Always yield to elephants

I found this pic while trolling the wires looking for international traffic photos, as I like to do. Yes, this is how the Road Sage unwinds.

The photo, taken by Getty Images photographer Paula Bronstein, included the following caption info:

A mahout (elephant driver) sits on an adult elephant in the red light district of Nana waiting for business September 26, 2008 in Bangkok, Thailand. While the elephant is a symbol of Thailand, it is a fairly common site to see the unemployed and homeless animals roaming the city streets begging for food. The tame elephants dodge the traffic as their mahouts (elephant drivers) sell sugar cane by the bag to tourists who then feed them. Mahouts say that they have little choice but to bring their elephants to cities like Bangkok and Chiang Mai.

Thai officials frown upon the practice and have passed laws banning elephants from roadways, but the mahouts still come risking fines in order to survive. Elephants have been big business for the country for centuries but now they are reduced to a major tourist attraction. Elephants are trained to paint, play musical instruments, and even kick soccer balls. In addition there are elephant camps dotted all over Thailand catering to tourists employing up to 650 pachyderms, according to government figures.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand says that about 65 percent of tourists will visit an elephant during their stay. Until Thailand banned logging in 1989, many Asian elephants were laborers working in the jungles.

So, now you know.

--Steve Hymon

photo: Paula Bronstein / Getty Images

Comments

[Bangkoker]

Nana is a tourist and expat area, not a "red light" area as this feminazi has described it.

[Ingrid Peterson]

This image also provides a vivid reminder of my trip to India...

Elephants and cows always, *ALWAYS* had the right of way. It was well understood.

When I got back to my hometown of Los Angeles from that trip, I couldn't stop myself from exclaiming: "These freeways and streets of ours could really use more Elephants!"

This little post is but a small reminder of why this blog, and it's writer Steve Hymon are my favorite resource for the Tales of Traffic in our fair City.

"Trolling the wires looking for international traffic photos..." !!!

Dude. That is awesome. I only wish, as a librarian, that I could see your full collection of traffic related images both delightful and absurd.

All hail the glory of Steve Hymon and Bottleneck Blog!

[Damien Newton]

Now that's what I call Critical Mass!