Riding a motorbike in Karachi translates into fearing for your life constantly. Car drivers don’t respect your right to occupy a whole lane. They’ll go round you even if you’re travelling in the center of your lane, and most of the times they cut it pretty close. Then there is the tailgaiting. Car creep up behind me until they’re 6 inches from me and then they start honking, and then they do the same thing to the car or bike in front of me.
This big Government SUV scared the **** out of me today. I’m going at about 50km/hr(cause it’s rush hour and I can’t go any faster) on Shahra-e-Faisal. When suddenly I hear honking and I find a white SUV coming towards me at about 70 or 80. I had to yield and didn’t even have the time to see if it was safe to switch to the slow lane. So **** you tailgaters out there, and **** you who like to honk there horns every 5 seconds.
PS: Wish Karachi had better buses, then I wouldn’t have to ride the bike.
I have not been to karachi in years but even in the 90s the traffic and driving standards were horrid, i have heard that its only become worse.
stay safe bro
add some bond type gadgets to the bike, like something that drops oil on the pavement, or tar and feathers on the windscreen of ppl tailgating you :)
a handful of jacks with sharp points to toss and get tailgating publics tire expenses up :)
The traffic is crappy and you never know who's going to hit you. If the buses weren't so crappy. hai!
My dad doesn't even know that a ride a bike, cause he replied with a straight no when I asked him if I could get one. Thinking of selling this before my dad finds out, but going back to buses after this freedom would be agony.
Karachi traffic is abominable, and that’s putting it mildly! The last time I was there (2008), I saw a Suzuki jeep side swipe a Honda bike that had a **family of 5 **squeezed on it…no joke…barray mazzay say Abba chalaaretay, Amma Sahiba unkay peechay (seated sideways of course) unkay beech main ek bachaa, doosra bachay Amma ke peechay aur sonay pe suhaaga, subsay chota chunna munna toddler Abba ke samnay almost handle bars pay behtawa tha!
The Suzuki clipped the backside of the bike, it toppled, and all three kids hit the road and rolled in different directions. But wait, it gets better…this poor, bloody (literally…they were all bleeding from wounds) is scrambling to tend to their children, and everyone else on the road who witnessed it was yelling at them to get out of the way!! I begged my cousin to stop and help them and he wouldn’t…
I have not been to karachi in years but even in the 90s the traffic and driving standards were horrid, i have heard that its only become worse.
stay safe bro
add some bond type gadgets to the bike, like something that drops oil on the pavement, or tar and feathers on the windscreen of ppl tailgating you :)
a handful of jacks with sharp points to toss and get tailgating publics tire expenses up :)
Then I'm going to get some serious ass whopping, cause everyone in Karachi is a gangsta.
I’m lucky that I’ve never been hit. And the highest number of people I’ve had on bike is 3 and that was once, when my mom and I had gotten to my Khala’s place separately. On our way back the public transport just wasn’t there on the roads(wasn’t too late 10:30pm). So my mom and sis sat behind me(I insisted that my mom didn’t sit sideways and my sis, well she never sits sideways). To make a long story short, it was the most agonizing ride of my life. Bikes just aren’t made for that many people.
PS: This wouldn’t have happened if someone hadn’t just stolen our car. We got our car back but the CNG kit was gone. Now the car just sits here like a piece of junk.
Wow
It didn't get that bad in the SA countries I've lived in just awful traffic jams..
You have to ride a bike to realize how bad it really is. I can afford to piss off tailgaters when I'm driving a car, but doing that on a bike is like making a death wish.
And I have friends who tailgate and the reason they do it is cause they think they're awesome drivers and I'm a pussy for keeping a safe distance between my car and the one next to me. And one of friends has even been in a minor pile up. But "uhh wasn't my fault, the guy in front of me braked too". Well that's why you keep a safe distance, wise ass.
You have to ride a bike to realize how bad it really is. I can afford to piss off tailgaters when I'm driving a car, but doing that on a bike is like making a death wish.
And I have friends who tailgate and the reason they do it is cause they think they're awesome drivers and I'm a pussy for keeping a safe distance between my car and the one next to me. And one of friends has even been in a minor pile up. But "uhh wasn't my fault, the guy in front of me braked too". Well that's why you keep a safe distance, wise ass.
