Walking in Ubud at night.

[Steve Rossell]

Just a quick note as a reminder to visitors to Bali.

After some pretty torrential rainfall the other night in Ubud the already deteriorating footways are collapsing and in disrepair.
2 nights before the storm I was walking to a local warung and being aware of a gaping manhole in a dark footpath I took to the road so as to avoid it.
There was a couple hobbling toward me and the woman was in a great deal of distress. She had fallen into the gaping hoe and into the drain.
She had broken her shin and had nasty raked grazes on both thighs.
Local folks came out from everywhere to help and together we helped the couple as best we could and cleaned up the wound until a car was organised to transport them to a hospital.

Take particular care when walking day or night, particularly in low or no lit areas and if your using your smart phone while walking, well that's just not smart. Unless your using as a torch at night, that's smart.

Stay safe and enjoy Bali.

 

[Markit]

I would love to know why one of Bali's richest cites has a tradition of having its worst walkways (won't dignify them with "pavement"). They've been awful for as long as I've been here (9 years!).

Any ideas/info?

 

[sakumabali]

because locals don't walk, they drive scooters. And because - unfortunately always true - they don't care

 

[sakumabali]

I gave my neighbors new proper (plastic) trash bins because I grew tired of their behavior to burn their (plastic) trash. Some days ago I found a guy burning a lot of wood next (!) to the plastic trash bin. They* don't think & they* don't care (* exceptions exist of course, I'm talking about the majority of uneducated and ignorant people)

 

[SamD]

because locals don't walk, they drive scooters. And because - unfortunately always true - they don't care

I don't think it is as simple as "they don't care". My experience is that the local Balinese have a very different mindset from people like me brought up in the West (having been married to one for 12 years). We plan, evaluate and consider the long term consequences of our actions, a Balinese person doesn't. I offer my garden as a perfect example. My wife sees a space, in goes a plant. I would think about things like symmetry, what is it going to look like when it grows, will I have to prune it etc. etc. My wife doesn't, She sees a space. The space needs to be filled. Fill it. It's very frustrating but as far as I can tell, nothing can be done to change that mindset unless you have a time machine. It's ingrained from birth and immutable.

 

[Markit]

\ She sees a space. The space needs to be filled. Fill it.

Could also be why you are around?

 

[begonia]

always the problem of quality of materials used for making paths and roads, always longing very short, so broken very easily right?

 

[sakumabali]

if government always choose the cheapest contractors and then wondering why their products fail so rapidly .... ?
what do they expect? Yes corruption / nepotism / stupidity exists but I can't buy a new mercedes for 5000 USD either

 

[BestofBali]

if government always choose the cheapest contractors and then wondering why their products fail so rapidly .... ?
what do they expect? Yes corruption / nepotism / stupidity exists but I can't buy a new mercedes for 5000 USD either

Very valid point. You get what you pay for.

 

[JohnnyCool]

"Roads", and "footpaths" serve multiple functions here. Places to rest, sleep, sell stuff, etc.

If they're made with inferior materials in the first place, ("corruption" at work), plus poor drainage systems when it rains hard and the occasional earthquakes, they break.

Footpaths in Ubud aren't really that in local reality. The same in and around Sanur, Kuta, etc.

Ask yourself why the local "authorities" don't maintain them properly? Too busy collecting and pocketing money from tourists so why bother?

I personally know of many Westerners falling into gaping holes walking at night. And they weren't even drunk. A few needed medical treatment.
Welcome to the island where the concept of strong/safe infrastructure is in the lap of gods, dogs, greedy officials and pipe dreams.

:icon_rolleyes:

 

[Markit]

Chaps. All government jobs go to the lowest bidder in all countries around the world unless it's something for national security and I hardly think footpaths are part of that.

The difference is that in the west you can sue for damages - councils/businesses/individuals. If it wasn't for the mighty power of the tort there'd still be holes in New York/London/Paris paths.

If someone were able to successfully sue the city of Ubud for malfeasance guess how fast those paths would be repaired!

 

[SamD]

Chaps. All government jobs go to the lowest bidder in all countries around the world unless it's something for national security and I hardly think footpaths are part of that.

The difference is that in the west you can sue for damages - councils/businesses/individuals. If it wasn't for the mighty power of the tort there'd still be holes in New York/London/Paris paths.

If someone were able to successfully sue the city of Ubud for malfeasance guess how fast those people would be deported/jailed/set up as drug dealers!

Fixed that for you.

 

[sakumabali]

Chaps. All government jobs go to the lowest bidder in all countries around the world

True but they got REGULATIONS