Road Ethic's in Bali

Bali is a mad-house for driving. Though there are law's in place, the Balinese have their own loose interpretation based on flow and respect. Yes, they all drive on the proper side of the road but because of the constant passing on both left and right sides of you, you have people coming from all directions. I have watched as people dodge each other between cargo trucks and and miss each other by nearly inches. And this happens constantly!

Another reason driving here gets exceedingly tricky, is because there are more motorbikes on the road than car's or trucks. You move with the peloton for most of the time and everyone is within an arms reach. Most people go with the flow but there are obviously those riders that feel the need to weave in and out of their lane to get ahead of the traffic.

The one thing that I have come to appreciate more than any other code of conduct is the use of the horn. They are perpetually beeping their horns at each other but it isn't an offensive gesture like we normally perceive. At first, I was getting very frustrated because I thought everyone was mad at me, (which they very well could have been) , but I soon learned that it is actually a very kind gesture. They use it to say hello to fellow rider's and let them know they are near you. Every time a person is riding along side you, they give a beep. Every time a rider is about to pass, they give a beep. It is actually very comforting after a while. Once you realize how they use it, it become and fun part of the ride and when you play by their rules, they look and smile that a foreigner respects the Balinese road culture.

I know this doesn't sound like anything out of the ordinary but once you experience it for yourself, you'll understand how different it really is.