Disclaimer: In Real Life is a platform for everyday people to share their experiences and voices. All articles are personal stories and do not necessarily echo In Real Life’s sentiments.
Note: This article is a collaboration between IRL writers Tim Lee & Marie Morden
Road rage is quite literally all the rage when it comes to Malaysian roads. Whether it’s traffic, or the misty mirrors from the unpredictable weather – scorching hot one minute and thunderstorms the next – you can’t really go out driving or riding without yelling out some sort of profanity in your 1Malaysia language of your choice.
Today, we dive into a debate between Malaysian drivers and motorcyclists. Who’s actually the problem?
Car drivers:
Source: license2speed
1. Stop squeezing!
I’ll hand it to you guys that riding a bike is very convenient. You get to park almost anywhere you like, the traffic conditions don’t affect you nearly as much as it does to us drivers, plus it’s way cheaper!
But when you’re riding to your local McD for a BigMac and you see a line of cars congested ahead of you, the last thing you need is to be swerving your way in and out of lanes, because we drivers can do it too!
We get impatient just as much as you do – all it takes is bad timing and next thing you know, we’re charged with a RM300 saman and you’re left with bike damage and some serious injuries.
2. What gives you the right to ride against traffic?
Again, riding around is very convenient. But sometimes you guys can really push it by trying to make life easier for you. I’m talking about shortcuts and illegal turns to skim a few seconds or minutes off your travel time.
I can’t stress the number of times I would make a turn on a one-way street and immediately be caught off guard by a bike at the corner facing me, slowly inching their way in the wrong direction as a ‘precaution’.
That’s around the time Malaysians become a master of the Hokkien dialect, but specifically for women’s genitals, occasionally accompanied by a certain finger.
3. Cannot ride your bike properly is it?
We have all come across one of those ’superman’-esque impersonations. We’ll be driving back to our hometown on the North-South highway, traffic’s fairly good, we’re rocking out to Olivia Rodrigo, and on the left we see 3 or 4 bikes cruising down with the legs planted parallel to the seat.
Source: zuraneeza zulkifli
You know what I’m talking about: the thing where all it takes is losing control of your bike for one second, and you’re faced with a racking amount of hospital bills.
I personally could never understand the point of it – maybe some could argue that it’s ‘cool’ or fun. But even us drivers can clearly see the danger of it and, not to mention, feel the anxiety of watching you bikers pull off your stunts. It’s genuinely scary! Why would you put yourself through such a risk like that?
Stay safe la, guys.
Motorcyclists:
Source: paul tan
1. Use your damn signal lah!
Bikes can turn up without you knowing, that’s true. But it would be helped if we knew whether you are taking that turn or not while you’re sitting there at the junction. Do you know how many Malaysians don’t use their turn signals? Being forced to stop on a bike is very different than in a car. You have to think about your momentum, for one.
Don’t forget that while drivers have airbags and seatbelts, there’s nothing that defends a motorcyclist from permanent injury and potential disability. Be considerate and let us know what you’re planning to do on the road.
2. Have you seen bike parking lots?
I’ve tried parking my bike legally a few times. But people who are exclusively car drivers have no idea what the struggle is like. Motorcycle parking lots are not like those for cars. Not at all. It’s an afterthought hellhole – or it feels like it, because there’s very little planning that goes into building one. And yes, even less so than with car parks.
Source: low yat forum
Parking lots for bikes are usually stuffed full: you have only one small lane (even by motorcycle standards) to navigate your bike around and there are pretty much zero empty spaces because any empty space is one that a bike can be parked in.
And on top of that, the humidity and heat in the parking lots is next level.
3. Stop splashing us with water, please
Being splashed with water from a car while riding is not an unusual experience – but it never gets less terrifying. Unlike with cars, because they have windshield wipers, helmets don’t wipe themselves. Every second before the water clears up is a second of complete blindness.
Imagine driving down a highway and suddenly you have zero visibility!
Car drivers tend to drive really fast over puddles of water, which splashes the cyclists nearby. It would be really nice if drivers were a bit more considerate about that. After all, at least you guys have a roof over your head and the convenience of air-conditioning!
Cars or bikes, it’s a matter of price and preference
Malaysian roads can be a scary place as they may seem lawless. The fact of the matter is that Malaysian motorists are used to bending the law a little for the payoff of convenience – but it isn’t always worth it.
Whether you drive a car or ride a bike, try to remember road safety rules and have some consideration for other road users, including pedestrians and cyclists.
Let’s try to make Malaysian roads a better place for all of their users!
For more stories like this, read: I’m Sick Of Driving To Get Anywhere – Reasons Why Malaysia Being So Car-Friendly Is A Bad Thing and Malaysians Share 3 Scary Experiences They’ve Had On Road Trips At Night.
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