My biggest irritaion

Finding the perfect place to live must be near to impossible, and if anyone has found it congrats. Chiang Mai is not far off for me, but it does have it's flaws, the main and only one that gets me going on a daily basis is the driving. Even after all my time here i still find the lack of concern for their own or anybody else's safety most infuriating.

M.I.L.T. ( not to be confused with our dear friend) is my term for Thai driving, Move, Indicate, Look, Think. the later 2 are not often put into play, and it amazes me on a daily basis the amount of near misses that happen, but nobody seems to learn from it or care, in fact you will frequently see a bike full of girls just giggle having narrowly escaped the wheels of a Juggernaut and a sure death.

2 wheelers, Boys and Girls alike will happily dodge in and out of cars in heavy traffic, with mirrors pointed inwardly so they may pick spots and groom their hair whilst travelling along with a mobile firmly planted to their ear with the other free hand! Oops who's steering the bike!

On the other hand we have the people on 4 wheels!
For some reason, a large number of the population drive large pick ups and 4x4's the bigger the better, even when working in an office. For traders and farmers it is understandable to need such a vehicle ,but with traffic and pollution growing why on earth does some 4 ft nothing Thai lady need a massive vehicle they can barely control let alone see over the steering wheel, especially when she has phone in one hand and face in the mirror preening her hair, a recipe for disaster if ever there was.

Drink driving to the state of oblivion then trying to control one of those vicious machines is normally a male trait and i have on more than one occasion witnessed some of the most horrific accidents i have seen in my extensive world travels. Road sense is not a local strong point and my only real bone of contention with life here. There whinge over, when driving develop eyes in every possible part of your body and do not loose concentration, no matter how cute the people on the side walk.