tricycle rant

[Marvin Boggs]

I've been here long enough that I'm almost used to tricycle behavior.  As a driver, it still mystifies me why tricycle drivers choose to be an obstacle to traffic.  On a 4 lane road (2 each direction), you are lucky if the tricycle you are trying to pass even puts his 3rd wheel into the right lane.  Most of the time they will just carry on in the left lane, and it is your problem to figure out a way around.  They are  1) often vastly slower, 2) often have old ladies or children inside, and 3) can be seen to exercise risky behavior like turning left from the right lane, or doing a U-turn with no turn signal.  

If there are any tricycle DRIVERS on this forum, I would appreciate some insight into the mind of the tricyclist.  Maybe your FIL or BIL has a tricycle.  Do they have a fcuking death wish?  Is it just ignorance at having never driven a car?  Enlighten me, oh forum. 

  

[Heeb]

23 minutes ago, Marvin Boggs said:

I've been here long enough that I'm almost used to tricycle behavior.  As a driver, it still mystifies me why tricycle drivers choose to be an obstacle to traffic.  On a 4 lane road (2 each direction), you are lucky if the tricycle you are trying to pass even puts his 3rd wheel into the right lane.  Most of the time they will just carry on in the left lane, and it is your problem to figure out a way around.  They are  1) often vastly slower, 2) often have old ladies or children inside, and 3) can be seen to exercise risky behavior like turning left from the right lane, or doing a U-turn with no turn signal.  

If there are any tricycle DRIVERS on this forum, I would appreciate some insight into the mind of the tricyclist.  Maybe your FIL or BIL has a tricycle.  Do they have a fcuking death wish?  Is it just ignorance at having never driven a car?  Enlighten me, oh forum. 

  

I think a lot of people take a trike when the destination is well within walking distance, people here don't like to walk.

[Arizona Kid]

35 minutes ago, Marvin Boggs said:

I've been here long enough that I'm almost used to tricycle behavior.  As a driver, it still mystifies me why tricycle drivers choose to be an obstacle to traffic.  On a 4 lane road (2 each direction), you are lucky if the tricycle you are trying to pass even puts his 3rd wheel into the right lane.  Most of the time they will just carry on in the left lane, and it is your problem to figure out a way around.  They are  1) often vastly slower, 2) often have old ladies or children inside, and 3) can be seen to exercise risky behavior like turning left from the right lane, or doing a U-turn with no turn signal.  

If there are any tricycle DRIVERS on this forum, I would appreciate some insight into the mind of the tricyclist.  Maybe your FIL or BIL has a tricycle.  Do they have a fcuking death wish?  Is it just ignorance at having never driven a car?  Enlighten me, oh forum. 

  

Baby Busses, Passenger Jeepneys and Tricycles pretty much own the roads here in Cavite. While waiting in with the rest of the traffic, they will counter flow, sometimes by the dozens. If they can't get you on the left side..they will sneak in on the right side if there is room. With zero police patrols to fine them why should they care? The cops are usually snoozing or drinking in the sub stations. Use to irritate the hell out of me but now I just say to myself..It's more fun in the Philippines.

[Tommy T.]

38 minutes ago, Heeb said:

I think a lot of people take a trike when the destination is well within walking distance, people here don't like to walk.

I think some of it is that they always seem in a hurry even though the pace of life is generally glacial?

Interestingly, CTTMO and local police are doing a lot of speeding tickets en masse with their new radar guns. Like 8 to ten jeepneys, trikes, bikes, etc. pulled over at one time and the ticket books are out. They are still doing checkpoints too and it's usually bikes and jeepneys that they are stopping, not many tricycles. Now if only they had enough staff or gas or money to have active patrols to ticket the numbskulls who endanger the roads for everyone, including themselves.

Edited February 23, 2020 by Tommy T.

[Tukaram (Tim)]

In my experience they drive the same way they walk or play their stereos - in a personal bubble.  'In my bubble I will do whatever I want, whenever I want. It is your problem to deal with it.' (my wife says that is a correct observation). Also, when driving, you must always be in the process of overtaking someone, or you are not really driving.  It makes for a chaotic road.

Yet somehow it works.  They all know to watch for everyone elses chaos. I see very few wrecks here, as compared to the US. I chose not to drive here. 

[Gary D]

Driving home from Balanga teatime just getting dark, the number of bike and trike with no back lights, completely blacked out. Or worse the wrong colour light at the back,. Major four lane road with heavy fast traffic and you suddenly see a shaddow cross in front of you. Made the wife laugh the other day when announcing that when I die my wish is the any tricycles that come to my funeral are to be buried with me.

[Dave Hounddriver]

5 hours ago, Marvin Boggs said:

If there are any tricycle DRIVERS on this forum, I would appreciate some insight into the mind of the tricyclist.

You don't have to be a tricycle DRIVER to understand.  I was a professional driver for 30 years in Canada and then I spent 12 years in the Philippines riding on tricycles, not driving.  But what I see is that no one else on the road gives them any respect.  No one "lets" them in to the traffic flow after they drop off a passenger.  No one cares about them.  I was once riding with a foreigner who almost ran one over because he was not looking.  I yelled at him.  Of course he blamed the tricycle driver for being in front of him when he was trying to drive (the trike was in no way at fault).

So the mindset is:  No respect given, none returned.

[Marvin Boggs]

3 hours ago, Tukaram (Tim) said:

'In my bubble I will do whatever I want, whenever I want. It is your problem to deal with it.' (my wife says that is a correct observation).

We have a similar theory, "Until I hear a horn, whatever I'm doing must be ok."  You would think self preservation would kick in at some point.  We almost hit an over-loaded tricycle full of teenagers last year, whose driver couldn't work out that he should look before turning left-- as we were overtaking on the highway!  Crikey.  These days I beep the hell out of that horn, even if someone just LOOKS like they are thinking of doing something crazy.    

[Joey G]

I get the rant... but if you don't like it now.... wait till the number of cars triple+.. it's coming.

[Mike J]

14 hours ago, Marvin Boggs said:

I've been here long enough that I'm almost used to tricycle behavior.  As a driver, it still mystifies me why tricycle drivers choose to be an obstacle to traffic.  On a 4 lane road (2 each direction), you are lucky if the tricycle you are trying to pass even puts his 3rd wheel into the right lane.  Most of the time they will just carry on in the left lane, and it is your problem to figure out a way around.  They are  1) often vastly slower, 2) often have old ladies or children inside, and 3) can be seen to exercise risky behavior like turning left from the right lane, or doing a U-turn with no turn signal.  

If there are any tricycle DRIVERS on this forum, I would appreciate some insight into the mind of the tricyclist.  Maybe your FIL or BIL has a tricycle.  Do they have a fcuking death wish?  Is it just ignorance at having never driven a car?  Enlighten me, oh forum. 

  

Why should they act different, or be held to a higher standard, than any other driver here?