COMMENTARY
ALFRED THA HLA
The vast majority of drivers in Bangkok are absolutely unaware that pedestrians have the right of way on a zebra crossing.
It is the same old story whether it's the crossing that connects Siam Center to Paragon, the Phan Fa intersection near Ratchadamnoen, or the old Satsa-nguan Vitayalai school within the vicinity of Samsen railway station. Drivers appear to be blind, deaf and dumb, as they refuse to acknowledge the presence of pedestrians on zebra crossings.
After the world's first zebra crossing appeared on UK roads in 1949, the Beatles' Abbey Road album cover brought fame and worldwide recognition to the zebra crossing.
But here in the Nagoya of Siam, the disrespect shown to zebra crossings by impatient motorcyclists and cars is on a par with self-parodying absurdity. They simply park on the zebra crossings at traffic light intersections.
Pedestrians feel compelled to "give way" to incoming traffic (especially motorcycles) while negotiating zebra crossings; as they play elementary-school dodgeball with two- and four-wheelers making left and right turns.
A zebra crossing is painted on the tarmac as longitudinal stripes, parallel to the flow of traffic, alternately as black (or road colour to save costs) and white painted strips.
Besides the conventional zebra crossing there is the pelican or pelicon (Pedestrian Light Controlled Crossing) with red/amber/green signals facing drivers, and red man/green man signal heads on the opposite side of the road to the pedestrians waiting to cross.
Others include the puffin (Pedestrian User-Friendly INtelligent) crossing which is established each time by on-crossing pedestrian detectors; toucan crossings designed for both pedestrians and cyclists, and pegasus crossings which are similar to toucan crossings but have a red/green horse symbol.
Bangkok uses the pelican system but maybe a political bigwig or traffic policeman (preferably with lots of stars and a crown on his shoulders) might see a PR opportunity in other systems for pedestrians, cyclists and horses.
Tourists and locals alike who cross traffic-light intersections in Bangkok usually fall under three categories: the cringe type, patient type, and go-with-the-flow type.
The "cringe type": say you are from the UK, which is home to the safest roads in the world, according to International Road and Traffic Accident Database (IRTAD) and you're lulled into believing that civilised motoring etiquette back home is applicable here; so you cross the zebra crossing and expect traffic to slow down.
Wrong move. You'd probably end up shouting an inexplicable UK-style expletive because you almost got hit by a vehicle; as others (you too) cringe from watching you barely make it across the street.
The "patient type" knows too well that patience is a virtue. This type is usually guaranteed safe passage along the zebra crossing. Some traffic lights have a three-minute countdown such as the Asok Montri-Sukhumvit intersection, but it's a small price to pay.
Lastly, the "go-with-the-flow type" plays it smart and assimilates with the locals, uses them as guides (shields, rather) and adopts the "you go, I go" method. But you'd better be quick on your feet.
I was accustomed to seeing Emu, Koala and Wombat crossings during motoring trips to Australia.
Whether it is to highlight their zoological nomenclature or reflect upon the rights of a pedestrian down under, this speaks volumes on how the value of life changes across time zones.
And overhead pedestrian bridges shouldn't replace zebra crossings, either. Take for example the four-way intersection where Rama IV road meets Ratchadaphisek road - no zebra crossings.
Now, if your joints are ravaged by gout or you have just had an 80-year-old hip replaced, that harmless overhead pedestrian bridge suddenly morphs into a Bridge on the River Kwai saga. The odds of becoming road kill is present with no zebra crossings.
BMA officials and traffic police should join forces and make sure pedestrians use a zebra crossing if they are within, say, 20-25 metres of a pedestrian crossing, that they don't walk slowly on a zebra crossing, and not step out suddenly onto a zebra crossing if vehicles are so close to the crossing that they can't stop in time. Find them and fine them!
Zebra crossings could be a great cash cow for the traffic division of our nation's best, as opposed to the occasional inspection points set up at the most awkward of times and locations, worsened by policemen jumping out in the middle of the road to catch their prey. What were they thinking?
But the bottom line is that motorists must learn to respect zebra crossings and their pedestrians.
That said, I parked the car to grab a bite at Mahasin market in Sukhumvit 101/1, closed the door, pressed the alarm and with one foot on the pavement - a motorcycle glides in and gently clips my left arm with its side mirror.
Not even an apology.
Alfred Tha Hla writes for the Motoring Section, Bangkok Post.
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