Here we go again, expats in the news

[movingtospore]

Another day, another expat blamed and shamed ... read the online version of the bird cage liner today re motorcyclist who unfortuately, for him, decided to smash someone's window.

Granted he probably should have punched the wall or something instead but I sympathize with his frustration with how people drive here. It's enough to do your head in most days. And, of course the car driver doesn't have to take responsibility for driving like an idiot.

The video is unintentionally hilarious...with the way the passenger is screaming like a banshee you'd think a bomb had just gone off.

[nutnut]

In my opinion he had every right to speak to the driver, smaching a window is perhaps a step to far.

However, had the car driver knocked him off his bike, then what would have happened to them? I wage a guess at nothing, except the civil suit.

I agree about it being hilarious though, the woman's screaming was so over the top.

[PNGMK]

Unfortunate... as a biker I feel for him.

With in car cameras everywhere... all drivers need to watch their P and Q.

[Barnsley]

Another day, another expat blamed and shamed ... read the online version of the bird cage liner today re motorcyclist who unfortuately, for him, decided to smash someone's window.

Granted he probably should have punched the wall or something instead but I sympathize with his frustration with how people drive here. It's enough to do your head in most days. And, of course the car driver doesn't have to take responsibility for driving like an idiot.

The video is unintentionally hilarious...with the way the passenger is screaming like a banshee you'd think a bomb had just gone off.

I read that the lady passenger is now unable to go down Thomson Road or wherever the incident occurred now.

These things are usually 6 of one and half a dozen of the other, however when one of the parties is a foreigner then it would seem that the stories take on a slightly different balance.

[zzm9980]

Both Mr Chiang and Ms Tan, who are now married, each suffered cuts on their body, face, neck, arms and legs, and were both given a week's outpatient leave

Bullsh1t. Both of them? everywhere? Tempered glass used in vehicles does not shatter like that. Unless they took turns rolling around in it afterwards.

[Barnsley]

Both Mr Chiang and Ms Tan, who are now married, each suffered cuts on their body, face, neck, arms and legs, and were both given a week's outpatient leave

Bullsh1t. Both of them? everywhere? Tempered glass used in vehicles does not shatter like that. Unless they took turns rolling around in it afterwards.

I have to admit I was bit surprised at this........ The glass is designed so as not to do this.

[zzm9980]

Ok, I now watched the video. I'm surprised how much the glass spread, but it still looks like it would have caused minor scraped, nothing crazy.

I also don't think the driver did it intentionally, just ignorantly/stupidly as I would expect. You can see the way he meanders back into his lane quite slowly while occupying both lanes. I get the feeling the motorcyclist was intentionally holding his lane position to prove a point when he should have instead yielded, right of way or not.

Having lived very close to that stretch of road, I've seen more than a few accidents right there from idiots who don't know how to merge.

[GSM8]

Looking at the entire video, car driver's careless driving notwithstanding, the biker appears to have gotten off lightly with a 3 week jail sentence and that too out on bail. It's behavior like this that contributes to fueling Singaporean's resentment of foreigners.

[movingtospore]

I didn't watch it to the end actually...if she was actually cut up that's not good.

Punching the glass was not a good move and he should have taken a breath, but I can still understand how he got to that point. How many times do you get cut off and nearly hit by some kiasu so-and-so before you've just had enough? There are plenty of times I have wanted to get out of the car and tell someone off for the idiotic way they drive here...but I guess the difference is I don't.

How many locals have done the same? But that doesn't make the news...

Bets on how long before he gets a one-way ticket home now that this has gone viral?

[bgd]

Those cameras can be quite deceptive. As they are wide angle distances can appear greater than they actually are. Basically real life can be a lot more scary than it appears on camera.

I do feel for the biker but in Sg you really do have to expect that sort of thing and ride accordingly. Drivers are pretty bad here.

While searching for the video I came across an article about 5 SIA staff injured in a crash in NZ. A Sg friend once told me that more Sgs die in road crashes in NZ than any other country. He reckoned they struggle with open spaces, they need buildings around them to judge road position. Apparantly road markings aren't enough. Anyway it seems that their driving abilities don't improve when they travel.

[sundaymorningstaple]

If you look at :36~:40 of the clip, you will see that the VW driver "after" passing and pulling back into the right lane then proceeds to momentarily @ :39 (and to my eyes, deliberately) try to squeeze the cyclist between the car and the centre railing then moved back to the left slightly. I think I might have taken it as a deliberate move by the VW driver as well if I were on a bike and between the car and the railing. Not sure what took place when they left the stop light with the clunking but I'm guessing the biker clipped the right hand mirror of the VW which probably started the whole thing. At any case, he shouldn't have tried to take the law into his own hands.

[JR8]

What is with the intentional edit at circa 0:30? Something the FT-bashers don't want you to see?

I see a local driver revved up on the background punk music, driving like he's in some kind of Mad Max movie, or video game.

It's most unfortunate for the lady, but no one behaves like the biker did with no reason.


p.s. You also sense that the driver is seeking to chase or stalk the biker.

[PNGMK]

Those cameras can be quite deceptive. As they are wide angle distances can appear greater than they actually are. Basically real life can be a lot more scary than it appears on camera.

I do feel for the biker but in Sg you really do have to expect that sort of thing and ride accordingly. Drivers are pretty bad here.

While searching for the video I came across an article about 5 SIA staff injured in a crash in NZ. A Sg friend once told me that more Sgs die in road crashes in NZ than any other country. He reckoned they struggle with open spaces, they need buildings around them to judge road position. Apparantly road markings aren't enough. Anyway it seems that their driving abilities don't improve when they travel.

This is a problem in Australia as well - typically they can't handle the wild animals and gravel road edges... they swerve to avoid the animal, clip the gravel and either go off there and then into a gum tree or over correct and roll the car into a gum tree or they doze off on long drives and drift off the edge to do the same. Every year there's at least one fatal accident with Sinkies in WA I reckon. They have a MAJOR problem with underestimating distances (900 km round trip in one day is a typical naive goal) and relying too much on GPS routes which don't use the best roads (rather than local advice).

Most WA country roads are like this;



which leads to this with bad driving;

[JR8]

A Sg friend once told me that more Sgs die in road crashes in NZ than any other country. He reckoned they struggle with open spaces, they need buildings around them to judge road position. Apparantly road markings aren't enough. Anyway it seems that their driving abilities don't improve when they travel.

It's not just that they need buildings around them, it's more that they suddenly have to apply common sense to everyday situations. You know like... 'I left my wallet and passport in a jacket on the train's luggage rack. When I woke up some hours later they were no longer there!?' [I have been a party to many such real-life SGn-abroad tales of woe.]

Also there seems to be a tendency for some SGns when they go abroad to.... kinda live out their previously untenable dreams. Buy big but old cars ($cheap). Drive really fast, or long-distance despite not being experienced, purely for the sake of doing so.

In many ways SGns are simply not equipped for life outside their little goldfish bowl...

[Primrose Hill]

Seriously how do the locals get their license here? There's no line discipline, they cut you up left and right without giving any thought to breaking distance and they do not foresee or see what's beyond their car bonnet. No anticipation. No thank yous when you let them out