Kids on Motorbikes

[JohnnyCool]

This is not a joke.

When applying for an Indonesian driver's licence in Bali, you might have to take the multiple choice "written test" part, if you haven't come to some agreement with an official at the police station. You might even have to have your eyesight and blood pressure
checked.

I love Question 15:

If you are involved in a accident where there is a fatal what do you do?

a. Leave the scene and change your number plate and your identity so the police cannot find you
b. take the body to your house and hide it
c. report the accident to the police

A bit of a toughie, that one. Go to the top of the class if you chose (a) or (b)...right?

That's really in the "test", unless it's been up-dated, (unlikely). Reminds me of questions on the little card for Immigration you fill out on the plane before it's landed. Like, "Are you a terrorist"? I don't know about you, but I always tick "No", just in case.

On a much more sober note, I finally saw the result of nobody in "authority" in Bali enforcing "laws" that are supposed to be in place. For example...did you know it's "OK" for seven year old children to ride motorbikes? No "licence", no "helmet", no "parents" or "responsible adult family members" to be seen who presumably believe that motorbikes are toys and roads are playgrounds?

Theoretically it's not. However, I see very young children every day riding motorbikes every day of the week. From my experience, it's on the increase.

Two days ago, driving along a very straight and reasonably wide road in the vicinity of Keliki village, (Tegallalang), not far from famous Ubud, I saw three kids splattered across the road, a motorbike in a crumpled heap, two cars that were somehow involved, one driven by a westerner, running up and down the road trying to call for help on his handphone.

One child looked dead to me. Blood all over him but not bleeding any more.

I can't get that dreadful vision out of my head. It's haunting me.

Earlier tonight, I had to drive from my house to get something or other. Less than five minutes from my house, I was behind another two kids on a motorbike, riding very badly. The rider might have been ten years old. I thought to myself: "Here we go again...another tragedy in the making".

Why are there so many local "adults" who seem to believe that motorbikes are toys and roads are playgrounds?

If nothing is done, there will be more disasters like this.
And pardon me, but the "Sing-ken-ken" attitude doesn't quite cut it for me.

:evil:

[mimpimanis]

This also bothers me a lot. Whenever I see a child riding a bike I always slow down and take a lot more care...however they behave so irrationally on the road there is no knowing what they might do and the idea of being in an accident with one/some of these children terrifies me.

[JohnnyCool]

...however they behave so irrationally on the road there is no knowing what they might do and the idea of being in an accident with one/some of these children terrifies me.

Me too.

The other terrifying thing is that it ain't just children, as many of us know. There's no shortage of "irrational adult drivers" in these parts as well.

Let me count again, for a moment. I drove to the Erlangga 2 market in Denpasar this morning. Only saw three "accidents" along the way, all minor but all totally stupid. I've thought about buying a strap thing for my head to mount a camera so I can film what I see as I drive.

The last time I bought a CD-player for my car, the shop tried to sell me a video screen as well.

"Yeah, right on Nyoman - I'm lucky to still be alive driving here for years let alone watching movies as I dodge and weave around the traffic..."

He was serious.
"What if you're stuck in a traffic jam, or held up by a ceremony?"
Well, mate...I might just crank up my stereo, pull my camera out and photograph some of the beautiful women while I'm waiting.

I hope the western guy I mentioned before didn't get killed later on the road by irate villagers streaming out of the rice paddies. It still happens, sometimes. I wouldn't want to be in his shoes in a lonely area waiting for hours for an "ambulance" to arrive from Ubud.

As we left the dreadful scene of useless carnage, I thought about that and it still makes me sick inside.

"Paradise" might not be for everybody.

[noodles]

If you are involved in a accident where there is a fatal what do you do?
a. Leave the scene and change your number plate and your identity so the police cannot find you
b. take the body to your house and hide it
A bit of a toughie, that one. Go to the top of the class if you chose (a) or (b)...right?

I wanna choice "A", because in case the body was bleeding that difficult to move ur house to hide, and this would make bloodstain ruined to your car :lol:

This is a heavy topic...normally, I prefer to put on the brakes better than ride motobike side by side when I saw child ride motobike on the small road, I thought that the motobike looks a BIG TOY for local child :|

[Markit]

If you (westerner) are involved in a fatal accident what do you do?

