On the way to the Wat yesterday to pray for Buddha’s help with my job interview, I witnessed a seriously sickening accident. It was sickening on a couple of fronts. As I crossed the intersection of Monivong and Sothearos, a large black Mercedes with no number plates and a thuggish looking brute at the wheel came up behind some motos that were stopped at the lights and simply went straight over the top of one. And I do mean OVER the top. Scooter and all. The hapless young scooter driving male was catapulted forward and then he and his scooter were run over and as I watched it all unfold I realised the hundreds of onlookers were all slack jawed. That says something about the seriousness of this accident because Cambodians see this shit every day. The Mercedes then turned right onto Monivong and went straight past 5 cops who just stood there. I fully expected them to run out onto the road and apprehend this bastard..but no. Off he went on his merry way. As I roared up behind him to get a look I realised his rear right tyre had blown and he was running his 20″ rim to the ground but he was not stopping for anybody. I felt a range of emotions flood over me but the main one was anger. That young kid was hurt very badly and sure as hell will not have the money to pay for his injuries – if he survived at all! I wanted to follow the Mercedes driver and discreetly get his address but realised that could only lead to bigger trouble for me so I swallowed my bile and road on.
It also rammed home AGAIN how random life here is. I never saw ANY accidents at home in Australia (maybe one or two after clean-up stage) but here you REGULARLY see smashes…. and nasty ones too. Read any of my stories about riding to Sihanoukeville. They are strewn with incidents of a fatal nature. I could not help but think of the Australian lass that was killed in Phnom Penh recently by a red-light running car as she sat on the back of a motodop. She left 7 kids behind. I also couldn’t help but think that it could have been me or one of my motorbike-riding mates under that Mercedes. We all know that the rich in Phnom Penh get away with …literally…murder and that the poor are treated with complete contempt but to see it in action was really fucked. I wish a thousand painful deaths on that Mercedes driver and hope one day he gets some of the same. I hope he slips on the soap in the shower and smashes his head open. That’s how angry I am/was. I hope he gets run over by a motodop as he steps onto the road one night and I hope that motodop does a runner.
So in light of yesterday, here are my motorbike riding survival tips for riding and surviving in Phnom Penh, one of the maddest and baddest cities in the world to be a moto rider. They are in actual order of importance as I see them;
– Have Insurance.Duh.
-Always wear a DECENT HELMET. The wind in your hair might feel great but watch someone’s melon slit open once (I have) and you will see it isn’t worth it.
–Drive DEFENSIVELY. Never EVER assume someone else is going to stop or give way to you. It is up to YOU to take care of yourself and your passenger.
–Drive SLOWLY. I drove too fast when I got here and now I have slowed down considerably. Sure it is fun to gun that 250cc down a main road in Phnom Penh and hear that engine growl but wait till that Hummer piloted by a Gangsta Wannabe comes through that intersection and totals you. No fun at all.
-ALWAYS use cars and other large vehicles as offensive linesman. If you have to turn across the oncoming traffic, use that car that is also turning as a barrier between you and the traffic speeding towards you. Follow Humvees. They might be driven by arseholes but they can be your best friend in peak hour.
-Always use your rear view mirrors to watch your back. Cambodians do not use rear-vision mirrors. They take them off their bikes because they think they look gay and the younger male riders travel at really really stupid speeds.
-Don’t ride in flip-flops. Your feet are precious. Watch what happens when someone gets t-boned at high speed (I have) and they almost lose a foot. If you really want to you can just follow them into the operating room and watch them get their foot stitched back on (I did). Also, it is painful having your foot run over by another motorbike (I have). I actually ride with steel caps.
-If you must overtake, do it on the LHS of the vehicle on front – especially if it is a moto. That moto could more than likely pull into the curb quickly and your options then are limited.
The most dangerous Cambodians on the road are CHALY drivers. You know -those annoying little 50cc Mickey Mouse scooters? They are always driven by young kids with no experience and old people who should have stopped riding years ago. BE CAREFUL OF THEM.
There are probably others I have forgotten but these simple tips will keep you alive longer than most and will hopefully help you avoid becoming another statistic. Good luck out there. It’s a jungle.
Mate, we had that discussion in KL. What can I say but life’s cheap when you’re rich in Asia.
It was good to see you after all that time. Good luck with your job prospects too and you never know, I might ask you to buy me a beer in your neck of the woods one day.
Dave
Mate, we had that discussion in KL. What can I say but life’s cheap when you’re rich in Asia.
It was good to see you after all that time. Good luck with your job prospects too and you never know, I might ask you to buy me a beer in your neck of the woods one day.
Dave