George has tried everything to slow the motosai cowboys who blast down the sidewalk where Rama IV Road bends into a sudden halt at Sukhumvit Road, including laying out pots of water to slow them down.
So when one rider nearly bowled him over from behind as he stood in front of his motorbike rental shop, he got a little hot under the collar and yelled at the guy. In response, the rider put a very fine point on why escalation may not be a great idea.
“He almost hit me in the back,” George said this afternoon, asking that his full name be withheld for fear of retaliation. “I got angry, my wife went out, and the guy pulled out an ice pick. From there, my wife started to shout at him, I yelled at her to back off because there’s an ice pick.”
That was on Valentine’s Day, and to George’s great dismay, the police who apprehended his assailant gave him nothing more than a slap on the wrist.
Saroj Sae-ung, 42, was fined THB1,200 (US$40) yesterday for riding his motorcycle on the footpath near the Phra Khanong intersection. THB1,000 was for riding a vehicle on a pedestrian sidewalk and THB200 was for carrying a knife, according to Capt. Jirayu Saisuwan of Khlong Tan Police.
“He just paid 1,200 baht for threatening my life,” George said. “[Khlong Tan] police said, ‘No one got hurt, there is nothing to report.’”
The incident, which took place at about 10:30pm, was captured by a nearby CCTV camera, which showed Saroj lean in menacingly with something in his hand, though it is difficult to tell what it is.
“I almost got hit by a motorcycle that was driving on the footpath at 10pm,” George’s wife Preeyanut Panmuang captioned her own footage of Saroj riding off.
The sorry state of law enforcement that contributes to the culture of impunity on the road has been debated since a doctor was killed last month by a speeding cop as she walked across a marked intersection. Preeyanut also called out the authorities for the lack of enforcement.
“Khlong Toei District Office, you claimed that there are no traffic violators,” Preeyanut wrote on social media. “But I’ve been living here near the Phra Khanong Intersection for over a year, and I’ve alerted police and the municipality countless times about [motorbikes on footpaths]. This is called no traffic violators still? Really?”
While admitting to his crime, Saroj told police that “everyone was doing it” when it comes to riding on footpaths. He refused to apologize to Preeyanut, who demanded the maximum punishment for Saroj.
The incident was enough to prompt a City Hall employee to pay a visit to the site Wednesday and vowed to better enforce traffic laws and improve road safety by installing more lights and CCTV cameras. The city also placed a barrier across the sidewalk with a sign reading, “Do not park or ride vehicles on the footpaths.”
Additional reporting Chayanit Itthipongmaetee
