Roy
Daniel, I agree with you about Boston drivers. As a kid growing up in Connecticut, I can recall my dad constantly complaining about “Massachusetts Drivers.” Whenever any driver, regardless of their tags, pulled a dumb stunt behind the wheel, the de jour retort was to yell at them... “Massachusetts Driver!” Now of course, it’s the hoisted middle finger and a resounding “***hole!”
When I lived in Boston, from 1975 to 1980 I sold my car. This wasn’t due to the driving per se but more the expense of parking it in a garage, the incredibly high insurance rates. Back then Boston was more famous for car thefts than baked beans. Since I lived in Back Bay, and my office was on Boylston Street, I had little use for a car during the week and on weekends, when I wanted to escape to Cape Cod, I’d just rent one from Avis or Hertz at really cheap weekend rates. But I agree, driving around in town was no picnic, especially downtown in the financial district.
In Bali, I have never driven, and I fully expect I never will. Although the roads have improved over the years...thank you World Bank...there are still too many insane hazards for me to take the risk. Don’t you just love those large rocks put halfway out in the lane with a stick? These supposedly are to announce a “proyek” or project. Yet, nine out of ten times, the bloody project is on the side walk, or a building off the road!
But what scares me the most about driving in Bali are the kids on motorbikes who drive like kamikazes without any regard or concern for their personal safety. Ever notice how they just turn into traffic without even looking!!!? Also, ever notice at night how many motor bikes are being driven around without their headlights on? My late “brother” Matt used to say they did that because they were afraid they would wear their battery out.
As you know, lots of expats on Bali do drive either cars or motorbikes. I have a ton of very funny expat driving stories, relayed directly by the expats involved. I’ll share just one now, and more another time.
Some four years back, after a long tuna night at Nuri’s, our beloved and nutty Welshman left in a state of mind most certainly not fit to drive. The rest of us were also way too much in our cups to even notice him stagger out to his Jimmy to drive himself home. How he made it home is a miracle, but his arrival was priceless.
As he pulled into his driveway, he forgot to stop and open the metal gate. He simply drove on, crashed right through it, bringing the gate down, and his Jimmy to an abrupt stop. This made such a load clatter that it awoke his wife who came running out of the house in shock. In classic style, so endearing our beloved Welshman to us all, he simply got out and announced, “hi honey, I’m home!”
Roy
Sorry to say but I left behind season tickets for the Giants when I moved to Bali in 1998. I agree that the main roads in Bali are OK, but once you get off those main arteries, anything goes.
Aside from certain roads in Ubud funded by the World Bank, I do not know which other roads were funded with their money.
In any event, it isn’t so much how the roads are as who is on them behind the wheel.
Roy
Loving the New York Giants, and loving the New York Yankees was for me a lot like loving my ex bule wife in the states. Great anticipation, the highest of hopes, and heaps of disappointment. I’m happy though sticking with the Giants and Yankees. :shock:
Chris A
Hire a driver - worth every rupiah for so many different reasons.
JackStraw
Chris A wrote
Hire a driver - worth every rupiah for so many different reasons.
Any recommendations for a good driver in south bali?
Chris A
JackStraw wrote
Any recommendations for a good driver in south bali?
I'm in the North and don't know of any in the South. I can ask around as that the driver network is pretty tight and most of these guys have been out of work like so many here.
JackStraw
Chris A wrote
I'm in the North and don't know of any in the South. I can ask around as that the driver network is pretty tight and most of these guys have been out of work like so many here.
I'd appreciate that mate! Thank you
Markit
John M wrote
Or as the late, great George Carlin said: Think of how stupid the average person is and then realize that half of them are stupider than that.
And you never really know if you are one of those too...
Tezza71
[B]Well guys I've been [/B]driving in[B] Bali now for the last 6 months and here are couple of [/B]observations[B].
Traffic lights: If the light is red this only [/B]means[B] stop if you want to otherwise continue on. The biggest culprits are motorbike riders.
Lane markings: These are only for decoration. Moving between lanes can be undertaken at any time and with no requirement for indication.
Parking: Stop wherever it suits even if you block traffic.
Motorbikes are an absolute menace. The number of times [/B]I[B] have almost wiped one out I have lost count of. Joining traffic on a motorbike seems to be a sport. See if they can get across the line of traffic without any indication and causing as much potential grief as possible.
Bali is no different from a number of other countries in the SE Asian sphere.
It terrifies me that one day i will wipe out a motorbike and it may be carrying a whole family. I bloody hope not!!!!![/B]
Markit
Stop being a pussy and get involved in your new home of choice!
