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Home » Reader question » Reader Question: Should I Stop for Flag Guys?
Reader Question: Should I Stop for Flag Guys?
Dear readers,
Every once in a while a man with a whistle and a flag tries to stop me and then let an expensive car or a whole string of cars drive into the soi, so that we miss the traffic light again. For example Gateway at Ekamai.
I wonder if you should care about those guys with tunics that look like police uniforms but aren't.?
Who knows what to say about this? Can I just ignore them? When I do it my wife immediately starts beeping.
Regards,
Marcus
No, that little man has no authority whatsoever, so just drive over, you have every right to get the green light.
Now seriously, at the entrances of hotels and shopping centers, traffic is often controlled by these types of men. When driving out, it ensures that you can easily join the traffic. They do this not only for expensive cars, but also for you, if it suits you.
A little tolerance, Marcus, won't hurt. If you miss a green light because of that, too bad, costs you a few minutes, so what????
These are the so-called parking guards of buildings who must ensure that the parking space outflow is regulated.
At many buildings, the parking exit leads to a small soi that then has to enter a large street where traffic is congested.
They have no further legal powers, it is purely about enforcing space for the cars that come out of the exit.
Thais don't give each other much space on the road as you know, so something like this is needed.
Quitting is your choice
These guys do this mainly for their regular customers who can drive their cars unhindered after they have paid a hefty tip. Sometimes you have to see them humbly running for people they seem to have a lot of respect for.
For owners of high end condos, such service is included in the service charge of which those males are paid 6000 a month for 12 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Dear Marcus. Still not de-stressed?
You may drive on. Nothing wrong.
And you will make yourself incredibly popular with the Thai.
Your wife will respect you even more.
So just don't do that.
Dirk, it's not too bad with that stress, but it pisses me off when you have a whole bunch of those flag jumpers in a soi where it's already difficult to get ahead at the hours when all Thais jump in the car for a kuh teow to buy in a place far away where it is cheapest 🙂 You also have that problem during school hours because Thai people think that students should not walk (home)
Well, it probably won't help, but here in Belgium you also have a price at every school: cars parked by bobos, right in front of the school entrance. The misery will start again next week. Fortunately, I am now retired and am usually still in bed at that time.
Thais never “give way”… that is “not done” in Thai traffic (with a few rare exceptions).
So those guys with whistle & flag & lumi stick make sure you can still "insert".
Without them, you stand little chance...unless you "brazenly" enforce it.
Conclusion: they are doing you a great favor.
Dear Marcus,
Sometimes the men you mentioned give a whole show. I always thought it was funny to see. That is why I sometimes forgot the green light and had to wait for the next green light…
Some of those flag wavers have a whistle and when you try to park they cause confusion by whistling a lot and giving incomprehensible signals. Once I suffered a small dent in my Pajero because of this. Now I have such a whistle myself and when it starts again I open the window and whistle very loudly until he stops in surprise. If the flag waver also has a whistle, do the same, do not stop in front of the paying car, but open the window and whistle very loudly. I whistle much louder than such a small man. And then you have to see the faces, worth buying a whistle 🙂
Part of the traffic in Thailand.
I don't drive a car in Thailand myself, but as a pedestrian (Pratunam, Platunam Fashion Mall, Big C, …) you also have to deal with it. Wait like the others. It's vacation after all, so why be in a hurry?
Sometimes a bit exaggerated, but sometimes also necessary (in case of congestion, a form of zippers).
Sometimes you have an advantage and sometimes you have a disadvantage. I have more benefit than harm from it. If you don't turn left, drive in the middle or right. Are you less bothered by it.
I use it with pleasure when I have to get out of the parking lot of a hotel or restaurant with my (modest rental) car. So I don't mind stopping at all if someone else needs that space. You shouldn't be in a hurry in Thailand anyway. Bad for your heart, when you just come there to take it easy.
It did inspire me to two limericks:
1
Drive out of here after parking
then the hotel will send thai gentlemen,
that every time
(even without traffic)
very busy gesticulating.
2
Many Thai here earn their money
by blowing their whistles loudly.
As soon as possible
goes such a Thai man
to whistle loudly.
Your wife is so right, she seems to be fully established.
Anyway, as a rule, those whistling and flagging men have no legal authority, so just drive (un) calmly.
But make no mistake about that, in a legal confrontation after persistent driving you can sometimes smoke a heavy pipe, if you can prevent an accident you are also obliged to do so, so your persistent driving causes that, while there is a man who is just standing I'd rather not be in those shoes.
Nico B
No, that "little man" has no police authority whatsoever. So you can ignore him until the moment you want to merge into such a busy street yourself, then you may be happy that such a "little man" stops the traffic for you. The same with the “ticket man” in parking lots. Doesn't have any police powers either. But just drive right past him. You then stole that car for him and you can be sure that he will immediately inform the police. If he then puts you further aside, you will get more of your “precious?” lose time than to stop for a moment and hand in the ticket to that “little man”.
Well… Marcus,
That “guy” is trying to earn a living there.
That will not yield much, and giving priority to a bolide or string of cars can perhaps bring something extra to the bill for him.
Your biggest concern is waiting for a traffic light….
Everyone has their priorities in life...