Bali Expat Forum - Bali Travel Forum

Maybe you have read it:

http://www.balidiscovery.com/messages/m ... sp?Id=4170

Maybe you have seen it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4j0Hg8eFsc


My guess is that more than 50% of the tourists don't have a valid license....

Right and of the 50% that do have a license the majority would not have a motorbike license. They're uninsured and a menace on the roads.

they may have got a video out of it, but they got ripped off.. we never pay more than Rp20,000!

ct

I thought about this when I was in Bali and wanted to ride a scooter. The risk of having an accident was pretty high but that still did not deter me.

The first time I bought a licence and only rode at midnight on back streets because I suppose, I was aware of the risks.

My next visit was 6 months aways so I decided to ge my Australian licence. So I learnt how to ride, purchased my own scooter and got some practice on the roads in Australia.

Others choose to do it a different way and that's their decision.

In saying all this when I was there in September I had an accident as a pillion passenger on the back of the bike with my Indonesian partner.

So you never know......................

WWHOOPPTTYY DOO, 5 bucks...... my licence was expired (not suspended) here in Texas,,, I spent 2 days in a drunk tank with the drunks, paid a $500 fine, and then still had to pay a new proccesing fee to the state to the tune of $150... I applaude indonesia and their justice system, BRAVO!!!! But Balilife, your right I always talk my way down to about $2 bucks,, one time they just let me go and told me to use the $$ for a helmet instead of a fine, I went straight to the shop and bought one, Thx Mr. Bali officer!!!! Allen, go wash your panties!! The dogs at night are more of a menace!!

Froggy I guess you don't look around the airport departure lounge at Ngurah Rai. Haven't you see all those people with plaster casts and gravel rash? Maybe you don't need training and licensing on a motorbike but a lot of Westerners do. How many people have never ridden before but think it's ok to ride in Bali? I'm guessing many. Even some of the bules that can ride are a menance. Seeing them race around like they are indestructible makes me cringe. Maybe it's not until one is seriously injured (or injures someone) in a road accident that one finally wakes up.

BTW Astro Boy sometimes cries when his panties are dirty. He can't help it!

I'm not denying there is some validity to your post, this side of the world drives on the other side of the road. Add inexperience, booze , perhaps poor scooter driving skills and its a combination that leads to injury, perhaps the $5 fine is not a deterent to put oneself out of ways harm, but thats what some come to Bali for. Everything in life has risk, playing football, mountain climbing, drunkin' scooter rides,, but thats the atmosphere that Bali offers tourist.... Kids hurt thrmselves all over the world on dirtbikes and 4 wheeler and other activities, but its better to see someone tipsy on a scooter than all over the road in a 5 ton 4x4 dually truck here at 70 - 90 mph!!! at least they hurt themselves more than others... AND,As an added bonus, the balinese get to charge for the medical attention, and the road rash, cast victims get to go home with a more exciting story!!!! Sic I know, but I would rather come home from bali with roadrash from a wild night out with the guys than a new spritual since of well being or a new God to worship!! To each his own,,, Later

I take back part of my last post, I would rather have a since of well being and a great massage than a road rash at my age any day.....

Once more froggy, try again with your message. Thanks.

Sorry froggy, I'm normally a very tolerant bloke, but your last posts are downright stupid and you've missed the point completely.

I have licences to drive trucks, cars and commercial boats up to 25m and because I can competently drive them, I do so. I do not have motorcycle licence (nor do I want one for that matter) because I am not a competent motorcycle driver and hence a danger to other people so guess what, I dont ride a motorcycle ANYWHERE, including Bali well I am well aware it is easy to get around the complications of not having a motorcycle licence.

My concern is not for me, if I break my own leg stiff bikkies. Its for everybody else on the Bali gangs and jalans that could be affected by my incompetence and I wish the other IDIOT tourists that think its clever to hoon around in anarchy would think the same way. I've lost count of the number of times I've almost been taken out by these d*ckheads around Kuta, especially the ones with the surfboard racks on the side which are a lethal weapon.

If I have to cut short a Bali trip from an injury sustained from one of these turkeys they'd better hope I don't pick myself up off the road too quickly

For nobody of us is this video a surprise – corruption is accepted already as a normality.

I also doubt that these cops will get in serious troubles due this since it’s a common practise of police in Bali.
It’s often portrayed Balinese police would only extract some extra money from tourists and who really cares for a 50k fine – not a big problem-or?
For many Balinese police corruption is a bigger problem, although they usually don’t like to talk about it, but some readers will be surprised how easy somebody can spend some days behind bars.

Let’s say two guys will have a little dispute about something rather insignificant, the first one is the uncle, cousin, whatever to a police man, he blames the other one for physical attack, guy two will be arrested by police, now the family of guy two will collect some money and buy him out.
The problem here is not only the personal abuse of connections, or police corruption, it is also undermining the traditional system of banjar justice.

Corruption is like cancer for every nation, at the beginning there is only one little spot somewhere, but then it’s rapidly spread over the whole body.
Indonesia has metastasis almost everywhere, so any therapy is pretty difficult – where to start to break the circle of corruption?
Police corruption only a tourist rip off – driven by plain greed?

