Sign language
Malaysian freeways are not for bicycles. Nor ox carts.
So I’m riding down the street yesterday, right-hand lane like I’m supposed to, directly over the big puffy-paint bicyclist symbol that tells reminds cars that bicycles have a right to exist in three dimensions, and this morbidly obese land-yacht of a Caddy behind me starts honking at me. I know, right? Like I’m supposed to fly, or something. Plus, I’m already going as fast as the car in front of me, just call me Lance Armstrong Greg Lemond, but the peak fuel bugger behind me honks again. I would think it was that old urban legend about the car behind flashing his lights every time the murderer in the back seat rises up, except as fancy as my beautifully battered bicycle is, it ain’t got no backseat. But so I point right down at the symbols as I ride over each one. Bicycle lane, buddy. But no, he keeps tooting at me the whole way home. Toot toot you mother pheasant plucker. Some people.
That’s one dangerously rugged floor you got there, Hong Kong
The only thing I can think is that the individual in question had at least one of four afflictions. One: terrible vision, couldn’t see the signs, in which case they shouldn’t be driving a car anyway. Two: couldn’t see the road over that urban Serengeti of a hood, in which case no one should be driving that car. Three: they’re lazy, stupid, and hate cyclists. Four: just don’t see signs anymore.
Signs can be informative. If only I knew which one was being proscribed, on a train in Myanmar
That fourth one I can kinda understand. We urbanites, especially in litigious and don’t-expect-people-to-use-their-thinky-parts societies (welcome to the club, Hong Kong), live in a forest of printed instructions, a melee of designations, a clusterfudge of prohibitions, demarcations, and condemnations. If one were to stop and read every sign, they wouldn’t have the literary bandwidth left to read more than tweets. (I may just have solved a mystery that’s been driving me cynically insane.)
But sometimes, one really should read the signs. For example when threatening the corporal well-being of someone who is doing nothing wrong, nor inconveniencing you in any way whatsoever. Or, when the signs are just plain awesome.
Wait, what don’t you want me to do to you, tuktuk driver in Sri Lanka?
that photos looks so wrong lol
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There are a few, around the world, that earn a double-take. 🙂
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haha the world has cool customs.
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Thanks for the laughs!
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Thank you for them too!
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This toilet squatting thing seems to be all the rage.
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It does indeed. Maybe there’s something to it… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbYWhdLO43Q&feature=youtu.be
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I need that sign in my toilets at work!
On the plus side I’m glad you didn’t get run off your bike (I’ve had that happen in Sydney a few times) only it’s illegal here to ride on footpaths so we only really have roads.
I don’t understand people at the best of times. When they are honking a cyclist because traffic is slow anyway is useless and just annoying.
I want to have a jacket that had led display on the back so I can write notes to drivers behind me. Or give them the finger. Because I’m nice like that.
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I think everyone should spend time doing both. (Sorry, hardly a great epiphany. Surprise surprise, mutual understanding and putting ourselves in each other’s shoes improves the world, whoddathunkit?) If I haven’t driven a car in a couple months I lose compassion for the frustration of traffic, and when people haven’t ridden a bike on the street (ever?) it’s no wonder they have trouble remembering to watch for them, or not be ass-hats about it. The LED jacket…hmm…that could be dangerous. But terribly fun in the meantime!
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You know though, I found that drivers over there are way more patient than our drivers here.
I loved cycling around in NOLA. It was so flat! I was in heaven. Compared to our mountainous city where riding up a bloody cliff to get to the beach is normal.
Still I think you’re into something. I think drivers should all have a go on a bike in traffic to see how a) bloody terrifying it can be b) how exposed you actually are to the big fast moving hunks of metal and c) a wee bit of patience will mean everyone stays alive for another day.
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