Bert Vierstra
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....
BaliLife
they may have got a video out of it, but they got ripped off.. we never pay more than Rp20,000!
ct
Ipanema
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......................
froggy
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 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.....
tintin
Once more froggy, try again with your message. :roll: Thanks.
froggy
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
mimpimanis
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
Thorsten
[b]Froggy[/b]
[b]Hearsay; do I read hearsay?[/b]
Froggy, I never gave a shit on hearsay or rumours – I hate this and I ignore this – always and everywhere!
We we're sharing the same table (Brian’s table) and your wife was eating the olives out of my Martinis, at least one other member of this forum was present, when you rode up and down with the scooter completely drunk, you drove your daughter up and down several times !
The one who has no idea what to talk about is [b]YOU[/b]!
I would like to say, you never have a clue what you are talking about – but I will be polite and spare this!
PS: need some more [i]fire[/i]?
froggy
Well, I dont remember you , so you must have not made much of an impression on me and you were prob. boring, Robin's sitting here and she says I was nowhere near drunk (a few beers yes), ! I have a bad memory even without alchohol... Like I posted earlier, if I was driving badly, I WAS SOBER! But nice to know that you would let drunk out of their mind guys ride around with their kids, if thats what you really thought.. So much for your bravado....
Adam
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 [b]everybody else [/b]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 :evil: :evil: :evil:
froggy
Slang, I was hoping so. Yes I know my grammer for an english speaking native is horrible. I do not find driving any vehicle drunk acceptable, but we have all been there once or twice, hopefully in our younger days, and not alot in our older days. :oops: But its going to happen in bali. I truely do wonder how many innocent bystandards are injured or killed by drunken scooters each year? Could it be that many? I know,i know 1 is too many. I also wonder what you thought of Dasha's fun little scooter ride in bali story? Come on Dash', jump in here, where have you been?
Thorsten
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 [i]fine[/i] – 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 [i]entrance fee[/i] 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
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.
[b]For Froggy[/b]
I know this will not happen, but maybe Brian should start to collect all the keys from his [i]special[/i] guests when arriving at Nuri’s!
You may think it’s fun and owed to the [i]Balinese atmosphere[/i] 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?
[b]BUT[/b] when you are committing this stupidity with [b]YOUR KIDS ON THE DAMN SCOOTER[/b] then lets all hope for a police which is doing its job!!!
SG
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.
froggy
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,,,
SG
[b]Re: RE: Indonesian Justice[/b]
[quote=Markit] Don't give the b.s. corruption in Asia argument, cause it aint just there friend, and it aint keeping the economy down - not at that level, at least.[/quote]
So where exactly do you draw the line? Where does your ok corruption end, and where does the bad corruption start???? Are the kids at the lowest level who can't go to school because their parents can't afford to pay..is that ok? How about the guy who recently wouldn't let an injured expat fly to Singapore for emergency treatment without a large bribe because his exit visa had expired..was he on the ok??
If you don't think corruption isn't crippling this country you are not paying attention.
Dasha
Justice in Bali is never done. It’s ironic that the cops involved in this Youtube feature are the ones on the station at the Pecatu hill on the road to Uluwatu. They are in fact the most lenient I’ve ever dealt with. In my runs to Ulu’s they would have stopped me more than 50 times. Never once have I paid them a RP even when I have forgotten my licence and carrying boards on the roof.
It’s a pity they couldn’t have captured the real crooked ones that don’t smile.. just demand in all other parts of Bali such as the ones on the stations toward Phil and Reny’s heading for Sanur. Those guys bark and bite.
tintin
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 :cry: ) 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 [i]helm[/i] (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.
froggy
60 mill to be a cop in Bali, sign me up!! Tin's right you guys would be bribed for much more than that!!!! It would be a blast to be a western cop in bali... Where do I get an application.??? ADAM, I thought my grammer and english was bad. As bad as yours is, you shouldnt be driving anything, can you even spell STOP? Your killing me- just dont run your scooter into a bali gang? or whatever you meant.
You wrote: "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 " what the hell is "leg stiff bikkies" and "hoon around in anarchy"? ,,, you my friend should not have a licence, theres no way you passed the written test.....