Driving anything on Pakistani roads is a nerve wrecking experience. The car wallahs complain that bike wallahs zig-zag through the traffic. They would try to squeeze through lanes of cars at red traffic signals, often scratching paint off the cars. Cycle wallahs do not consider any traffic rules applying to them. Breaking rules is a sign of 'being da man'. I often got scolded for stopping on a red light when there is 'no one around'. Following the traffic rules makes you a sissy.
This applies to generally how we behave though. Unless there is a major threat of a penalty, we would not consider following any rules. Put Pakistanis on roads in western countries, and you'd see most of them following the regulations. Well, most of them follow regulations even on LHR-ISB motorway but start behaving like animals as soon as they get off the motorway!
And yes, given a decent public transport system, many would not want to drive on these roads.
waise i've heard there are many less traffic accidents in Pakistan than in the US despite the lack of law.
saeed think of it this way.....if u can drive in Pakistan, you can drive pretty much anywhere in the world.
The US must have at least 20 times the number of cars Pakistan has hence the US having more accidents. And I doubt the accuracy of official car collisions statistics here in Pakistan.
I guess you're right about being able to drive anywhere in the world.
Driving anything on Pakistani roads is a nerve wrecking experience. The car wallahs complain that bike wallahs zig-zag through the traffic. They would try to squeeze through lanes of cars at red traffic signals, often scratching paint off the cars. Cycle wallahs do not consider any traffic rules applying to them. Breaking rules is a sign of 'being da man'. I often got scolded for stopping on a red light when there is 'no one around'. Following the traffic rules makes you a sissy.
This applies to generally how we behave though. Unless there is a major threat of a penalty, we would not consider following any rules. Put Pakistanis on roads in western countries, and you'd see most of them following the regulations. Well, most of them follow regulations even on LHR-ISB motorway but start behaving like animals as soon as they get off the motorway!
And yes, given a decent public transport system, many would not want to drive on these roads.
About not stopping on the red light. An army truck once honked me out of his while I was waiting at the traffic lights. The truck wasn't an emergency vehicle, but he was too cool to wait for the lights to go green. And I've broken signals when stopping wasn't a wise option with the cars around me not stopping for it. About bike wallahs zig-zaggin, I've seen cars, suvs and buses weaving through traffic. Bikes can safely lane-split at times, however cars lane splitting isn't safe at all.
Why did I give up on the public transportation?
1) I can't stand up straight in most of the mini buses that run in Karachi(getting a seat is rarely an option).
2) Being able to tell when the guy next me took his last shower(probably a week ago or it's just the Karachi heat and smell as bad as the other guys). There is a limit to what deodorant can do.
4) My butt being in contact with the butt of the guy standing behind me, throughout the commute.
3) I bought a bike before the current CNG crisis, so the situation has gotten worse as the buses disappear when the government shuts down CNG stations.
I want a motorcycle was thinking of getting one when I move back to Australia but my SO hates them.
In Japan you can leave your keys in the ignition and leave it for 10mins without it stolen.. how weird is that
The things people leave for their SOs. I'd wouldn't keep this bike any longer than is necessary, that is, until I can get a car. Getting a motorcycle for the weekend would be fun though, something big and loud would be awesome.
Japan is awesome with cars depreciating so fast. Here in Pakistan cars just don't depreciate. A ten year old corolla might fetch more than it cost new.
The things people leave for their SOs. I'd wouldn't keep this bike any longer than is necessary, that is, until I can get a car. Getting a motorcycle for the weekend would be fun though, something big and loud would be awesome.
Japan is awesome with cars depreciating so fast. Here in Pakistan cars just don't depreciate. A ten year old corolla might fetch more than it cost new.
Of course, he rather have me in one piece and not splattered all over the road.
Cars are cheap in Japan however parking is not.
Of course, he rather have me in one piece and not splattered all over the road.
Cars are cheap in Japan however parking is not.
Can't be true for all of Japan. Must be true for Tokyo though, with it being such a densely populated city.
I should sign up for organ donation I guess.
Can't be true for all of Japan. Must be true for Tokyo though, with it being such a densely populated city.
I should sign up for organ donation I guess.
A general comment on cyclists -IMO they have earned the right to be kings of the road. At least they are not contributing to pollution. As for buses being crowded - comes with the territory. I respect bus riders since their ghg emissions are miniscule. Putting up with smells etc for greater good is probably the right way to go.
