Rules of the Road and Surfing by Brian

Rules of the Road

Having been warned of the hazards of driving in foreign lands, I have been impressed with the general safety of roads in many of the areas we have visited recently despite extremely challenging road environments.  US visitors to New Zealand are initially challenged with driving on the left side of the road and all of the resulting changes that occur.  Using the opposite hand on the gear shift and turn signal can create some confusion but ultimately do not upset the general driving paradigm that dominates western countries.

Our recent visits to Bali, Singapore, and Cambodia has illustrated to me how in a less regulated driving environment, driving behaviors tend towards natural law.   In Bali and Cambodia where there are few traffic lights, posted speed limits, traffic cops, and sidewalks, the rules of survival are adapted so all can share the road.  In Cambodia and Bali motor scooters dominate narrow two lane roads that they must share with pedestrians, kids on bikes, a few cars, touring vans, large buses, slow moving trucks, piles of construction material,  and other vehicles beyond description.  When approaching an obstacle such as a slow moving truck in the opposite lane a driver must not only consider approaching vehicles, but also his own.  For instance if a motor scooter was approaching your van, you would continue driving down the center of the street confident the oncoming scooter would wait for you to pass before overtaking his obstacle.  However, if you were on a scooter and the oncoming traffic was a truck, you would probably want to yield your lane to the truck while he passes and then proceed.  With the variety of traffic on the roads, larger vehicles tend towards the middle of the road, and pedestrians towards the dirt strip on the side of the road.  Overtaking vehicles going your direction is common, and generally signaled with a honk of the horn.

It is also refreshing to see empathetic behavior even when not dictated by natural law.  For instance, in Bali I noticed that when approaching a bike or scooter with a child on board, most drivers would give that person a bit more space that the normal 3 inches of elbow room when passing.  Many of the ladies in Bali did not wear helmets on their motor scooter, as they also received a bit more elbow room from thoughtful drivers if they could be easily identified.   Lots of honking is required in such close quarters.  A short burst normal translates to ‘I’ll be passing 3 inches off your elbow in a second… best stick to the present course’  or multiple bursts of the horn translates universally to ‘#$%@!!’ .  Honking is much more prolific in Bali than Cambodia, as it also means ‘Hi!’, ‘Nice ride!, ‘ I think I know someone in the house I just passed.’, or ‘That looks like my friends car.”  With fewer opportunities for social connections in Cambodia, city driving is more like a game of chicken.  When crossing a road in Seam Reap, best make your intentions clear by walking out with confidence, but be ready to jump out of the way if necessary!  Despite the prevalent use of cell phones in Cambodia and Bali, there was not the same western texting and talking while driving issues that dominate western cities. Perhaps natural selection at workJ

Singapore traffic appears quite westernized as one might expect with plenty of traffic lights, crosswalks,  and multi lane highways.  Traffic behavior in Singapore is as one might expect, strictly according to the rules.  For instance, our cousin Noel who has lived there for the last year got a $50 J walking ticket last week (her second).    When walking across a street in Singapore, it is perfectly safe to go when the light is green.  However, cross when the light is red and drivers simply will not stop.  Approaching drivers might remind you to move where you belong with their horn, but they have the rule of law on their side and they are not compelled to use their brakes. 

Surfing:

As an amateur surfer, I am always looking to local surfers for guidance on etiquette and surfing strategy.  In Morro Bay, CA I found that lining up near the oldest men out there was generally the best way to catch a good wave.  The old boys have been surfing this break all their life and if anyone knows how to catch a good ride with minimal paddling it would be them.  Besides they are never in a rush and always ready to take the next wave if you look keen to catch this one.  

We visited Hawaii a couple of years ago and found the environment entirely different.  The best places to line up usually resembled LA traffic during rush hour.  There was fierce competition for each wave resulting two or three surfers sharing some of the waves shoulder to shoulder… not a relaxing ride in my book.

The local break near our house near echo beach in Bali was generally broken up into two groups.  The tourists would surf near there resort.  While the tourist surfers were skilled enough, they didn’t know each other and were thus not very interested in sharing the waves with one another.  The better break was just 100 meters up the beach where all the local boys went to surf.  The boys were generally aged around 6-10 and spent much of their days in the water.  The boys would always make the full grownups look bad as they paddled faster, read the water better, and had the best trick moves.  They attracted our interest as they were always cat calling each other, cheering on anyone with a good wave, and generally having a good time.