Travelling in Bliss

[Ringo Sweeny]

travel in bliss fellow travellers when navigating the highways and byways of the Island. it is essential that Expatriates streaming through the Jalans set a much better example and pull their top speeds back atleast 10-20 km/hour for traversing their daily lives. most X's have had wonderful educational opportunities in their native lands and so have thoughtful reflection to rely on when setting a course in speed to negotiate all of the myriad of conditions present on the road. if the novice Pariwisata on their first day on a hire bike, or a teen Balinese, were to be interacting with X's cruising at manageable speeds the whole dynamics of the current unsustainable regime would relax to a blissful state.

rarely do regular travellers have to be so on time or presenting impatience so, on a quest to the next destination. of course sometimes a schedule must be met; particularly a sublime Sunset may be in its nascent stages, or a long lost lover may be awaiting one...these may be exceptions.

pull back from the pack and travel in bliss consciousness, let the whole world fly past at a rapid rate of knots, and then mercilessly overtake everyone at the next slowdown at a succinctly appropriate 15 km/hour. you will find yourself, how rapid your journey will become, not to mention replacing harmful stress hormones with endorphines as you now have time to glance around at the Island and begin to trully enjoy the Morning of the Earth

 

[matsaleh]

Say what???

 

[Markit]

Since you love it so much why don't you offer a free X taxi service - 3 birds, one stone!

STONES:
1) You get to completely bliss out with 8 to 12 hours on the roads, daily.
2) We get a free lift from an obviously poetically over-endowed, but interesting, lunatic
3) One car on the roads instead of all of ours - gas/carbon/nerve savings galore

 

[Smoke]

I have learned to drive and weave between cars in traffic, use the sidewalks to pass cars stopped at red lights, and even use the other directional lanes for scooter advancement

Now I have to forget my all new driving techniquics?

 

[sugarbear]

Say what???

I think that perhaps he has possession of some very mellow material to smoke, thus his VERY mellow, if somewhat confused view point. That's IF he intended to make a point. Ahh, those were the days!

 

[Ringo Sweeny]

I am saying that life is too precious to throw it away for the sake of a little ego pandering: that is the constant human urge to be competitive and overtake the next vehicle in the queue for the sake of... no time saved by the time you reach the final destination. I have seen the evolution of this riding style since 1979 over many miles and then kilometers traversing said Island. it was once much faster, less congested and way more dangerous. friends whom have lived for long periods of time have all lost dear friends powering through the countryside. one X who has just hit the 10 year mark has personally lost 12 friends to death on the road, whilst behind the throttle on a sepeda motor. that is what I am talking about, and all of your ridiculing in incomplete sentences, goes to show those, who may not have the ability to see below the surface, and accurately analyze a message.

 

[Rangi]

I am saying that life is too precious to throw it away for the sake of a little ego pandering: that is the constant human urge to be competitive and overtake the next vehicle in the queue for the sake of... no time saved by the time you reach the final destination.and all of your ridiculing in incomplete sentences, goes to show those, who may not have the ability to see below the surface, and accurately analyze a message.

 

[ferdie]

I am saying that life is too precious to throw it away for the sake of a little ego pandering: that is the constant human urge to be competitive and overtake the next vehicle in the queue for the sake of... no time saved by the time you reach the final destination. I have seen the evolution of this riding style since 1979 over many miles and then kilometers traversing said Island. it was once much faster, less congested and way more dangerous. friends whom have lived for long periods of time have all lost dear friends powering through the countryside. one X who has just hit the 10 year mark has personally lost 12 friends to death on the road, whilst behind the throttle on a sepeda motor. that is what I am talking about, and all of your ridiculing in incomplete sentences, goes to show those, who may not have the ability to see below the surface, and accurately analyze a message.

while the intent was great, maybe you need a simpler language to communicate to me, a common person with average brain inside his thick skull :biggrin:

 

[Markit]

Upside about the gridlock in the south is that even our adventurous Indo drivers will find it more difficult to kill themselves at 5kmh although I'm sure they will find a way.

 

[joji gulapetis]

I am saying that life is too precious to throw it away for the sake of a little ego pandering: that is the constant human urge to be competitive and overtake the next vehicle in the queue for the sake of... no time saved by the time you reach the final destination. I have seen the evolution of this riding style since 1979 over many miles and then kilometers traversing said Island. it was once much faster, less congested and way more dangerous. friends whom have lived for long periods of time have all lost dear friends powering through the countryside. one X who has just hit the 10 year mark has personally lost 12 friends to death on the road, whilst behind the throttle on a sepeda motor. that is what I am talking about, and all of your ridiculing in incomplete sentences, goes to show those, who may not have the ability to see below the surface, and accurately analyze a message.

Thats Darwin's theory in action friend Ringo.

And if you were so kind as to allow us common folk to share your hookah we too may have inhaled a little of the wisdom that you so kindly spread around.

 

[calitobali]

Traffic is terrible and you want me to drive 20 km/h SLOWER? I may never get to my destination.

