As Simple As Crossing A Street

One good way of checking the kind of mood I'm in and the type of day I'm going to have is to gauge how frustrated and annoyed I become trying to get across a busy street in Chiang Mai. Observing others in the same situation shows that I'm not alone. Getting to the other side can be a source of angst and change a good day into a not-so-good one. Kind of like burning your toast in the morning.

To the credit of the local government and probably in response to the complaints section in the questionnaires that tourists are often asked to fill out, they have installed crossing lights in the last few years which respond quickly to the button the pedestrian can push. These are found at four or five busy locations. More importantly, street crossing can be dangerous and following a few guidelines can make it easier and safer.

1. Eye Contact

It's rare to find the perfect time to cross. However, there are often only a few cars and motorcycles coming from a reasonably safe distance. In this situation it's very important that everyone sees each other. In short, don't dart across the street. It's just not worth the risk.

2. Look Right

This may seem overly simplistic but bear in mind that most visitors have been operantly conditioned all their lives to look to the left before crossing. Try to develop and keep in mind a "look to the left" mindset. I've had a few close calls stepping off the curb and am sure that more than a few accidents have occurred because people just looked the wrong way.

3. The Crossing Lights Do Work...

and when the light changes you will hear a rapid beeping sound. The window of opportunity is about 10 seconds. Somewhat surprisingly, eye contact is still important - about 99% of all drivers stop and yield. HOWEVER, once the people who were waiting are across the street, or out of the way of the first waiting car, Thai drivers invariably run the red light. If you arrive at a green crossing light after others have crossed, don't assume that you will be safe crossing. And watch out for motorcycles between the cars!

4. One Way Doesn't Always Mean One Way

This is hard for many tourists to catch on to, but often there are motorcycles sneaking up one way streets the wrong way. Usually for obvious reasons they are close to the curb or side of the street. Keep an eye out and never assume anything.

5. Watch Out For The Daredevils

Most Thai drivers drive reasonably and follow their own set of rules. However there are quite a few, mostly young males who are real speed demons. You can hear them coming and there easy to spot.

6. Thapae Gate Hint

When crossing the street just outside the moat near the gate, it's much easier to cross at the Starbucks even if you have to do a little extra walking to get there. It took me a while to accept this but trying to cross further down after where Thapae and Kotchasarn Roads have merged can be a real pain.

7. Tuk Tuks

You're crossing and a tuk tuk that was speeding by slows down causing you to be trapped in the middle of the street. This is hard to describe but if it's ever happened to you, you know what I mean. Here it's best to freeze, stay put and be calm. Wait for an opening. Some drivers may see your predicament and stop - others won't. Be careful!

8. Relax

I find myself getting frustrated at pedestrian lights in Canada. In reality it doesn't take that long to get across busy streets in Chiang Mai. It just seems like it's taking forever, especially on a hot day. I'm getting much better at not letting it ruin my whole day.

9. Avoid Rush Hours

If you're on vacation and don't need to keep to a schedule, from 8 - 10 A.M and 4 - 6 P.M. are not the best times to walking on the main streets. Self explanatory.

To finish on a positive note, have you ever noticed the lack of horn beeping in Chiang Mai? Try to imagine if the roads around the moat were in the Philippines, Mexico, Brazil or anywhere else for that matter. I'm truly impressed that traffic problems in Chiang Mai aren't compounded by a cacophony of mindless horn beeping (this is my personal vision of hell.) I think this is an excellent example or bench-mark measure of the general good spirits of the Thai people and culture.