Tuesday, December 2, 2008

New Route & Near Fatality

Yesterday I set out to find a way to the new Central Plaza via the backroads. Without traffic, I can get to the mall via Chaeng Wattana within ten minutes. Sometimes Chaeng Wattana Road is seriously congested, and the short trip could take twenty or thirty minutes.

There are three gates into Nichada. The Samakee Road gate is probably the "main" gate where traffic enters. There is a gate that gives easy access to express (which requires you to be a member of the health club). The last gate is the Seechaithong Gate. Beyond the Seechaithong Gate is a Thai neighborhood of somewhat narrow streets.

I hopped on my bike and exited the Seechaithong Gate. It took me thirty or so minutes to find how to get to the mall through these back streets. The actual ride, once I knew the route, only took ten or so minutes. The challenge was that not all the streets go straight through, most of them dead end.

Today decided to go grocery shopping at the Top's grocery store at Central Plaza, and to drive the back route. I was driving about 20 mph when I approached a four way intersection with no traffic signs or signals. The other road seemed smaller, so I assumed that I would have the right of way. A motor cycle flew out in front of me traveling at about 40 mph. I slammed my breaks and only just missed him. If I had arrived a second earlier, I would have hit him. Had I arrived three or four seconds earlier, he would have slammed into me. Neither would be my idea of a good time.

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