Motorcycle Story – Contribution from Gary Graeme Jones

Tom Rossetti’s February Motorcycle Story deserves a far wider audience than just Pattaya, or for that matter, just Thailand. His sage advice applies to Ex-Pats worldwide. Nor is it solely pertinent to “Travellers” on just 2 wheels. 4 Wheelers, 16 Wheelers, no Wheelers (boats and planes) would benefit from the four maxims: Search, Predict, What if, Act. My father taught me to drive well over 40 years ago. As a “professional” Driver, he was a salesman / Delivery Man for a West London Bakery supplying bread and cakes to his Customers around Oxford. He too had his own “rules of the road”. These became a fixed part of my driving credo. Tom’s 4 maxims were echoed by Dad’s. Think at least 2-3 cars ahead. Fast forward 15 years later to when I was learning to fly in Greensboro, NC. My superb Instructor, Rob Fricke, had a favourite maxim: “there are old Pilots and bold Pilots, there just ain’t any old, bold Pilots”.

By its very nature, operating an aircraft without constant attention to Tom’s fundamental principles rapidly shortens a Pilot’s life–expectancy. Hence Rob’s old, bold adage. I suspect that Sailors follow identical truisms. With flying, the search, predict, what if, act maxims apply long before the Pilot gets into the cockpit. Doubtless, Sailors follow the same good code of practice. Why is it then that road users consider themselves exempt? Hitting a hard piece of cement at anything above a few MPH is decidedly life threatening. At a guess, I suppose that failing to hit a secure spot in a timely and controlled fashion, should apply to Sailors.

For the ex-Pat Vehicle Operator; and this applies even when the vehicle is your own two feet, a whole added dimension of preparedness opens up, or at least it should. This holds true irrespective of the country your going from A to B in. Local “conditions” (and I don’t just mean road surfaces), will all but negate Tom’s search, predict and act. If you don’t know where to look for example, how can you search? Unless you’re thoroughly au-pait with local culture, how will you be able to predict how a local will react? If you can’t predict the consequences of your actions, then any act on your part may well aggravate the situation. It puts quite a strain on the remaining maxim-what if, doesn’t it? Whereas knowing that sharing road space with a Moped Driver carrying, not only the entire family but the dog also, and talking on a mobile at the same time should be cause for ultra alertness, would the same Driver / Rider know how to react in Saudi? I have it on good authority that mad Mullahs frequently test their faith by stepping out in front of vehicles operated by Infidels. Nor is the ability to understand “local” conditions, a necessary survival trait restricted to Third World Countries. Any idiot driving to the shops without a full tank of gas, a shovel, change of dry winter clothing, road flares and sufficient food and water for 24 hours is considered fair game for the Grim Reaper. Where and when you may well ask? How about Edina Minnesota (about 10 miles from downtown Minneapolis) between October and April. Edina is considered to be one of the top suburbs to live in the U.S. of A.

Ever been rear ended by a snow plough whilst stuck in a snowdrift when driving on a motorway? Maybe Tom should have spelled out the fifth maxim? Expect the Unexpected!

Gary Graeme Jones
D-2 - Bang Kwang Prison
117 Nonthaburi Road
Nonthaburi, 11000