The land where children drive

Remind your junior taxi driver to watch out for brms-brms

LAST WEEK, my 12-year-old daughter and I were strolling down a street in Bali, looking for a child she had played with on her previous visit, four years earlier.

A passer-by scratched her head and pointed to a sports car parked nearby: “I haven’t seen Lakshmi today, but she must be around somewhere: that’s her car.”

“Her car? But Lakshmi’s a KID,” I said.

But I wasn’t really surprised. In many parts of Asia, children start driving scooters when they are barely out of primary school and graduate to cars as soon as they can reach the accelerator.

A recent survey in Bangladesh revealed that hundreds of drivers of three-wheeled taxis were underage, some as young as ten, the Daily Star reported. Rules about having licenses are disregarded since the children are too young to read.

And remember that recent YouTube clip which showed a four-year-old zooming down a highway in China at the wheel of a car, using boxes tied to the soles of her feet to reach the brakes?

At the risk of sounding like a conservative old fogey, let me ask: Do we really want infants driving cars in Asia?

The last time I was in northern Thailand, I was driven to the airport in a huge car driven by a small, nervous boy, apparently snatched from a nearby kindergarten.

He needed detailed directions from me all the way along the route: “Slow down! Big junction ahead, lots of BIG brrm-brrms crossing.”

At the very least, is it too much to ask that one’s taxi driver should be big enough to see over the dashboard?

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THE AIRPORT in the US city of Chattanooga last week received a name from an image consultancy called Big Communications. They tabled a recommendation to call it “Chattanooga Airport” (and a large invoice). How can I get a job like this?

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A WOMAN gave birth immediately after finishing a half-marathon last week, the press reported. Chicago resident Amber Miller, 27, played down the achievement, saying that she had run marathons while pregnant before.

Next time I want her to actually have the baby ON the run so I can watch it toddling across the finish line with her, still attached by the umbilical chord. Now THAT would impress me.

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THE FAVORITE headline of reader Graham Lovell appeared over a report about a British footballer who attacked one of his own supporters: “The Twit Hits the Fan.”

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READER WENDY Tong claims men hate shopping because they evolved that way. “For four million years, males were hunters while women were gatherers,” she wrote. “The only way to make men enjoy shopping is if they killed boutique managers with their bare hands before their women took their purchases home.” Actually, Wendy, I think they already do this in Mexico.

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OFFICIALS IN Venezuela hired 120 mimes to help direct traffic. US funnyman Jimmy Fallon said: “It’s confusing. You can never tell if the mimes are telling you to stop, or if they’re just trapped in a box.”

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READER Bianca Schlimm was amused by the non-protest in Singapore, and reckons people there may have something in common with Germans, as this pic suggests:

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SEEN ON the door of a men’s toilet in Beijing: “Mole Restroom”.

Have a great weekend.

Mr Jam over and out.

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Technorati Tags: youngest drivers,Bangladesh,Bali,Chattanooga Airport,Amber Miller,best headline

Comments

[peter wei]

"No Brakes!"

When it comes to human lives, risk-consciousness is a must. Unfortunately, "no brakes" is an Achilles heel in China and many other Asian countries - the recent Wen Zhou speed train disaster for instance!. This applies equally to the debt and deficit problems facing Europe and the USA!

[sej]

I remember here when I was a kid, some of my friends who live on farms learnt how to drive as soon as they could reach the pedals. In that world though, it actually makes some sense.

Firstly, paddock bashing, as it was called, didn't really endanger anyone except themselves, and secondly, if dad had an accident out in the field, little Johnny could get them back to help. When the far end of the property could be a 30 minute drive from the house, a little kid being able to drive was a big plus.

In city traffic, where there are lots of things going on all the time, and research shows that kid's perhipheral vision doesn't really develop properly until they're at least 10 or 12...

Another friend of mine, is an advanced driver trainer and racing driver coach, and himself a semi-professional racing driver, says road safety has little to do with speed, road rules, or vehicle quality, but instead a sense of self-preservation, and those without it, are the most dangerous on the road.

[e e cummings]

teenagers have no sense of self preservation
the opposite
they are thrill seekers
what you say sej has got me worried
i want to take myself off the road

[Jason]

I posted that German chaos pic on my FB profile a week or so ago and a few of my Filipina in-laws commented that they didn't understand it. I speculated that given the state of chaos in their country, such order is totally alien to them altogether. My thinking is that status quo order Filipina style would be all 4 clips in complete disarray. Sad really.

[Lift Lurker]

I think this paper clip photo can replace the ink blot that psychologists use.

What do you see?

German: I zee utter chaos.

Chinese: I see Taiwan. The 4th paper clip must be reconcile to the others, by force if necessary

American: (Singing Sesame street melody) One of these clips is not like the other...

Middle American: One of these clips is not like the other... (and picks the wrong one)

Philippines: The 20 paper clips ordered by government

Italian: Impression of Garganelli pasta.

Canadian: 3 Americans and 1 Canadian

Texan : What we have here is what you might call an illegal alien.

[Bianca Schlimm]

Jason, I find this amazing. Who made this charming collage of my brain?
And I want to be your FRIEND now! (last name please!)

LL: so funny!!!

I really love order!
:-)

[Bianca Schlimm]

Spain: all four pins all over each other and loads of white powder on top.

Jamaika: pins used to keep spliff together

[Jason]

Bianca is very German, isn't she! Your name...SCHNELL!!!! Achtung baby.

[Lift Lurker]

One day Bianca is walking on the beach and she find a magic lamp. She pick up the lamp and a genie come out.

Genie: "You have one wish!"

BS: Anything?

Genie: Anything

Bianca think about fame, fortune, world peace, the end of global warming. But finally, her Germanness take over...

BS: "I vant that paperclip to face the right way!"

[Bianca Schlimm]

Exactly, Jason: "Mach hinne, Kollege!"

LL: I do NOT say "vant"! :-)

[Jason]

Bianca, schnell and achtung is about the extent of my German as learned from watching Hogan's Heroes. So I have no idea what you said. ;)

[Jason]

One of my favourite German-parody clips. I apologize for the quality, but it seems to be the only one out there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXCLkggKkOU

Bianca, do you want to celebrate the anniversary of your decay?

[Bianca Schlimm]

Jason, I told you to hurry up in Berlin style, addressing you as a colleague. Why don't you want to send me a facebook invitation?

Nury I had to steal your banana.. and netvibes seems to like it a lot...

FeMAILE pride