For the record, slow moving vehicles in fast moving traffic are one of the biggest causes of accidents, so I think your advice is pretty counterproductive to saving lives.

Also, while I don't encourage driving like a maniac, trying to drive in a radically different fashion than everyone else on the road is driving is a bad idea in any country.

 

[Ringo Sweeny]

quite the opposite smoking. these are quite the formidable talents you have developed. incorporate this defensive driving technique into your regime. first practice on a single lane byway, for instance Berawa Beach to Petitenget; instead of streaming along with the pack, back off a little and allow ta space to develop between yourself and the preceding vehicles. for this test track maybe allow 50 - 100 metres of gap to develop and hold this distance. if the pack slows down slow yourself also to marry with their speed and keep this insulating space. now you are travelling with the space that was around you in 1990.

once you master this peaceful way of touring through the small Jalan network, try out this mode of travel on Sunset Road. if you slow it down you will find that in more pleasant travelling times, say between 10 Am - 2 Pm which is a nice window generally, you will find that there are large packs of vehicles engaging in urban warfare to get to the front of the pack and once there, to break free and freight-train it to the next pack. we have all engaged in this stressful habit at times. however find a nice safe line: possibly just to the left of the centreline, or just to the left of the left line and hold that line and let all of the impatient time bombs scream around you to finally you end up at the back of the large pack and then you apply the same philosophy and give yourself 100 - 300 metres of clear space ahead and again marry your speed to the slower vehicles ahead.

please no-one needs to comment until you have tried to travel like this a few times as, you may find, as I have, that the when you have a nice gap surrounding you the whole ordeal of travelling these frantic roads does become a whole lot more pleasant (bliss maybe too strong a word), and whilst you may not arrive at your destination faster, in your mind, it feels like that...blessings

 

[Ringo Sweeny]

calitobali, I dont want you to do anything that you feel uncomfortable with; and you are completely incorrect in your assumptions.

try to be free thinker and break out of the mould that Western Society has obviously very cleverly surrounded you with. 99.9% of the population of the world think it is OK to carry all of their shopping in plastic bags, which along with all of the other plastic refuse that inevitably finds itself into the Oceania are systematically exterminating all of the Mammalia of the Great Oceans. so you just continue to shop with plastic because you do not want to be seen to be different to everbody else entering Bintang.

is carrying your own bag to the Toko shopping in a radically different fashion than everyone else. I state again that if small numbers of more open minded individuals began to drive in a smoother, less competitive, and at a more streamlined pace than what has evolved on these Jalans the whole dynamics of the vehicle movement would gradually shift and those Locals with their loud pipes, and Bules with their torquey 150 Trail bikes bullying everyone they encounter, would become less relevant, as the majority would be pacing it along nicely.

these are only reflections, and I am very surprised that their are individuals so obsessed with the Bali Forum that they cannot accept a different viewpoint, and just let be.

 

[Markit]

Ringo you've convinced me to give it a try. Have always wondered why we/they drive like mad to win seconds then stand around at the arrival end chatting, smoking and waiting impatiently.

 

[BKT]

For the record, slow moving vehicles in fast moving traffic are one of the biggest causes of accidents, so I think your advice is pretty counterproductive to saving lives.

Also, while I don't encourage driving like a maniac, trying to drive in a radically different fashion than everyone else on the road is driving is a bad idea in any country.

Couldn't agree with you more, driving differently than anyone else here is a recipe for disaster. I've found in every country I've lived in foreigners to be the worst drivers, I put that down to not being able to adapt to the flow of the traffic.

 

[Markit]

Couldn't agree with you more, driving differently than anyone else here is a recipe for disaster. I've found in every country I've lived in foreigners to be the worst drivers, I put that down to not being able to adapt to the flow of the traffic.

Might it also be because they generally don't know where they are going and are looking at the view rather than the road?

 

[calitobali]

Nice assumption that I take all my cues from the "Western Society" that has obviously very cleverly surrounded me. If you had addressed the points I made, instead of talking about plastic bags (which inherently aren't dangerous to drivers), we might have gotten somewhere.

Something that is left out of your theory, or sorely overlooked, is that there is no "pack" on the roads here to fall behind. Once you fall behind the people you are driving with, all the people behind you are there to pass you.

I'm NOT saying people should drive irresponsibly, or with a lack of regard for safety, but slowing down considerably so that almost everyone on the road has to pass you is also a dangerous way to drive.

calitobali, I dont want you to do anything that you feel uncomfortable with; and you are completely incorrect in your assumptions.

try to be free thinker and break out of the mould that Western Society has obviously very cleverly surrounded you with. 99.9% of the population of the world think it is OK to carry all of their shopping in plastic bags, which along with all of the other plastic refuse that inevitably finds itself into the Oceania are systematically exterminating all of the Mammalia of the Great Oceans. so you just continue to shop with plastic because you do not want to be seen to be different to everbody else entering Bintang.

is carrying your own bag to the Toko shopping in a radically different fashion than everyone else. I state again that if small numbers of more open minded individuals began to drive in a smoother, less competitive, and at a more streamlined pace than what has evolved on these Jalans the whole dynamics of the vehicle movement would gradually shift and those Locals with their loud pipes, and Bules with their torquey 150 Trail bikes bullying everyone they encounter, would become less relevant, as the majority would be pacing it along nicely.

these are only reflections, and I am very surprised that their are individuals so obsessed with the Bali Forum that they cannot accept a different viewpoint, and just let be.