I've been driving here (cycle and car) for over 13 years and used to enjoy it immensely. I loved the free-for-all that made me pay attention to what was going on around me and the simple pleasure of doing my own thing (running red lights) when I thought it was fine to do so with almost no regard to the powers of the law (who are mostly walking or otherwise busy).
Have been in several small accidents in car and on bike and most were caused by Bintang who I hold personally responsible. No injuries to anyone else and mine, I think, were richly deserved and also minor.
Should you ever be involved in the type of serious accident you describe my advice would be to just keep right on going until you can get your passport and leave Indonesia post haste. Had a friend who killed a motorcyclist (opened her door at the wrong time) but the police involvement was never ending along with the costs to pay of anyone involved or that was even in the neighborhood of the accident (sarcasm alarm).
Just go with the flow and presume that everyone else on the road is a complete idiot without a ghost of a drivers license or any clue how to drive and all will be well.
John M
Markit wrote
Stop being a pussy and get involved in your new home of choice!
I've been driving here (cycle and car) for over 13 years and used to enjoy it immensely. I loved the free-for-all that made me pay attention to what was going on around me and the simple pleasure of doing my own thing (running red lights) when I thought it was fine to do so with almost no regard to the powers of the law (who are mostly walking or otherwise busy).
Have been in several small accidents in car and on bike and most were caused by Bintang who I hold personally responsible. No injuries to anyone else and mine, I think, were richly deserved and also minor.
Should you ever be involved in the type of serious accident you describe my advice would be to just keep right on going until you can get your passport and leave Indonesia post haste. Had a friend who killed a motorcyclist (opened her door at the wrong time) but the police involvement was never ending along with the costs to pay of anyone involved or that was even in the neighborhood of the accident (sarcasm alarm).
Just go with the flow and presume that everyone else on the road is a complete idiot without a ghost of a drivers license or any clue how to drive and all will be well.
Or as the late, great George Carlin said: Think of how stupid the average person is and then realize that half of them are stupider than that.
gtrken
I like driving in Bali because as markit said, the free for all makes you pay attention. The lack of speed cameras, breathtests and general laziness of the local plod is also a bonus.
Have driven Bali - Jakarta twice and it was like a 1000km road race which i found very stimulating.
If you don't love driving you wont like it but luckily for me I do.
* Waits for flaming*
Cheers
Ken
sakumabali
In Germany you can drive high speed on the Autobahn (and I'm talking about 250-280 kmph) on a good day...but a red light is a red light and everybody will stop then. Just because you have to and penalties are severe. In Bali it's more like everybody knows there are no consequences. If in Germany it'd be similar everyone would keep going....they need stricter rules on Bali! You don't give a peep about a 100.000 Rupiah ticket but if it's 1.000.000 most people will act differently
gtrken
Markit wrote
I see Bali a little like that. But if you do end up hitting someone just don't get out of your car and start arguing that you were right and had the right of way. You're liable to get your bell rung by a crowd of pissed off locals.
Yep, but that's when the fun size ( I don't dare call her short) , brown , feisty woman I call my wife gets out of the back and abuses seven bells of hell out of said bewildered local..
She sits in the back because the only one who can stomach my driving style is the teenage son..
Cheers
Secret Stirling Moss ( well I think so )
Ken
darlogeoff
Tezza71 wrote
[B]Well guys I've been [/B]driving in[B] Bali now for the last 6 months and here are couple of [/B]observations[B].
Traffic lights: If the light is red this only [/B]means[B] stop if you want to otherwise continue on. The biggest culprits are motorbike riders.
Lane markings: These are only for decoration. Moving between lanes can be undertaken at any time and with no requirement for indication.
Parking: Stop wherever it suits even if you block traffic.
Motorbikes are an absolute menace. The number of times [/B]I[B] have almost wiped one out I have lost count of. Joining traffic on a motorbike seems to be a sport. See if they can get across the line of traffic without any indication and causing as much potential grief as possible.
Bali is no different from a number of other countries in the SE Asian sphere.
It terrifies me that one day i will wipe out a motorbike and it may be carrying a whole family. I bloody hope not!!!!![/B]
We were taught The Right Of Way here it's In The Way!
SamD
Tezza71 wrote
[B]Well guys I've been [/B]driving in[B] Bali now for the last 6 months and here are couple of [/B]observations[B].
Traffic lights: If the light is red this only [/B]means[B] stop if you want to otherwise continue on. The biggest culprits are motorbike riders.
Lane markings: These are only for decoration. Moving between lanes can be undertaken at any time and with no requirement for indication.
Parking: Stop wherever it suits even if you block traffic.
