motor bike helmets

I was standing outside seven eleven on Jomtien beach today when I noticed a police man stop a thai man on a moter bike who was not wearing a helmet, he issued a ticket and pointed to the nearby police station presumably telling the man to go pay his fine. I was amused then to see three police men arrive on two motor bikes none of them wearing helmets. I agree that all people should be forced to wear helmets including police

[Smiles]

" ... he issued a ticket and pointed to the nearby police station presumably telling the man to go pay his fine ... "
This would never happen! The fine money goes straight into the shirt pocket, no stopping at Boardwalk, no "... go to the Police Office to pay ... "

However . . . cops riding motorcycles sans helmets? Happens every day 24/7, all over Thailand. As I walk 3 or 4 blocks every morning to get the Post I often see the same cop motoring to work ~ helmetless ~ with his 3 kids ~ helmetless ~ on the back who he's dropping off to school.

Cheers ...

[globalwanderer]

" ... he issued a ticket and pointed to the nearby police station presumably telling the man to go pay his fine ... "
This would never happen! The fine money goes straight into the shirt pocket, no stopping at Boardwalk, no "... go to the Police Office to pay ... "

However . . . cops riding motorcycles sans helmets? Happens every day 24/7, all over Thailand. As I walk 3 or 4 blocks every morning to get the Post I often see the same cop motoring to work ~ helmetless ~ with his 3 kids ~ helmetless ~ on the back who he's dropping off to school.

Cheers ...
it happens all the time

just check Pattaya Tai outside Tukcom on market day.

I was stopped for turning into a one way street, the officer then gave me a ticket and I was told to pay at the police station before I could take my bike back

This is wrong :


http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/forum/weblogs/upload/44/1915794734891e8966d82f.jpg


This is good :


http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/forum/weblogs/upload/44/6183035904891e8af94f55.jpg


And if no good you get this :


http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/forum/weblogs/upload/44/2689788924891e9d02fd71.jpg


Same same all over the wold ! :flower:

Most of the helmets people wear are next to useless.

[globalwanderer]

Most of the helmets people wear are next to useless.

that's being generous.

[Diec]

I always make sure to bring my own heavy duty motorcycle helmet with me when I travel to Thailand. I also make sure to wear my elbow and knee pads whenever riding a motorbike taxi. I know how they drive and it is not always safe. I recommend anyone who takes a motor bike taxi to do this. It only takes a few minutes and could very well save your life. I also wear sturdy shoes because if you wear sandals, you could very easily lose a toe.

[Smiles]

" ... I always make sure to bring my own heavy duty motorcycle helmet with me when I travel to Thailand. I also make sure to wear my elbow and knee pads whenever riding a motorbike taxi. I know how they drive and it is not always safe. I recommend anyone who takes a motor bike taxi to do this. It only takes a few minutes and could very well save your life. I also wear sturdy shoes because if you wear sandals, you could very easily lose a toe... "
340(+) lbs of deadweight fat on a 110cc scooter? Not an issue.
[/*:m:18aqnpr7]
But fitting that lard under a helmet? Challenging.
[/*:m:18aqnpr7]
Lying 24/7 on message boards? Simple.
[/*:m:18aqnpr7]
Knee pads? Under a bar table? Essential!
[/*:m:18aqnpr7]
Running out without paying promised charity money? Priceless!!
[/*:m:18aqnpr7]
(Also pricless? Having a photo of Diec/BBB on my hard drive!!)[/*:m:18aqnpr7]

Cheers ...

I always make sure to bring my own heavy duty motorcycle helmet with me when I travel to Thailand

Absolutely essential to avoid cooties from the public helmets the motosai guy will offer. :cheers:

I always make sure to bring my own heavy duty motorcycle helmet with me when I travel to Thailand

Absolutely essential to avoid cooties from the public helmets the motosai guy will offer. :cheers:

There is nothing I love more than old queens who will happily lick a stranger's asshole, yet worry about "cooties" from things like public helmets.

[Dodger]

Chao Na Quote:


There is nothing I love more than old queens who will happily lick a stranger's asshole, yet worry about "cooties" from things like public helmets.

Heck...I stick my tongue as deep inside those assholes as I can get it - and still get paranoid about wearing those cheap plastic cootie collectors.

Maybe I should just put one of those helmets on my tongue next time.

Dodger, you devil! The best laugh of the day...you are a gem.

For a long time, the muak gan 'knock' (the anti-knock hat, or helmet) was known as the muak gan tamruat (the anti-police hat). The whole point of wearing it was simply to avoid police fines.

Now, if you really care about possible head injuries (and have a relatively large farang head) you should somehow get a real crash helmet from Farangistan.

I myself only putt around small sois and unbusy streets, so I don't bother -- especially since the last time I wore a helmet in Tropical Thailand it tended to make my glasses mist up and blind me.

Amazingly, I have never been stopped by the police! Even more amazingly, on the trip from and to Mae Salong, we got stopped when my Akha boyfriend was driving -- he has a valid driver's license and Thai I.D. card. When I was driving, though, it was the friendly wave from the BIB.

However, I suspect, in my dotage, that police around the world are not "gung-ho" about making problems for rich people. And farangs are automatically "rich" in Thailand, right?

For a long time, the muak gan 'knock' (the anti-knock hat, or helmet) was known as the muak gan tamruat (the anti-police hat). The whole point of wearing it was simply to avoid police fines.

Now, if you really care about possible head injuries (and have a relatively large farang head) you should somehow get a real crash helmet from Farangistan.

