Mopeds are dangerous to ALL

[Schwob]

I agree John. In the US, riding on the streets is too dangerous for me so I too have given up my motorcycles for use there. It isn't the risk of death actually but the much greater risk of amputation or head trauma. If you take a sideswipe that crushes your leg between your bike and your scooter, you will not likely get to keep it due to the soft tissue damage. If you visit a discussion forum for amputees, such as lessthan4.org you may be surprised at the number of folks that are there for that reason.

If I lived in Coz full time I would have both but would mostly use the car unless I knew I wouldn't be able to find parking. I'm pretty damned defensive as a driver and perhaps as a poster about this topic. The fact that my use of it on Coz will be limited to about a month out of the year helps me to make my decision.

I had a friend and neighbor that helped me to learn to ride a mountain bike. I warned him of the danger of riding his Harley on gravel roads and on certain roads around Austin where left turners and lane changers are especially dangerous. Think bee caves road or 290W. He moved to Maryland last year and soon after he had a little spill on his mountain bike and died. We take risks to enjoy our lives. I don't drink smoke or eat to excess. I don't frequent dangerous places and I live out of town. I've given up those activities as too risky. I have lost friends due to all of them. I'll ride the scooter carefully on coz and you can trust that I never forget that there are risks associated with it. Something is going to get us. I hope it's not boredom.

Oh no, not boredom!
I hear it can be deadly.

I stopped riding myself around when the kids came around. Maybe I finally matured. Maybe the near misses involving inattentive car drivers sent a clear message. Maybe the two friends who died driving by such hands did. Just too much out of your immediate control.

So now that I am getting older, realized the limits (or lack of) fulfillment at work. I find myself dreaming of living on or near a cost or an island and driving myself with my (imaginary) rebreather and bailout gear on that therefore rigged two wheeled dirt path capable vehicle to great dive sites... or maybe get practical and use a car and a yak... A case of reverse maturity maybe?

Somehow roads busy with traffic never are part of those thoughts / dreams. No idea what place I might be dreaming of...

 

[ggunn]

I hope I'm not that rare. I hope to see you on the reef. I would say I'd like to run into you but that might be misinterpreted in the context of the thread.

I will be on the island from next Sunday 5/21 until Saturday 6/3. Will you be there?

Here's a moped story: In 1978 my mom and dad took me and my bro and sis to Cozumel. For our around the island day Mom and Dad were in a Jeep while we "kids" (27, 24, and 22) were on scooters. We had met a couple of women our age also on scooters and they joined us for the day.

Anyway, we were all at a little open air restaurant where Chankanaab Park is now, and when we saddled up to leave, one of the girls started her scooter and revved the motor. It jumped off the kick stand and peeled out, and she was pointed into the crowded restaurant. My dad jumped over behind her and picked up the back wheel of the scooter, heading off what would have been a bit of a bad scene.

It's funny now, but it could have been pretty bad.

 

[RayfromTX]

I had similar experiences as a kid. It's a wonder we survived but we have wonderful stories now. Silly humans. We just got back week before last. We'll be back in August or September and again in December if we don't sneak in an extra.

 

[scubafanatic]

Dear Ray from Texas,

Your "smile" about a motocross start at a light tells us a lot.

I vote for the suggested severe crackdown on the "moto free for all"! BTW its not just mopeds, many are now much higher speed real motorcycles. And whether or not you have come to realize it, many locals see any kind of an accident with a wealthy gringo as a big "payday". I have loved and lived in Cozumel since 1992, been a naturalized citizen since 2005, but have a pretty good understanding of what is really going on. One that has "perspective". It is much more dangerous in the streets now. I guess you seem to like it.

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

Folks, Christi and Dave are both deep insiders in Cozumel, both Mexican citizens, expert Spanish speakers, and I dare anyone else to claim they 'know' Cozumel and Mexican culture better than they do! Given Christi's astonishing story (quite a revealing peek inside Mexican 'law') and Dave's super honest (and totally non politically-correct) assessment of how the 'locals' very well understand how the 'law' is set up to screw-the-wealthy-gringo, it would be the height of insanity to pilot one's own vehicle down there!

 

[Christi]

Ray,

You can be as defensive as you want, but when you're rear ended at a dead stop, not much you can do.