I was told the entrance fee for the police academy is 60 million RPS – a fortune for many Balinese families and that’s how it works in Bali, this system is found everywhere, money beats competence.
You would like to work on a cruising ship – pay first, like to be a receptionist in the hotel – what do you have to offer, and so on, and so on!

Best regards
Thorsten

Motorbike rides on Bali

Everybody who thinks to ride a motorbike in Bali without any experience or practise is a plain idiot – point.
I couldn’t care less when all these idiots would only kill themselves, but unfortunately many times they also put harm on others.

For Froggy

I know this will not happen, but maybe Brian should start to collect all the keys from his special guests when arriving at Nuri’s!
You may think it’s fun and owed to the Balinese atmosphere driving around on a scooter completely drunk and without a helmet – everything has its risk –eh?
Well if you bump into one of Roy’s cannons in front of the gallery by yourself, there wouldn’t be much damage, at least not to the cannons, a pity for the scooter but nothing more to regret.

It’s your own risk to drive up and down the hill all the time after the next two draft bintangs and if not even your wife is getting concerned about, why should I?
BUT when you are committing this stupidity with YOUR KIDS ON THE DAMN SCOOTER then lets all hope for a police which is doing its job!!!

the roads are crazy enough in Bali without unlicensed (or licensed) tourists driving like bloody maniacs..which so many do. Drivers are cheap and know the rules (which there are).

My advice to tourists wanting to hire a bike here, is please don't. The idiots swerving around Seminyak and heading to surf beaches are a danger to us all.

The standard of driving in Bali at the best of times is absolutely atrocious without these fools adding to it.

Re: the corruption..yes its a fact of life and is such a huge factor in keeping Indonesia poor. I hate it (and refuse to pay, although I'm being a hypocrite now as we paid today for a SIM), always demanding the ticket and, on the spot, ringing the traffic corruption hotline (0361 224111) while I have the officer there.

Changing the subject a little..I'm constantly bemused by the Police saying that they need to reduce the appalling road deaths..500 this year! I guess there is no profit in instituting a few basic road rules and implementing them. The death toll could be halved overnight if there was such a will. I drive here and don't know the rules and Balinese friends tell me they have no idea what they are.

I've already commented on this video when it was posted on Lombok Lovers so wont bother again.

I do just want to point out that here in Indonesia they drive on the RIGHT side of the road. :p

Good , I'm glad I (created)caught a little fire to the forum,, Thorston, you have no idea what you are talking about,, if you ever see me drive sober you would understand, I drive like an true idiot sober,, after I have had a few, I drive slower and am more aware that I may get myself in trouble, really...Damn scooters barley go over 30mph wide open!!! You would really have to try hard to hurt yourself seriously.. but as far as endangering my children,,, plz...I put them on a school bus every morning and they have no seatbelts, funny its against the law and you can be arrested for not wearing one while driving a car here, so go figure.... Added to the fact the helmets sold there are a complete joke!!! I saw very few quality helmets..... Thx for the concern for my kids, but they are in capable hands, they love me and I dont subject them to the average boxed sterile atmosphere that some parents consider a lifestyle, My kids dont walk in the bathroom with me sticking needles in my arms, I dont get drunk and beat them, blaa, blaa I could go on but whats the point, my kids are fine , so screw off, if you had such a problem with me then you should have manned up and said something then if you were there, If you wern't there I guess you are going off hearsay, then someone else should of said something and we could of dealt with it then instead of over a computer thousands of miles away,,,

Rp50,000! The cop was thinking small. If it were me, my rate would be MUCH higher with this kind of arrogance.

I started driving a motorcycle in 1987. I can be crazy at times, but I am not suicidal, so I first learned here in the US. My wife taught me on her own cycle (it should be against the law to have a wife teach her husband to drive a motorcycle, especially on her own ) and I got licenced. I rarely drive her motorcycle in Boston, I only drive in Bali. Until recently, I was driving an average of about 1,200 - 1,400 kms/month, so I feel I do have some experience of Bali driving.

In all that time, I have been stopped a grand total of TWO times by the police. The first time, the police was checking all motorists on the road near Candi Dasa. I was surprised, since it is my experience that they always wave by the bule. Of course, I had my licence and registration, and we ended up in a long, friendly conversation (In retrospect, I am sure he just wanted to practice his English).

The second time, was on the by-pass in Sanur. I had forgotten to put my helmet on. It did not enter my mind (although the policeman made it clear almost right from the start) that I could be on my way fast, provided I would leave him a "donation" for his temple. Instead, without thinking, I started thanking him, in my best Indonesian, for possibly saving my life by stopping me to remind me that I was not wearing my helm (What if I had had an accident down the road?). It took about 20 minutes of going around, going back and forth between him trying various reasons (and implied corresponding rates) why I should pay, and my praising him for his concerned for my safety, before he wished me a good trip back home (I had told him I was leaving the next day, back to the States, which was true), and let me go, with my helmet on.

So, personally, I have absolutely no reasons to complain about the balinese police.