Hi I was just reading Lionel Haggard and Jerry Finley's travel blog where they mentioned they drove into a cow in Ethiopia (killling it) and caused damage to one of their bikes. They then paid $250 to the locals as compensation????
I don't know if this is just me but doesn't this sound crazy?
I drove that same road 3 years ago and came across plenty of road kill (never hit anything) but wouldn't even contemplate giving the locals a penny if I had hit something. My understanding of the rules of the road in Ethiopia is that famers are obliged to keep their animals off the roads and it is they are at fault if an accident occurs like the above.
Please correct me if I'm wrong but this idea that the local farmer must be compensated is insane. It leaves many wrong messages - Animals have right of way, differnt rules for tourists, It's open season to rip off tourists, Next biker has a harder time.
It is this type of ilogical thinking will keep Ethiopians in the dark ages.
Kids threw stones at us when we were there because we refused to give them money and pens all because some previous dumb tourists got a kick out of handing free stuff out.
Next thing you know you will hear a story - biker gets beaten for not paying for cow.
And they didn't even get a steak out of it!!!

Rant over..

If they paid $250 they should have kept the cow!

I'm not sure if it qualifies as 'insane' but it does seem 'a bit unreasonable'.

It might be a bit harsh to critisize the bikers who paid up though. You don't know what the situation was like. Maybe there was a risk of it turning ugly?

I agree with you that we should try to retain our 'rights' as it were while on the road though. Allowing exploitation (either way) helps no-one.

Matt

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*Disclaimer* - I am not saying my bike is better than your bike. I am not saying my way is better than your way. I am not mocking your religion/politics/other belief system. When reading my post imagine me sitting behind a frothing pint of ale, smiling and offering you a bag of peanuts. This is the sentiment in which my post is made. Please accept it as such!

I agree Richard. For too long tourists and trekkers have corrupted native populations by handing out such trinkets. It makes the tourist feel good, with no thought of the indignity to the receiver. It certainly corrupts children as you can see everywhere. How those people must have laughed to get $250 for a cow. What contempt for the next tourist!

Tourists have been told to give pens to the local teacher, but they dont get the feelgood factor out of this, and dont do it. They have only their own interests at heart, and not the interests of the receivers of trash.

We have encouraged nations of beggars to hound us for cheap trash. This has links to charity and all the problems that causes. Again, the personal feelgood factor is what motivates many charity donors, IMO.

In London, people have been asked by homeless help organisations NOT to give to folk on the street but to give it to an organisation, because giving on the street encourages people to be there.

Mountainman: spot on.

I recall getting a small scrape from a car in India - entirely the other guy's fault. Nothing serious but any contact shakes you up on a motorcycle. We were almost stationary, so everyone got out to talk - no aggression just talk. Crowd gathers.

The English speakers explained to me how I was to blame. There was unanimous consent on this, even from sympathetic parties. They were aghast and surprised that I could not see this. They thought me a bit of a numskull. "Sir you must realise, if you hadn't come here, this would never have happened".

And that was that. What possible argument can you put against such a position?

It is all a matter of culture, expectation and norms. If you're overlanding, then best leave your homegrown versions of cause, culpability and reason at home.

Examples from western countries are no guide to how roads are used in the rest of the world. In inhabited areas they are a public utility for cow droving, children's games, grain threshing, tomato drying, you name it. Right of way? Just assume you don't have it.

The rich visitor is always at fault. This is taken as read. And if the choice is paying or risking injury, then yes, you pay. Of course you do.

Simon

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Simon Kennedy
Around the world 2000-2004, on a 1993 Honda Transalp

The rich visitor is always at fault? Are you havin a larf? This can also be described as mob justice in other parts of the world...
I think if you look into the real rules of the road in these very countries you will find the reality very different. Of course no fool is going to argue too much with an angry mob but you'd have to be a bit of a "numbskull" take it lying down.

You got me laughing at this bit - "if you hadn't come here, this would never have happened". Sounds like if nobody saw it happen, did it even happen at all? If you can't argue with mumbo jumbo then you definitely should take out your wallet even if it was not your fault. Just tell them not all tourists will be such a rollover.

Richardq, I don't know your background, but have you ever travelled in any 3rd world countries?

As many others in this post have stated, we are talking about people who live a subsistence existence and their livestock is their complete set of assets. In efect, killing the cow is the equivalent of taking $250 directly out of their bank account, but whilst $250 is pocket change to us, in many cases it represents their life savings.

As Simon Kennedy points out, in these countries the road is not just for traveling along at high speed, it is multi purpose and we need to recognise that we have no greater right to it than others.

With experience comes understanding.

Garry from Oz.

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Garry from Oz - powered by Burgman

Ok, this is getting interesting... Yes I have spent a lot of time in third world countries and I believe this subject needs to be discussed further.

If you read the original blog, or have driven that very road as I have, and never speed, you will realise speeding is a separate issue. Secondly, you are incorrect when you describe we have no greater rights than others to the roadway in Ethiopia. Humans come before animals.