 

[joji gulapetis]

Nice assumption that I take all my cues from the "Western Society" that has obviously very cleverly surrounded me. If you had addressed the points I made, instead of talking about plastic bags (which inherently aren't dangerous to drivers), we might have gotten somewhere.

Something that is left out of your theory, or sorely overlooked, is that there is no "pack" on the roads here to fall behind. Once you fall behind the people you are driving with, all the people behind you are there to pass you.

I'm NOT saying people should drive irresponsibly, or with a lack of regard for safety, but slowing down considerably so that almost everyone on the road has to pass you is also a dangerous way to drive.

I think Ringo is still thinking he is on the 3 or 4 lane highways wherever he learnt to drive, where you can pull over to the left and let the vehicles pass you, as you mow down various creatures both 2, 3 and 4 legged that wander along the roadside. On many of the small "japans" it gets quite hairy trying to overtake someone , same for getting past oncoming traffic. But, as Ringo so aptly reminded us, we should be more tolerant of OP telling us how to live our lives. :topsy_turvy::topsy_turvy::topsy_turvy:

 

[Ringo Sweeny]

Nice assumption that I take all my cues from the "Western Society" that has obviously very cleverly surrounded me. If you had addressed the points I made, instead of talking about plastic bags (which inherently aren't dangerous to drivers),


Something that is left out of your theory, or sorely overlooked, is that there is no "pack" on the roads here to fall behind. Once you fall behind the people you are driving with, all the people behind you are there to pass you.

I'm NOT saying people should drive irresponsibly, or with a lack of regard for safety, but slowing down considerably so that almost everyone on the road has to pass you is also a dangerous way to drive.

 

[Ringo Sweeny]

believe me, I don't have to get anywhere quick, is thoughtful time management maybe the key, if you are so terrified about keeping schedules, why not leave 30 minutes earlier for your terrifically important rendezvous.

if you have not grown up riding dirt bikes, or high powered road bikes in your native lands you are ill-equipped to be motoring along Sunset Road at 50 - 70 km/hr (with the current traffic flows), or for safely managing areas of Petitenget, Seminyak, Kerobokan at speeds exceeding 30-40 km/hr. whether you have been riding these lands for 1month, 1 year or 5 years; you would have no idea how to lay a bike down at speed, or react to all possible situations, with robust handling of your machine. no person from a first World nation should be permitted to ride a motorbike in Bali unless they posses a Unrestricted Motorbike Licen from their native land, which you receive after 12 months on the road minimum in a First World nation. in the process of attaining said licence you are generally required to receive minimum hours with an instructor to explain defensive riding techniques.

for instance are you aware that when braking the correct pressure is 70% front brakes and 30% rear brakes depending on the condition of the road surface.

are you aware that one of the cardinal rules of riding is not to lean across the centreline when sweeping around a right-hand corner; so if you wish to lean hard into a corner you should be choosing a line to the left0hand side of the carriageway.

the biggest idiosyncracy of inexperienced Western Riders is that they understeer sweeping corners as they have powered into the bend with too much top speed so they swing wide with no balance and no traction winging it around into oncoming. generally Indonesian riders have much better balance, and timing and ride with far less erratic movements, which I postulate, that along with excessive speed are leading contributors to Road Fatalities on Bali,(sekitar 10 deaths per day). leading the fatalities are "tattooed young men aged 19 _24 years old", where the major contributing factors are alcohol, excessive speed and unlicenced riding.

I can see there are many members of this forum without heart warming feelings or gestures of respect going out to our Indonesian brothers and sisters, but next time you are motoring down Sunset Boulevarde, take note of how they are dressed on the road (most are sensibly attired in jeans and jackets). it is very rare in First World Nations to see riders on Road Bikes to be attired in flimsy strap-on sandals, a batik skirt, sheer rayon top and pretty scarf and designer sunglasses. the more layers of protective clothing you can surround yourself in the better as pavement hurts when you hit it, and rather than losing skin you will receive clothing burns. and as counter-intuitive as it sounds the more layers of particularly light colored clothing you wear for long trips the cooler you stay in the tropics. and if you are wearing an Indonesian rated helmet you are dreaming if you think this will provide any more than a fashion statement, as the leading cause of hospital admissions in Bali is serious head trauma (over 1700 per week recorded cases).

PS; in case you have been too busy reprimanding fellow road users for their inconsideration to you whilst traversing the Island, I tell you now, there is only one hard and irreconcilable law on Indonesian roads and that is you give way to the heaviest vehicle; that's right : the largest, heaviest and fastest moving vehicle has complete right of way, so rather than remonstrate and voice your objections in a forum, or toot your horn, or gesticulate madly, you just do your best to clear the way...slow down baby. blessings