A favorite pastime among expats in Phnom Penh is to talk about the crazy things we see on the roads. Not only the unsafe driving habits, but the creative ways that Cambodians transport people and cargo.
One endlessly fascinating thing is the number of items that Cambodians can fit on a vehicle. Most Americans would probably only put two people maximum on a motorcycle. Seeing three or more people on a moto in Phnom Penh is commonplace. Jeremy says he saw seven once - one adult, two teenagers, and four children - but there is no photographic evidence to back up this claim.
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| Moto with four passengers - three adults and one child |
A similar principle applies to cars here. Again, Americans would normally count how many seats they have and only fill their car with that many people. In Cambodia, any available space is fair game. Including opening up the trunk of a van so that people can hang out the back or putting people on the roof! Here's such a vehicle we saw employing both ideas at once. And this was not on a side street on a quick jaunt across town. This was on a highway connecting two cities. Looks comfy!
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| There's always room for one - or five - more |
There also doesn't seem to be a limit on how much cargo you can pile onto a moto. This moto driver has side baskets to give him more hauling space. He's loaded both of them higher than his own head. I can't imagine how difficult it was to balance that moto, let alone take a turn without tipping over!
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| 2 side baskets provides 4 times as much space! Great math! |
The other amazing thing is the type of cargo seen on vehicles. Again, the moto is king and Cambodians can fit anything on a moto. Furniture? Ladder? Windshield? No problem! It'll work!
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| Moto transporting furniture |
Animals on motos are also commonplace, especially once you get out of the city. This moto has a pig strapped to the back, and the passenger is actually sitting on top of the pig!
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| Pig mobile |
Chickens are normally tied to the moto by their feet, which leaves them hanging upside down. A friend of mine saw such a chicken moto once when she was driving to work. She was horrified to watch as one of the poor upside down chickens vomited. She didn't eat chicken for days after that! I have no idea if the chickens I've seen on motos were alive or dead, but given that story, I guess I have to assume they were alive.
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| Moto with dozens of chickens |
So that I don't end this post by ruining your dinner, I'll finish on a more positive note. Not all animals on motos are destined for the slaughterhouse. I've seen many people with their pet dogs on motos. One day, these two ladies were stopped next to us at a busy intersection. We had just enough time to find out this cool dog's name - Lucky - and snap a photo before traffic started moving again!
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| Coolest dog in Phnom Penh - Lucky! |
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