53 PM

It does have a couple of safe points not wearing the seatbelt, imagine hitting a concrete post at 70mph, your thrown thru the windscreen ripping your face and body to shreds, bouncing and bouncing down the concrete road breaking your arms, legs, neck and back, as you come to rest with your body screaming in pain and agony you glance at the wreckage as it is suddenly engulfed in flames and those inside slowly burn to death, anyway, I wouldn't let the seatbelt thing worry you too much.

**Thetyim** · 28-04-2011, 09:03 PM

Hans Herman demonstrated in 1959 that it is safer not to wear set belts

**Chico the Fox** · 28-04-2011, 09:12 PM

Originally Posted by English Noodles

Hello Chico. How are you?

All good, mate. Beer tonight?

**The Gentleman Scamp** · 28-04-2011, 09:21 PM

I should have chosen the thread title more carefully, some thing shorter such as...

Taxi sabotage

or

Bhudda Vs Belts

or

How come DrAndy is such a knob?

**English Noodles** · 28-04-2011, 09:27 PM

Originally Posted by Chico the Fox

Originally Posted by English Noodles

Hello Chico. How are you?

All good, mate. Beer tonight?

Not today, have a few calls to make to the UK tonight. Will try to call in soon though.

**DrAndy** · 28-04-2011, 09:33 PM

Originally Posted by The Gentleman Scamp

I should have chosen the thread title more carefully, some thing shorter such as...

Taxi sabotage

or

Bhudda Vs Belts

or

How come DrAndy is such a knob?

yes, I think the third title would have generated much more interesting and intelligent responses

but you didn't, so you are stuck with your nonsense

the taxi drivers do not hide the seatbelts, they just never get used and slip beneath the seat

I have interviewed seven drivers and they all state that is the case

as for buckles being removed, that is also nonsense; they just fall off and are used as paperweights by the thieving passengers

**The Gentleman Scamp** · 28-04-2011, 09:59 PM

**The Gentleman Scamp** · 28-04-2011, 10:26 PM

You not only bit but you answered the question better than anyone else.

Cheers Dandy.

**socal** · 29-04-2011, 12:38 AM

Originally Posted by dirtydog

It does have a couple of safe points not wearing the seatbelt, imagine hitting a concrete post at 70mph, your thrown thru the windscreen ripping your face and body to shreds, bouncing and bouncing down the concrete road breaking your arms, legs, neck and back, as you come to rest with your body screaming in pain and agony you glance at the wreckage as it is suddenly engulfed in flames and those inside slowly burn to death, anyway, I wouldn't let the seatbelt thing worry you too much.

99% of the time you are wasting your time putting that belt on.

**dirtydog** · 29-04-2011, 12:46 AM

^True, but in this case it saved scampys life, he can look back fondly at the memories of his friends burning to death and he survived because he didn't wear a seatbelt, and comfortably live his life as a paraplegic who needs never ending skin grafts, he can tell stories to his kids about how not wearing a seatbelt saved his life, well, assumming his knob wasn't cut off as he went thru the windscreen

**DrAndy** · 29-04-2011, 02:32 AM

Originally Posted by The Gentleman Scamp

You not only bit but you answered the question better than anyone else.

Cheers Dandy.

no problem Scumpie

just doing my bit for mental deficients who need attention

**DrAndy** · 29-04-2011, 02:33 AM

Originally Posted by DrAndy

I have interviewed seven drivers and they all state that is the case

Originally Posted by The Gentleman Scamp

You not only bit but you answered the question better than anyone else.

and a free survey

**socal** · 29-04-2011, 03:30 AM

Originally Posted by dirtydog

^True, but in this case it saved scampys life, he can look back fondly at the memories of his friends burning to death and he survived because he didn't wear a seatbelt, and comfortably live his life as a paraplegic who needs never ending skin grafts, he can tell stories to his kids about how not wearing a seatbelt saved his life, well, assumming his knob wasn't cut off as he went thru the windscreen

yeah, I usually put th belt on for longer drives but just carting my ass around the city, there is no point. And Tuk Tuks don't have seat belts.

**Thormaturge** · 29-04-2011, 05:43 AM

**DrAndy** · 29-04-2011, 02:29 PM

Originally Posted by socal

And Tuk Tuks don't have seat belts.

there is a reason for that

**WilliamBlake** · 29-04-2011, 03:36 PM

Just sit in the front. Problem solved.

**DrAndy** · 29-04-2011, 03:39 PM

what was the problem?

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