Motorcycle Baby

So, I don't know if I have written anything about the millions of motorcycles that inhabit this city. Here's the picture that has inspired me to tell the tale:



On a side note...Jack has become quite popular with the staff. His charming smile and baby cuteness was won them over. So, the security guard was quite happy to let Jack pose for a picture on his motorcycle.

Motorcycles are a popular means of transportation in these parts. The roads are covered with them. There are definitely more motorcycles than cars, probably by about 10 times. They are an inexpensive mode of transportation that is efficient at getting from point A to point B quickly by dodging and weaving through the cars that fill the roads.

So, how many people can ride on a motorcycle at once. Try a family of four. Dad drives. Mom rides in the back and the 2 kids sit in between. YIKES! And these are not big motorcycles like Harleys. As you can see from the picture, the are small and some of them are even more like scooters.

The scariest thing is what I call a baby sandwich. This is when a dad and mom ride on the motorcycle with the mom holding a baby in between them. DOUBLE YIKES!! I have seen babies as young as a couple months old riding this way. And the baby certainly doesn't have a helmet on.

The interesting thing is that with all the cars, motorcycles and people on the roads, you don't see a lot of traffic accidents. I think one reason for this is that drivers don't try to multi-task while driving like they do in the US. There is not much talking on the phone, eating food, looking at directions, etc. while driving. And since you very rarely top speeds of 30mph or so, when there is an accident, it is not major.

Still the driving around here takes getting used to and can be a bit crazy at times.