‘You Wanna Fight?’ Bangkok Moto Taxis Confront Grabbike

[Flashermac]

BANGKOK — The moto taxi wars took an ugly turn Monday when two motorbike taxi operators confronted a man working for an on-demand service who’d arrived to pick up a student.

 

In a video clip shared Monday by Facebook user Aof Theinhiran, one of the motorcycle taxi men snatches away the key belonging to a driver for the rival GrabBike service, who had arrived to give a ride to a student near Chulalongkorn University.

 

In the clip, the unidentified motosai takes the key and verbally threatens the other man.

 

“You wanna fight?†he says. An audible “no†can be heard following.

 

After the GrabBike employee got his key back and drove away, the narrator of the clip can be heard explaining to the motosai he called GrabBike because there was no one present at the motorcycle taxi stand.

 

At that point another motorbike operator tells him he should have walked instead.

 

"Why would I walk? There is another service, so I don’t need to walk," the Chulalongkorn student said.

 

The motorbike guy stuttered and changed the subject.

 

“Okay, you can call [GrabBike], but we’ll chase them away like this. If there’s an emergency, who would help you? Will you call GrabBike? … like if some men come to rob you or something,†the motorbike taxi driver said in the video clip.

 

Someone answering the phone at GrabBike’s offices on Tuesday said although there was nothing illegal about their service, people should be cautious of angering traditional motorcycle taxis.

 

“It’s not illegal to call GrabBike within the jurisdiction of a motorcycle taxi. However, customers are advised to set a meeting point away from the motorbike taxi stand to avoid any confrontation.â€

 

In March transportation officials declared the alternative taxi service was indeed operating illegally and ordered it to cease operations, an order that was immediately ignored.

 

 

http://www.khaosoden...ate=06&section=

[My Penis is hungry]

Too funny!

 

<<“Okay, you can call [GrabBike], but we’ll chase them away like this. If there’s an emergency, who would help you? Will you call GrabBike? … like if some men come to rob you or something,†the motorbike taxi driver said in the video clip.>>

Err, like when my taxi driver is being assaulted? I should call you?

[YimSiam]

If only I knew that mototaxis were actually going to be on my side, the 'some men come to rob you' argument would be a good one... But I'm afraid it looks just as much like a classic shakedown threat, as much as anything. There are a few places where I feel the motos and ne'er do wells would be on my side if I came into (unearned) trouble - the Spicy soi, Suk 4 and 11/13, soi Lucky Star in Pattaya - but otherwise, I have no faith.

[Flashermac]

A few years ago a friend was broadsided by a taxi. The taxi driver insisted the Farang had run into him, and two mo'cy' boys back up his story. The Thai cop looked at the car's dent side and shook his head. But he said the witnesses agreed that he'd run into the front of the taxi with the side of his car. He had to do something, so he fined the Farang 100 baht.

[cavanami]

Rule of thumb...a Thai will always back another Thai...a Thai will always believe another Thai over a farang...IME

[Coss]

I do have to say, a little nutter on a plastic 50 ran into the side of me, on a rented 400cc bike in patters. The girl I was ferrying, took my side of the argument and the cop let me go, much to the chagrin, of the little man, whose mother and 14 buffalo, I had apparently also killed.

 

But Karma got me, I drove around the block and got pinged 500 bht for a stop sign that was very cleverly hidden.

[Flashermac]

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/975773/make-us-legal-pleads-uber

[YimSiam]

I was on a bicycle in Laos once around early dusk, when they're selling lots of snacks in the market and the streets are a little busy. Guy ran into me from behind on a motorcycle, doing a little damage to his bike, complaining about being hurt, and so on. I was fine - no harm no foul. But the guy - drunk, of course - figures he's hit the lottery: a traffic accident with farang! Starts haranguing me for causing the accident, making a scene, calls the traffic police over. Traffic policeman comes over, wais me respectfully, and addresses to me a "Ajarn Yimsiam"... asks me if there is a problem, I say no, he tells the guy to go fuck off. The guy is shocked, calls for a cop from the regular police to come, same thing happens, but this time after I get my respect, the cop starts beating the motorcycle driver with his stick, shames him in front of all the snack stall ladies, and the guy ends up having to skulk away walking his motorcycle... Too bad for him he didn't know I was in town giving classes and workshops to virtually everyone in the government in the provincial capital: governor's office, cops, customs, etc.

 

Lesson of the story: while every Thai may well back a Thai, the Lao will back their guest instructor!

 

Was surprised at how much I enjoyed my moment of total privilege, and the guy's face as he watched 'his' cops give me unexpected respect...

[Coss]

When you're one of a few white faces in Laos, it is surprising how quickly the locals learn who you are and who you are connected to.

[Flashermac]

My Thammasat ID card carried a fair amount of weight, even at visa time. A Chulalongkorn card had as much or maybe even more influence. A friend taught at a private university, and he told me his ID card wasn't worth crap.