Third World Railroading and Insane Grocery Shopping

Thanks for posting this video, it's been awhile since I've seen it. Makes one wonder how situations such as this evolve. The venders certainly know what and where to place things, within inches no less.

I had no idea that this weird zoning or whatever could be sanctioned anywhere. I was expecting some bananas to be turned into goo. Everyone takes this attitude like they are nullified on tranquilizers. Strange, stranger, strangest..."A big hit with tourists" ??!!

Huh? Zoning? are you kidding, its says "third world" right in your title

 

Imagine what goes on thats not on video.

 

Besides, they gotta get to market first:

 

It's all rather lackadaisical if not surreal.

all candidates for the darwin award    wait till they find out we have trains in God Bless America!

 

I can just imagine what this teaches their kids. Setting up Lemonade stands on the Interstate or some other goofy tradition. 

Great Caesars Ghost! Reminds me of some rail fans I've seen. 

I'd like to see someone model the Bangladesh scene.  Better have an in with figure supplier.  Wow! 
What some guys spend on trains in a year could probably feed one of those families for ten.  I'm sure glad my butt is parked on my lazyboy in the good old USA.  That looks rough.

I was born & raised in India before I came to the US 14 years ago. I have done the reckless things you witnessed in the video since I was 10 years old. It didn’t seem strange at that time since many friends, classmates & colleagues did the same too. You missed the best part – jumping in & out of moving trains & buses. But I heard Americans do reckless things too – like playing the game – Chicken.

These are just my opinion,

Thanks,

Naveen Rajan

Don't need to go to India. I went to high school in the Bronx and down in the subway stations, we would sometimes jump from one platform to another across the tracks - only the single lane.  So much noise it was sometimes hard to tell how far away the train was.  And we would ride between cars and on top of the train.  If you've ever ridden in the NYC subway system, it whips and is not a smooth ride. So it took some talent. I remember it became popular with some kids to ride on the outside of the doors through the tunnels. That to me was crazy. 

Having traveled to all contents and many many countries, I think the word "thrid world" is really not right ( I do not blame any one for saying it since we hear it growing up in the west). There is no "first world" and "second world" to describe other countries. That phrase was invented by the west and by no means it describes these countries in a fair way, I am not sure if that phrase gives the impression that they are not as good as the west?

 

I have been to that exact market, it is a total chaos but a lot of fun. Asia has its pros and cons just like any other country. But I am not fooled by these expressions. I have lived among other nations and I have total respect for how little they have and still are able to give you a smile. Some how, these 3rd world countries, have the least amount of SSDI meds (anti depressants meds) described and it is not because of the cost of meds since they are much much cheaper in Asia but it is because they have a lot less depressed people....go figure!

 

I agree with your comment and in hindsight , for lack of a better descriptor and brevity for a title I used third world but it wasn't a value judgement. What amazes me is the condoning of dangerous situations and folks doing this sort of thing because they can. When I traveled to Europe there are pockets there that are close to being in the same economic boat. The folks there were wonderful and content with life. In some ways it reminded me of this country in the 19th Century. Where the rail line crossed a road, there was a little cottage and when the train came, a woman came out of this small house to lower the gates....

Maybe it's free to ride on the roof.

 

Rick

Sam, Thailand is amazing! I was lucky enough to be invited there last year to do some work and I really want to go back and spend more time. 

Asia is in its own world, in a nice way. If you open your mind, you will be a different man when you visit and then go back to the west, but only if you open your mind an look at them in a balanced and fair way, you instantly see why the west never really won the south specific, Korean, Vietnam and the more recent wars. We go to their country and apply "our ethics and moral" to them and that's where the problem starts. Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and so on...the main problem: the west does not even comprehend their enemies, a recipe for losing the wars, as they did on many levels.

 

Thailand has advanced in so many ways and surpassed the US. All of their official taxis, buses, van, trucks, and many private cars are running on....yes you guessed it, Propane!!! you can convert a Mercedes Benz to run on both petrol and LPG or NGV for around $1800. You get better mileage and cheaper price per liter (US gallon is about 4 liters). There is a big loss of power though, but overall it is good for every one and it is good for the environment...These third world countries, how dare they?

 

This is the case in many Asian countries, why can't the mighty US do the same? you know why gentlemen, right?

 

You want law and order? go check out Japan, Singapore and S. Korea. They have a higher standard of living than the US and many European countries.

 

Thailand is a very unique country in the fact that it was never colonized by any one and it marched in its own way. Instead of shedding blood and resisting invasion by the mighty powers, The English, The French and, yes, the US; The king let all of them peacefully in and worked with them to better his country instead of destroying it by fighting a losing battle.

 

There safety standards are far below the west, Their quality assessment is far less than the west. This is why you see many "quality" problems with our toys that come from there.

 

Some Asian governments are so corrupt, it boggles the mind that they can actually build a highway, but they do with a lot of money going into few officials pockets. Well I think I heard the same think happening in the west, Does Massachusetts ring a bell with their underground project?

 

The individual life in some Asian countries is a lot less valued than in the west so they tend to stick to their families to get stronger....

 

Anyway I can write pages about other cultures that will make most people rethink how they look at life.

 

That video of the train going by is nothing. Try to drive in Bangkok or Saigon or Hong Kong...you will have an accident in three minutes

 

Remember, China used to be considered "3rd world" and now they control the world and make our trains for a fraction of what it costs in the west.

 

Live long and run your trains long

 

 

That's just nuts.  Puts things in perspective that's for sure.

-Greg