Motorbikes are an absolute menace. The number of times [/B]I[B] have almost wiped one out I have lost count of. Joining traffic on a motorbike seems to be a sport. See if they can get across the line of traffic without any indication and causing as much potential grief as possible.
Bali is no different from a number of other countries in the SE Asian sphere.
It terrifies me that one day i will wipe out a motorbike and it may be carrying a whole family. I bloody hope not!!!!![/B]
I have been driving in Bali for 15+ years. I have had ONE really close call that was entirely my fault. If you are worried that you are likely to "wipe out" a motorbike then I suggest you park your car and take taxis. Motorbike riders are a menace? Are you serious? You are the menace and you will find this out very quickly if you are unfortunate enough to be involved in an accident. It is ALWAYS your fault because if you hadn't come to Bali then the accident wouldn't have happened. That is the logic and you better believe that you will not be able to argue your way out of it unless you have local support. Motorbike riders here have fantastic bike handling skills but maybe their road sense is not quite up to scratch. Especially when they are seven years old. Hati Hati. Cheers.
JackStraw
SamD wrote
I have been driving in Bali for 15+ years. I have had ONE really close call that was entirely my fault. If you are worried that you are likely to "wipe out" a motorbike then I suggest you park your car and take taxis. Motorbike riders are a menace? Are you serious? You are the menace and you will find this out very quickly if you are unfortunate enough to be involved in an accident. It is ALWAYS your fault because if you hadn't come to Bali then the accident wouldn't have happened. That is the logic and you better believe that you will not be able to argue your way out of it unless you have local support. Motorbike riders here have fantastic bike handling skills but maybe their road sense is not quite up to scratch. Especially when they are seven years old. Hati Hati. Cheers.
What I love most about driving in Bali is it's always so easy to determine who is at fault for an accident. Unlike in my old country where debates sometimes went to the courts, in Bali, it's very cut and dry. Do you have white skin? (or some variation of it)? Then the accident is your fault -- regardless of what actually happened.
That's all you need to remember while traveling in Indo. Happy travels!
SamD
JackStraw wrote
What I love most about driving in Bali is it's always so easy to determine who is at fault for an accident. Unlike in my old country where debates sometimes went to the courts, in Bali, it's very cut and dry. Do you have white skin? (or some variation of it)? Then the accident is your fault -- regardless of what actually happened.
That's all you need to remember while traveling in Indo. Happy travels!
I experienced this myself a few years ago. I was stopped at a red light and a girl who was checking her mobile phone crashed into the back of my car. I heard the scream and the tires screeching and when the bang happened I turned to my Balinese wife and said "over to you darling". The cops were called and wanted to charge me but my local connecions nipped that in the bud. I took the poor girl to hospital and paid her bill and luckily she wasn't too badly hurt.
JackStraw
SamD wrote
I experienced this myself a few years ago. I was stopped at a red light and a girl who was checking her mobile phone crashed into the back of my car. I heard the scream and the tires screeching and when the bang happened I turned to my Balinese wife and said "over to you darling". The cops were called and wanted to charge me but my local connecions nipped that in the bud. I took the poor girl to hospital and paid her bill and luckily she wasn't too badly hurt.
Same exact thing happened to my buddy once. The only reason his arse was saved is because his wife is a local lawyer and the legalese she was dumping all over that poor, confused guy was enough for him to say "fuck it. not worth it" and dropped all "accusations" immediately.
sakumabali
SamD wrote
I experienced this myself a few years ago. I was stopped at a red light and a girl who was checking her mobile phone crashed into the back of my car. I heard the scream and the tires screeching and when the bang happened I turned to my Balinese wife and said "over to you darling". The cops were called and wanted to charge me but my local connecions nipped that in the bud. I took the poor girl to hospital and paid her bill and luckily she wasn't too badly hurt.
wow that's even for Bali a weird story. Some motorbike hit your trunk while you stopped at a red light and then you had to pay for it?
Perhaps 15 years ago I had to stop suddenly my car in Tabanan because a car in front of me braked sharply (later saw that it was also because of a female motorbike driver who suddenly stopped for reasons I don't know); the motorbike behind me hit me, then tried to agitate a group of local tukangs nearby to help him as he is Indonesian and I'm not!
They don't care and when they guy asked me for money I just told him that he can be happy if he doesn't have to pay for my damages.
Ok not a big crowd there...
I witnessed once a big accident in Negara. We stopped. A balinese approached us at asked us to leave. We asked why?He said that he knows we didn't do anything wrong but when the police come they'll make me the culprit immediately for reasons everyone here knows....money & laziness
