Motorbike Madness

Cars here are relatively expensive, so a great many folk turn to the only available option--motorcycles. The most popular far and away seems to be the Jincheng AX 100. Day Longs also abound. These vehicles serve primarily a commercial role, as taxis. They swarm around the cars and trucks, pestering them like mosquitoes. They also contribute huge amounts of air pollution, belching more smoke than most 2 cycle engines. They also wreck frequently due to the erratic nature of the drivers and the “invisibility” that marks motorcycles everywhere in the world. Jamie saw two motorcycles collide head on. One of our hosts, Mariam, described an accident she had after having one pull out in front of her. The motorbike drivers all congregate around the car involved in the accident and immediately begin to verbally attack them, eventually forcing the car driver to make some kind of cash payment on the spot, regardless of fault.

Young men usually operate these vehicles; we saw only one woman driving a motorcycle in our entire month. We’ve seen all kinds of things carried on these motorbikes. Here’s our list:
2 men, both riding side-saddle facing opposite directions
Father, mother, and baby (strapped to mother’s back—even in the rain)
4 men
Bundles of firewood
1 man and 4 kids
10 gallons of water
A generator
8 foot sections of tin roofing
10 foot sections of pipe
20 feet of rebar
A large welding tank (most impressively it was not tied down, but balanced across the seat)
A grown sheep
4 mattresses (on one motorbike, carried on the passenger’s head)
A love seat