where two (or three) wheels can take you

These commuters drove past me just a few minutes apart on the same Chengdu morning. A local wouldn't even give them a second glance.

Have a large piece of foam core that needs to get somewhere?

Just make sure you can still reach the handlebars.


Need to go where where cute shoes and tights are appreciated?

One of you can just stand on the running board.


What about a family of three?

Hop on. You can even fit a bag of groceries between the driver's legs.


Have some cardboard that needs to get recycled?

Just tie it on and don't get hit by the truck with the tree trunks while lighting your cigarette.


And this stuff with a lady's face on it. Can you get it where it needs to go?

Of course. I can even cross my legs along the way.

HOV, market

two (or more) for the road

There are a lot of motorcycles zipping around Thailand. These don't strike me as the fashion accessory that scooters in Italy are. These cycles are actually The Family Vehicle. And damn if they're not able to fit the whole family on it at once.

At first I was startled by the transporting of very small children at the front of the cycle. Some were just sort of propped there. Others had specially constructed plastic chairs in which they sat. Not many wore helmets, but then not many of their parents did either. Although sometimes they had those kamikaze helmets that you can't help but admire.



People propped their kids on the front of cycles in the morning. At night. In the rain. But you soon realize that's nothing. That's only two people. There are entire families perched on these cyles. I wasn't able to get a shot of a family of four; three was my max. But looking at this photo of three people on the cycle... just take another child and squeeze it between the last person and the driver. This seemed to be the preferred location for infants.



Not only are there families scooting down the highway on motorbikes, there are also uniquely configured cycles that have a transport area added on. Often you see street vendors on this bikes, with their entire food operation packed into the rather large sidecar. But as evidenced by these four guys, those cycles also make for great four-person vehicles.



Lack of helmets or protective gear notwithstanding, the Thais have figured out how to get around. There's no winter in Thailand but there are monsoons and hellish heat. Makes the people driving around in SUVs one person at a time seem a little less rugged.