The point I was trying to get across earlier is these guys allowed themselves to be fleeced which by itself is no harm. However, in doing so they are setting a precedent, perhaps reinforced with other (heart in the right place) like minded tourists, that tourists are fair game to be swindled. And that you don't need to tend to your cattle when vehicles are about because a profit can be made. It is so sad when you see the locals engaging in any of these devious methods because it has two results:
1. It promotes a dependancy culture - shit happens, someone else will fix it.
2. It will discourage tourists from coming to spend their "big bucks".

It is important to realise that outside of the humanitarian efforts to combact famine/drought and other disasters that Ethiopians are a very proud people and this belief that killing a cow will wipe out a family is ridiculous and a bit insulting to an Ethiopian. They do have their own insurance systems

You are absolutely right that understanding can come from experience. I understand from my experience that charitable/ignorant tourists have a bad effect on these countries and tourists who spend wisely on goods and services can only benefit them.

I'm very interested to see what peoples views are on this.......

I understand your feeling towards the farmer. However, this accident was no more the bikers fault than it was the guy standing 100 yards up the road, so why should it be the bikers responsibility to pay for the cow? Charity is good, and it would be nice to help out every person we meet in financial difficulty, but taking responsibility for something that isn't your fault is just dumb.

Matt

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http://adventure-writing.blogspot.com

http://scotlandnepal.blogspot.com/

*Disclaimer* - I am not saying my bike is better than your bike. I am not saying my way is better than your way. I am not mocking your religion/politics/other belief system. When reading my post imagine me sitting behind a frothing pint of ale, smiling and offering you a bag of peanuts. This is the sentiment in which my post is made. Please accept it as such!

Lads a think a wee "chill pill " is needed
here....
Relax we dont know the facts...
please
regards
joe

I don't understand how when you run into a cow it can be said that it was not your fault? I live in cattle country and don't often see cattle so fleet of foot that they can't be avoided by anyone traveling at a reasonable speed.

Then your cows must be pretty fat and lazy!

I've seen startled cows moving at a fair lick and, like a lot of animals, move unpredictably. At the end of the day though, what happens in OUR countries is irrelevant. It's what the local laws and rules say that matters. According to an earlier post the Ethiopian road rules state that if a motorist hits an animal it is the fault of the farmer who has failed to control his beast.

All I ask when I go abroad is to be treated with the same rules and respect the locals would treat each other. Unfortunately it increasingly seems that the greater wealth of westerners provides SOME* people with the excuse to fleece us. This encourages a 'them and us' attitude which helps no-one.

After all if I got in an accident with a rich American tourist, I wouldn't attempt to claim it was his fault just because I thought I might be able to get away with it/turn myself a nice profit.

Matt

*I say SOME because I hit a guys car in Morocco, entirely my fault, and apologised, offering him what I though it would cost to repair and he gave me about ten euros change! (and then offered me a meal at his house!)

__________________
http://adventure-writing.blogspot.com

http://scotlandnepal.blogspot.com/

*Disclaimer* - I am not saying my bike is better than your bike. I am not saying my way is better than your way. I am not mocking your religion/politics/other belief system. When reading my post imagine me sitting behind a frothing pint of ale, smiling and offering you a bag of peanuts. This is the sentiment in which my post is made. Please accept it as such!

Matt
You could be right about the cattle here being fat and lazy. That would explain the great taste of Alberta Beef. This doesn't explain how a person could hit a cow hard enough to kill it and think that they weren't exceeding a safe speed. I have seen children darting on to roadways far quicker than most cattle.

That was my soap box portion. I agree that the price seems a bit high however I believe that payment was due to the owner.

If you come to Canada there are many places where you will be charged if you hit live stock wandering at large on the roadways, particular in any of the thousands of square kilometers of native reserves in this country. Yes there are often signs posted stating livestock at large however after 15 or 20 mminutes you tend to forget them. So if you wish to call the police instead of simply paying the owner then you get to pay for the animal, the repairs to your motorcycle, the fine and any other charges the Police officer, dragged out of his comfortable car, feels fit to apply.

Ride Safe

Rick

Two good points! Highland cows are about as fat and lazy as they come and taste great! Plus, it didn't occur to me till you just mentioned it: how do you kill a cow on a motorbike without do some serious damage to yourself! I think we're missing the real point of this story: How to survive a high speed collision with a stationary object and walk away!

Matt

__________________
http://adventure-writing.blogspot.com

http://scotlandnepal.blogspot.com/

*Disclaimer* - I am not saying my bike is better than your bike. I am not saying my way is better than your way. I am not mocking your religion/politics/other belief system. When reading my post imagine me sitting behind a frothing pint of ale, smiling and offering you a bag of peanuts. This is the sentiment in which my post is made. Please accept it as such!

I think you are confusing the issue a little bit - I experienced many acts of kindness and generosity on the road and also offered the same in return. I fact I felt it was my duty to help where I could but I there's a big difference between kindness/charity and promoting this idea in in these third world countries that tourists are there to give. I met many travellers like myself fed up with Ethiopians demanding gifts/money/pens etc. Tourists due not travel to be be amabassodor - they go to see and to spend.