April 01, 2009

View from shotgun

I don't like riding in the back of the SUV like I have a chauffeur, but I also really hate traveling shotgun here for many reasons. The probability is high for anyone living here for being in an accident. Here are some photos why:
Roads in developing countries aren't the safest, so you can't sit back and relax in the car. Almost every trip I make I pass an accident. On the national roads it's even worse. Against your better sense of humanity, foreigners are advised never to stop and help, even if you're with a local who can communicate. You can easily take the heat for the accident even if you arrive long after the event. And without an underlying structure of order, mob justice prevails. You're on your own if any danger comes to you from being a good samaritan.

Motorbikes are used to transport anything and everything. These guys are each carrying two beds strapped precariously to their motos, traveling about 35km/hr for about 3 hours to Phnom Penh.
Sights like these are common and, likelier than not, no matter how high a vehicle is packed, there are people sitting (or sleeping) on top of the cargo.

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