I myself only putt around small sois and unbusy streets, so I don't bother -- especially since the last time I wore a helmet in Tropical Thailand it tended to make my glasses mist up and blind me.

Amazingly, I have never been stopped by the police! Even more amazingly, on the trip from and to Mae Salong, we got stopped when my Akha boyfriend was driving -- he has a valid driver's license and Thai I.D. card. When I was driving, though, it was the friendly wave from the BIB.

However, I suspect, in my dotage, that police around the world are not "gung-ho" about making problems for rich people. And farangs are automatically "rich" in Thailand, right?

I suspect it has nothing to do with the police assuming you are "rich". They have the badge, and you do not. I suspect it has more to do with the fact that they don't speak English, and can't be bothered trying to make themselves understood to someone who probably doesn't speak Thai.

[francois]

For a long time, the muak gan 'knock' (the anti-knock hat, or helmet) was known as the muak gan tamruat (the anti-police hat). The whole point of wearing it was simply to avoid police fines...
.
I myself only putt around small sois and unbusy streets, so I don't bother -- especially since the last time I wore a helmet in Tropical Thailand it tended to make my glasses mist up and blind me.

.
Accidents can happen anywhere, anytime, anyplace. You are at risque near your home same same far away. People don't use seat belts because they are driving near their home. Yes, a helmet from Farangastan is the best choice but only if you wear it.

[catawampuscat]

Someone was talkng the other nite about inflatable vests that are activated, when you fall off the motorbike and protect your
chest, ribs etc. He also said it was smart to wear sturdy shoes and not flip flops and long pants and a nylon windbreaker jacket..
Leather clothing is probably the safest but might look a tab pretentious on a little motorbike.

Several guys I know have broken their collarbones and of course most have had their skin scrapped off various unprotected parts
of their bodies.
A good helmet is probably your best investment but also consider more protective clothing and footwear, especially if you are a new
driver and not used to the local conditions and the geezers with slowed down response times who feel they own the road..

Just crossing a major street in Pattaya/Jomtien requires skill and nerve and a sigh of relief when you make it across in one piece.... :cat:

[ceejay]

It's a long time since I've ridden a bike - I lost my nerve on UK Roads, so I can't see me ever driving one in Thailand!

There's a new trend/fashion/fad - call it what you will for so-called "mesh" motor cycle wear. It's made of high denier nylon or polyester or something similar which gives protection against abrasion, but it's loose woven to allow air flow and cooling. It usually comes with armoured inserts for shoulders, elbows, back and sometimes collar bone as impact protection. I'd guess it would be much better for Thailand's climate (and a good deal less pretentious) than leathers. A quick Google found this review of a number of makers:

http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/access ... index.html (http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/accessoriesandgear/mesh_jacket_comparison/index.html)

Incidentally, the "public" helmets the motosi drivers offer are almost certainly useless. I guess they go for the cheapest available - which is polycarbonate. Polycarbonate helmets are OK, but they are only good for one impact - this weakens them so that the next impact causes them to split. Even dropping them on the street can be enough to cause this to happen. Same thing can happen with any contact with organic solvents - even putting a sticker on one can weaken it enough to compromise it. Even if polycarbonate helmets are looked after scrupulously, they should be changed every year. Chances are these ancient public helmets have been knocked around enough to be compromised, and you'd bet on many of them being more than a year old.

The only really safe helmets are full face fibreglass or carbon fibre ones. I can vouch for fibreglass. I have been off a bike wearing one of these, and landed on my face hard enough to knock some teeth loose and scratch the visor so badly it was opaque - and I walked away from it. It would have been a different story with an open face helmet, and could have been with a polycarbonate one.

[allieb]

[quote]I always make sure to bring my own heavy duty motorcycle helmet with me when I travel to Thailand

Absolutely essential to avoid cooties from the public helmets the motosai guy will offer. :cheers:

There is nothing I love more than old queens who will happily lick a stranger's asshole, yet worry about "cooties" from things like public helmets.[/quote:5yyja9tg]

Well we can see who the asshole belongs to, but you never know where the cooties came from

[bing]

I don't claim to be an expert on helmets. When I was riding my cycle for more than 10 years, I used a Bell Helmet. It was the best at the time. A cycle guru one time told me something to the effect it does not matter what brand of helmet, ranging from the cheapest to the most expensive, the big difference is between a helmet and no helmet. Probably the same is true today.

[francois]

A cycle guru one time told me something to the effect it does not matter what brand of helmet, ranging from the cheapest to the most expensive, the big difference is between a helmet and no helmet. Probably the same is true today.

Not quite! Yes, any helmet is better than no helmet, but there are vast differences among helmets. Not just the outer shell but the crushable inner linner which absorbs the energy of impact. The difference is life and death. In the USA a helmet with a SNELL approval is considered the best but DOT standard is acceptable. Also at least a 3/4 helmet which covers ears and sides of head is minimum for safety. Many riders in Thailand do not even secure the strap or keep it loose which negates any saftety.Truth is, safety is an oxymoron when it comes to riding a motorbike in Thailand. A helmet, gloves and shoes are a good start for safety. But who cares, anyway?

[Geezer]

I used a Bell Helmet.

Bell had an advertisement: тАЬIf you have a thirty dollar brain, buy a thirty dollar helmet.тАЭ

[globalwanderer]

I have a collection from mityon etc should anyone want a totally unsafe helmet but at least the police will accept you are wearing one. The decent helmets are in safe custody for my next visit north