Bali expat confronts moped riders on footpath.Vid.

[Vanhelsing]

I think if as an expat you've reached the point of accosting bike riders on the footpath in Indonesia for threatening your safety, it just might be time to shut up shop and head back home. This footpath vigilante has apparently received threats to his health since filming. You don't need a long neck to be a goose, it seems.

 

[Puspawarna]

Yeah, that will go well.

Did anyone else hear the "fuck you!" that someone hurled back at him after moving out of range?

I commend his linguistic facility though. He can be obnoxious in at least 3 languages!

 

[waarmstrong]

It appears there is money to be extracted; I see a police operation in the future for that particular sidewalk.

 

[jstar]

What a condescending remarks. And that in a society where (esp. in traffic) the vigilante and mob violence rules.

So what should the guy do? Jump on the road? I can imagine so well being fed up by these things. Of course it won’t change anything but if he feels better after doing that, good for him.

 

[Ruserious]

It appears there is money to be extracted; I see a police operation in the future for that particular sidewalk.

I never understand why the police don't crack down on some of this stuff and fine everyone. The money collected could be used to fund lots of police or social programs or even just plain old corruption. I drove down Sudirman, probably the premier road in Indonesia, at night and noticed 1 in 10 vehicles had light problems with quite a few having no working lights at all.

Kids driving buses, motorbikes on sidewalks, vehicles in bus lanes, motorcycles driving the wrong way down a road. All of this could be stopped or dramatically cut down but police action and severe fines but for some reason the police are too lazy. Indonesians are not afraid to break traffic rules because the police are too lazy to enforce them.

 

[Ruserious]

What a condescending remarks. And that in a society where (esp. in traffic) the vigilante and mob violence rules.

Yes i was waiting for the inevitable "foreigners shouldn't interfere" remarks that are so frequent on this website. Personally i commend the guy for trying.

 

[rabbit_39]

If it was me either I'd be in the hospital or he would be.

 

[Ruserious]

If it was me either I'd be in the hospital or he would be.

You on the bike or you walking on the footpath?

 

[snpark]

On a side note I wonder why they are on the pavement (sidewalk) anyway since the main road doesn't seem to be so congested or busy? What is the reason not to stay on the main road? There is no macet?

 

[Vanhelsing]

I'm not sure it's wise to to encourage expat vigilantism of any sort in Indonesia as it never ends well.

 

[Chiron]

As the old saying goes, what point is there in trying to "boil the ocean". No matter what someone does, nothing will change.

 

[Jaime C]

It would be nice to have a sidewalk for pedestrians. I wonder how many get hurt from motorbikes going where they shouldn't.

I recall a video in Jakarta on a much larger sidewalk.

 

[Ruserious]

expat vigilantism

Politely asking people why they are driving on the sidewalk is vigilantism?

 

[Vanhelsing]

Politely asking people why they are driving on the sidewalk is vigilantism?

I'm not sure forcibly restricting or preventing anyone from going about there day is polite.

 

[El_Goretto]

Frankly, I applaud him for taking such risk as I am sure he knows full well.

Fortunately, he is not alone in this fight and there are organizations that are fighting for pedestrian rights in the road such as the Koalisi Pejalan Kaki.

And unfortunately, he's also not alone in being threatened and physically assaulted for standing up for his right and safety.

Thankfully, there is little patience left for these motorcyclists and strong support for pedestrians standing up to them:

Indonesia: Gutsy woman earns kudos for blocking unruly motorcyclists on sidewalk

Brave Semarang boy uses bicycle to stop motorists from driving on sidewalk

And sometimes, it's not only locals who misbehave with riding on the sidewalk:

 

[vocalneal]

^ Yep it is normal here. Holiday makers need to take a chill pill and relax.

Surely they go to Bali because it IS different

 

[El_Goretto]

I'm not sure forcibly restricting or preventing anyone from going about there day is polite.

Oh and those bikes riding on the sidewalk aren't preventing him from going about his day? Forcing him to walk on the road with his back to the traffic?

 

[El_Goretto]

^ Yep it is normal here. Holiday makers need to take a chill pill and relax.

Surely they go to Bali because it IS different

Please, nobody goes to Bali because it's fun to risk getting hit by a car because the sidewalk (when there is any) is taken up by motorbikes.

Bali and Indonesia are indeed different in so many beautiful ways that are amazingly attractive but riding on the sidewalk is not one of them.

 

[Vanhelsing]

Oh and those bikes riding on the sidewalk aren't preventing him from going about his day? Forcing him to walk on the road with his back to the traffic?

I don't dispute that. Ruserious suggested the expat in question was acting politely, I begged to differ.

 

[El_Goretto]

I don't dispute that. Ruserious suggested the expat in question was acting politely, I begged to differ.

He's talking to them very politely. Even the part where he talks in French to the French guy he is very polite.

And he has every right to take videos on the sidewalk, certainly far more rights than these people riding on it.