Meditations on Driving on Samui by SPM

---

I'd be lying if I said driving around Samui wasn't nerve-wracking. Everytime we get to a destination, my pulse is a lot quicker, my hands are clammy, and my head's fogged over with adrenaline. I thought when we first reached the island that maybe we just had an agressive taxi driver-- but no, offensive driving seems to be the norm. (as I'm writing this on the beach of Chewang, my icy watermelon juice beverage just arrived...yeah, it's delicious )

So first off, everything is on the opposite side, which, for some accoustomed to international driving, might seem like a small detail--for me it's quite a hurdle. Everytime I try to put on the blinker to make a turn, I flip on the windsheild wipers. So driving on the left side of the road takes a bit to get used to. But that's easy compared to the other hazards on the island, which I'll mention in no particular order of danger:

--The seeming lack of a speed limit:

Heidi noticed the first Kilometer per Hour sign I think on our 6th day into the trip, stating 45. I believe this to be a mild suggestion. I have been trying to maintain an average of 60-80, which is well below the 100-120 our taxis have been going, but is still apparently an invitation for other vehicles to pass us. Which brings me to the next hazard.

--Passing and being passed:

Quite often, passing and being passed happens at the same time. You are frequently passing mopeds and motorbikes-- they have their own mini bike lane to the left of car traffic, but you still have to give them a bit of room, the whole "loop" as it's referred to that encircles around the island, is only a 2 lane road -- so as the speed limit ranges from 20-120 KPH, you'll pass a motor bike or a slow moving truck, and at the same time be passed by a motor bike or slow moving truck. As this is happening, the very same situation is going on in the opposite lane. It seems to be quite common to play an unintentional game of chicken and come within feet of various head-on collisions. And whether you're on a straight-stretch or a sharp corner does not really matter in the act of passing.

--The honking:

The constant honking of horns is minor but distracting. It can also be accompanied by the flashing of one's high beams, but this is up to the discretion of the driver. I've been honked at while being passed, when being followed for what I'm assuming is driving too slow, for being too close to another vehicle when passing, for being the second party in a head-on game of chicken ( this is almost always paired with the flashing of high beams ), for taking a legal turn at an intersection, for taking a moderately illegal turn at an intersection (everything is backward ), for failing to jet out into fast moving traffic while stopped at an intersection, and finally, for driving a few kilometers with a large portion of shrubbery attached to the Sporty.

--The abundance of dogs:

Dogs are just about everywhere, yet few people seem to claim ownership of any of them. ( unless you're Rucky ) So you always have to be on alert for a pack of dogs fighting in the street, a lady and a tramp waiting courteously to cross traffic, or the various mutts who tend to sleep with half their body in the road. ( they are sleeping, right? ) And if the road is seemingly free of canines, you'll still have to watch out for the casual jaywalker, cars which are parked in the middle of the street, and various vehicles slowly lurching onto the roadway, oblivious of the relative speed of traffic at that moment.

So a typical moment in the Sporty is like this: I'm passing a slow-moving truck while simultaniously being passed by a motor bike carrying a husband, wife, two children, a bird in a large cage, and a sack of rice, while staring down a speeding truck in the other lane that's moments from crashing into us head-on because it's swerving to miss a dog and a person is trying to cross the road between traffic and the windsheild wipers are on at full speed and Heidi's yelling at me from the passenger side and Poupe is in the backseat covering her eyes and her cell phone is ringing with a ringtone that sounds like a Thai version of the Mario Bros. theme song, and I'm in the wrong gear. . .

On the bright side, what looks like a horribly weak fan with three generic settings and no mention of A.C., is actually a gushing arctic snowblower even on the lowest setting.

It's about time to pick Heidi up from her Thai cooking school and drive back to Taling Ngam. . .
-SPM

---

Photos

Shaunee in the Sporty
Safely in our driveway

Hold on Tight, No Helmet!
Hmmmm...old nuff to sit in back

I mean really?
What is everyone doing?

Little Boy ridin' shotgun
See, the young ones ride in front

Little Scooter Sidekick
Sometimes these carry grilled corn, meat on a stick, or children. We found some ladies catching a ride.