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
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