A) Keep going, don't stop.
B) Go directly to your hotel, house, etc. and get your passport, packed bag
C) Go directly to the airport and take the next plane leaving Indonesia
D) All the above

Correct answer: D

[gilbert de jong]

just had an accident this afternoon...little kid with an adult on the back coming from the other direction, bakso cart on his side of the road...a straight road so I think he must have seen me and slow down before trying to pass the bakso stand...NOT. he made contact with my rightfront tire, which katapulted the young driver into the ditch and the passenger ended up half under the car just in front of my reartire, lucky that I was already in first gear and going very slow... So I get out of the car and ask the little driver in Indonesian, if my car isn't big enough (Toyota Landcruiser) and if he didn't see me? no answer from him, but his dad said sorry,sorry,sorry, to which I responded asking if he was ok, not hurt or bleeding, he answered tidak apa2 mas, mohon maaf dan boleh kenalan dulu (no no, everything ok, I am sorry, can we get to know eachother first) :shock:..before I could answer he slapped the little driver and said something in Balinese ( at that time I had no clue what)....so the father askes me to sit down at the side of the road and we talked a little about what happened, suddenly the little kid showes up with two tehbotol, ends well - all's well :lol: .

[noodles]

:shock: Oooooooh....other traffic accident in this forum, fortunately, no hurt and bleeding

"Be careful!!!" - Everyday morning that my villa security said this sentence to me when I leave, now I should consider change more bigger size vehicle, container trailer is good choice as per SIZE rules on the road. :)

[motormouth]

I've been away in the land of the rising sun for a week and get home to see a post on my pet hate in Bali. Every morning when taking my kids to school in Denpasar ,the craziest,fastest drivers on the road are underage male motorbike riders.How can I tell they are underage? well they are wearing the local SD(primary school) uniform.My wife says that the schools here tell the kids not to bring them (her father is a teacher) but as usual here, the lack of discipline wins out.I make life difficult for these little buggers when they are on the road...don't back off and let them take your space in front of you, close the gap in front and if they want to overtake at breakneck speed with a truck oncoming...so be it . There was an article in last weeks Jakarta Globe where they have a daily vox pop with a local Jakarta native. This guy had just returned from 4 years working in Singapore and he was asked what things Singapore could adopt from Indonesia...he said friendliness. What things could Jakarta odopt from Singaporeand he said DISCIPLINE.That is the key to a lot of problems here.Tokyo city has very few rubbish bins,when I enquired why this was, it was explained they were removed lessen the risk of bombs being placed in them. So what dothey do with their rubbish I asked?...they take it home....DISCIPLINE. 8)

[ronb]

My wife says that the schools here tell the kids not to bring them (her father is a teacher) but as usual here, the lack of discipline wins out.

Recently, Lovina Rotary had a Policeman talking about Road Safety to a local school and he said "don't ride when under 16" - but you can imagine how much impact that would have on a kid who had access to a bike and parents who don't mnd. See more of what the Policeman said - and pictures, here:
http://rotary-bali-lovina.org/road-s...ning-the-rules

[JohnnyCool]

Recently, Lovina Rotary had a Policeman talking about Road Safety to a local school and he said "don't ride when under 16" - but you can imagine how much impact that would have on a kid who had access to a bike and parents who don't mind.

Thanks for that, ronb.

I had a look at the link you posted. Great stuff, in theory. I have some reservations about:

Pak Made explained to the children how important it is to stick to the traffic rules, and advised the children to remind their parents at all times to...(obey the laws)...

Why should it be a child's responsibility to remind parents that there are supposedly road rules? Adults break them all the time and by doing so send the message that they don't matter too much, unless you get caught.

Has anybody here actually seen traffic stop at a zebra crossing to allow pedestrians to cross? How many of us have seen people ignoring red traffic lights? Staying in their traffic lanes where they're clearly marked and weaving all over the place? What are blinker lights for? Oh, there are actually three - one for left, one for right, and the "emergency" or straight-ahead one. Cutting blind corners is OK, right? Get killed, get reincarnated, so what's the problem with that?

I would like to see any "adult" who gives permission for an underage child to ride a motorbike arrested instantly. The motorbike confiscated. A significant fine imposed, both monetary and some prison time as an added bonus. Serious measures like that might get through to the idiots involved. Without them, the status quo will prevail, (maybe forever).

I wonder what Pak Made's thoughts are about that, (if he has any)?

:shock: