Motorcycles in Malaysia

In Kuala Lumpur there are motorcycles everywhere.  They are zooming by on the streets, dodging pedestrians and traffic.  They aren't bound to highways, emergency lanes, sidewalks, or any other general road rules. 

Everything goes.  Here is a list of things I've noticed since I've been here:

1. You can have a bike for one and have two people on it. 
2. You can have a bike for two and there are three people. 
3. You can wear a helmet or not. 
4. You can drive your bike in between two lanes of moving traffic, no problem. 
5. You can even go backwards on a one way street with your motorbike--but only if it is the most direct route to where you wanted to go. 
6. You can ride it in the rain, sunny, or at night.
7. Lights on the motorcycle are optional.
8. You typically drive it with a coat on backwards (zippers/buttons in the back). 
9. Women don't seem to have a problem to ride if wearing a burka or a head cover.  (These seem to travel better than I expected). 
10. You can drive your motorcycle with flip flops.  
11. Unlike the USA, motorbikes are designed for power, luxury, speed, or comfort.  The purpose here is to get around town.  Period.
12. You have almost unlimited parking because everywhere is a parking space when you have a motorcycle. 

If you have a motorbike, the options are practically limitless.

Here was a motorcycle that decided to park on the narrowest part of the sidewalk today on my way into work.  I thought I was going to topple the motorbike just to get by on the sidewalk.  When this happened, I decided to take a picture and share with you.  Inspiration comes in the strangest ways (or maybe parks in the most inopportune spot).

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Motorcycle accident

So today I experienced something that was terribly sad and sobering. The weather was very rainy this afternoon and the roads had water building up faster than it could be drained away. Two coworkers and I were going to a local restaurant after work and when we came up to one intersection, we discovered a motorcycle that had overturned and wrecked. It was pouring rain and a guy was laid out on the flooded intersection with people standing over him with umbrellas. We were stopped at the intersection for a little while and I never saw the guy's legs move. I don't think know for sure, but judging by the motorbike, it didn't look good for him at all.

We sat in the car in silence and somewhat disbelief for several moments. There might have been a few words said, but it was strangely silent for our group. It was the unspoken tragedy that was unfolding just a few feet away as we were on our way to eat a nice meal. I pondered how quick a persons' world could dramatically change or be ended. The stop light changed, and we went on our way.

I wonder if I'll Continue to think back to this event, I wonder what happened with the guy. I felt compassion for a stranger I never met, and sympathy for his family, his friends and coworkers. It was strange, I never really ponder on such things. Not exactly sure why it seized my thoughts so strongly today, maybe its the distance from home, maybe it was the visual imagery, or the shear reality of it all. I'm not sure, but make yours days count; we aren't guaranteed tomorrow.