This was Sunday night about 9pm with the guilty party having been at Money bar for approximately 5 -6 hours and admitted to "4 whiskey's" which more realistically equates to double that (2x1 at MB from 5-7) at least.
So reaching an agreement with a drunk guy was not going to happen Sunday night.

Despite that witnesses and even the police said there was no question who was at fault, the law states that if there is not an agreement or admission of guilt Both drivers go to jail.

We had limited options to keep Mark out of jail. Knowing this, we were told the only way to keep him out of jail for the next two days would be to go to the police station I guess to show our willingness for a resolution and settlement. By law the parties have 2 hours from the time the police show up to reach an agreement AND exchange funds. When we got there, it was merely an exercise of sitting there waiting out the two hours (in addition to the hour + we had already been at the scene of the accident). Mark stayed out of jail, and we were to return the following morning.

After about 5 hours of the guy arguing with my insurance adjuster and two body shop guys about His way of wanting to repair my 2 month old car - an agreement was finally reached with my insurance company's approved body shop guy and the drunk guy. I of course would only accept original Nissan parts on my new car) Then another two + hours for the papers to be drawn up (handwritten in a large ledger book very draconian again) and we were finally free to go - so a late evening and a full day of my life I'll never get back. My entire hatchback door and bumper and of course paint has been ordered from Nissan and I should have my car back in a week or so. Fortunately i can't drive myself for another month or 6 weeks anyway.

This was my first involvement in an accident in 17 years other than lying my own scooter down and a two car collision that ended up crashing into my parked truck 10 years ago.

Moral to my story, avoid accidents to the very best of your ability, dont drink and drive, don't text and drive, don't drive distracted from not knowing where you're going, get FULL LOCAL insurance if you rent a car, have a moto license if renting scooter if you want insurance to cover you, watch for the weaving scooters.

You see what an ordeal this was for me, a MX citizen, with full coverage insurance, who speaks the language and knows how to navigate the draconian system - please don't treat this subject lightly. This is Paradise but it's not Disneyland. Stay safe out there.

Please don't drink and drive. This guy is lucky he's alive.

 

[RayfromTX]

Thanks Christi. Get well soon. I'm sorry you have to deal with all this. I don't drink but I am mindful of those that do.

 

[Christi]

Thanks Christi. Get well soon. I'm sorry you have to deal with all this. I don't drink but I am mindful of those that do.

thank you I'm working on it. Most painful and frustrating recovery I've ever experienced. Soft tissue stuff so 5-6 weeks of complete immobilization- world gets very small and difficult. Oh and I don't drink either .

 

[Hank49]

Mopeds....Schmopeds..... Ho Chi Minh, Bangkok, Jakarta....and they come flying by you at high speed, between cars in the lanes. But they're not the really crazy ones. In Phuket, crotch rocket (600 CC or bigger) fly by at literally 80-100 mph. They pass by before you hear them.

 

[RayfromTX]

If I try to imagine all those scooters becoming cars it's messed up.I already can't see the end of the line of cars waiting at the light. It's already 5 lanes. Does 8 lanes solve the problem? Buses? Legislation?

It seems to me that we have it about right. Let people do what they want and pass laws to try to limit the damage, one person to another. After that, just get through another day and thank God when you do. I try not to sound like the old man standing in the yard yelling at the neighbor kids. Obiwan gave wise counsel.

 

[boulderjohn]

Mopeds....Schmopeds..... Ho Chi Minh, Bangkok, Jakarta....and they come flying by you at high speed, between cars in the lanes. But they're not the really crazy ones. In Phuket, crotch rocket (600 CC or bigger) fly by at literally 80-100 mph. They pass by before you hear them.

View attachment 409843

In this picture, all the cars waiting at the intersection are in their proper lanes. In Rome, as they approach the traffic signal, the cars abandon the lanes and squeeze in wherever they can. Then the scooters squeeze between them and form a mass at the font. The scooters get through the maze of cars however they can, regardless of where they want to go after they reach the intersection. If a scooter wants to turn left at the intersection but ended up on the far right side, then the scooter will simply go left when the light changes, moving 90° through the moving traffic, and because it is normal procedure, the traffic will let the scooter through.

It will be the same in Bali or the Philippines, except there will not be a light at the intersection.