Originally published via Armageddon Safari:
They’re not Lil’ Wayne or “Put Some Respek on My Name” Birdman with the unexplained star tattoos all over his head “Stuntin’ Like My Daddy,” but the Asians are something alright when they hop on their bikes.
(I apologize to all non-rap fans for the obscure reference at the outset. Let’s just try to move on.)
Related: Converted Pagan Headhunters and the Shining City on a Hill
I come from a buttoned-up land where cops tasked with revenue collection will pull you over for a broken taillight or an unfastened seatbelt in a jiffy — often as a pretext to go on a fishing expedition for more serious charges in order to rake in even more revenue and possibly even confiscate your vehicle via draconian and wildly unconstitutional “civil asset forfeiture” laws.
So the stuff the Orientals get away with on motorbikes is entirely antithetical to the social milieu whence I sprang.
Via Honda Click 125i Owner's Manual (popular motorbike in the region) (emphasis added):
“It’s important to keep your scooter properly maintained and in safe riding condition. Inspect your scooter before every ride and perform all recommended maintenance. Never exceed load limits and do not modify your scooter or install accessories that would make your scooter unsafe…
Ride cautiously and keep your hands on the handlebar and feet on the floor…
Tie all luggage securely, evenly balanced and close to the center of the scooter.”
None of what follows is found in any manufacturer’s owner’s manual.
SE Asian motorbike activities definitely not approved in the owner’s manual
This guy below was literally shouldering some light industry materials — as they often do — on his left side while driving with his right hand, his right leg extended as a counterweight. This is like yoga master-tier balance.
I understand, of course, that many of the remarkable scenes like the above are due to Southeast Asians using their motorbikes as beasts of burden — an application born out of necessity to get shit done with few other options due to a lack of resources to buy a truck.
Related: The State of Feminism in Southeast Asia
I respect their industriousness and perseverance in the face of adversity, so I don’t mean to condescend.
But their hijinks titillate nonetheless.
Pt. II to drop whenever I get more pictures.
Ben Bartee is an independent Bangkok-based American journalist with opposable thumbs.
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