OK, here’s a quick quiz for you.
Sidewalks are for:
a. Pedestrians
b. Riding motorbikes, especially against the flow of traffic
c. Parking, especially for motorbikes
d. Setting up stands for selling food
e. All of the above
In the USA, of course, the answer is “a.”
But not in Thailand.
On one-way streets, or divided highways, motorbikes will use the sidewalk to go against the flow of traffic. That’s also where many of them choose to park – sometimes so many of them that you have to walk in the street to get around them.
And of course, it’s a great place to sell food. People set up little carts or tables with woks and grills and cook right on or next to the sidewalks. There’s even a restaurant that sets up each night on a wide area of sidewalk near our hotel.
David Abbott says
Definitely “all of the above.” If you shouted “If you don’t like my driving, stay off the sidewalk!” no one in Thailand would laugh …or the Philippines for that matter. 🙂