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The mean streets of phnom penh-staring down the bullies
Had the classic cambodian experience tonight.
Out in the ute with the sister in law and two kids,turned onto st 3 from 130 at the old broken bricks.
The street had cars parked and the usual rubbish evident that made it one way.
About halfway down a pimped older camry came flying towards me with his lights flashing.
So I stopped.
He flashed his lights and blew his horn,I did the same.
This carried on for several minutes.
Then he gave me the finger out the window-yeah he had class.
Finally he got out of the car and stood beside the door and abused me thoroughly.
The gallery was loving it.
He was a big khmer in his mid twenties.
So i slowly reversed and as he turned down 130 towards norodom I gave him and his two mates the big wave.
The passenger feigned shooting at me-wow was i shitting-NOT.
Later the camry reappeared but i lost him.
Ironical on this day of rememberance of our great friends the viets liberating us from ourselves that the khmers still behave like murderous thugs-the original slow learners really.
What would others have done in this situation-just rolled over?
Mr Lathamn obviously has lived in Cambodia a long time, yet this is the best can come up with? Is hardly ''classic Cambodian'', minor traffic incidents are not exclusive to this country!
Seems unclear which vehicle had right of way in this tale. Either way, its a very petty incident indicating that perhaps Mr Latham should stick to tuktuks if he has not the patience for the - admittedly sometimes trying - traffic in PP.
Of course, Mr Latham does deserve credit for being pro-active and reversing out I suppose.
Thanks boys-the question was-what would you have done?
Sounds like you pussies would have rolled over instantly-would you have?
You didnt say.
I have very few conflicts here,I usually have a great time with the khmers.
I certainly dont have many conflicts to post about,thats why i posted this one.
Of course its classic cambodian,the gangster who is so much more important than anyone else.
Derogatory to cambodians in general,absolutely not.
I spent yesterday going around engine reconditioning shops,machine shops,used engine shops and parts shops.I had a great time with lots of banter in khmer-it was great.
Would have made a boring post, though.
I am immersed in the culture and i only lose patience with rich dickheads or wanne be gangsters who are of course weak as piss if they are alone,one on one.
Once again-what would you have done?
Can you read or not?
Lets hear some anecdotes from you guys and liven up these boring forums.
By the way rockford you derscribe the incident as petty-that it was not.
I pushed this guy to the max,if I had been khmer i suspect that the gun would have come out a a few rounds would have been fired,hopefully in the air.
If you have not have had these edgy experiences then you dont get out enough.
What I did was stupid and dangerous but i talked with a couple of mates today and they would have behaved exactly as I did.
We obviously come from different backgrounds,in the building game we can have confrontations every day and we roll with the punches.
What do you guys do for a living?
This shapes our behaviour obviously.
Perhaps you are interior designers or pen pushers of some sort,I doubt that you work with your hands.
Come on, fess up boys.
What would I have done? Probably the same as you more or less. Reversed out, and moved on. Take the high road so to speak.
I must say though, if the incident was as incendiary as you claim and a gun was involved, why on earth would you 'push this guy to the max'' , thus scaring and potentially endangering your family and children who were sitting in the vehicle ? (or as its a ute, were they in the back tray???). Maybe more prudent to save the faux heroics for when you are on your own?
For whats its worth, I have lived in far,far more dangerous places than Phnom Penh, indeed this is a charming little city.
Mean Streets? Come off it. Chaotic a bit yes, poorly trained drivers yes, a few knuckeheads with guns and attitudes yes, but hardly The Mean Streets for Christs sake.
Anyway, I am quite content in the knowedge that I dont need to get my jollies from seeking out ''edgy'' experiences, I grew out of that when I became an adult.
Loosen up mate, you obviously love the country that is allowing you to be its guest so just embrace it.
By the way , what is it with you and working with your hands? You are a chippy, that’s a noble profession of course. There are other professions just as worthy , albeit ones where perhaps ones right hand obviously would get less exercise than Mr Latham’s appears to.
I think Mr. Latham is trying to drive home a point here and you are all missing it. The reactions and behavior of the Bongs is becoming more confrontational and aggressive, over the last year. I was in a restaurant yesterday and the lady that owned it was talking about losing one of her staff early yesterday morning to what sounded like another famous Lexus homicide at about 0200 in the morning on Monivong. Well that makes sense as late Sunday night there were a number of events going on at the River Front Hotels (Cambodiana (Hun Sen),Imperial Garden (Some 3 Star General's Grandaughter's Birthday) and Naga.with usual drunken Bong Fest. I can only say that everyone should be allowed to pack some heat here, otherwise we westerners will only become even more than the ever increasing Targets of Opportunity. Unless you are in a Humvee adn well equipped , you do not want to get caught on the streets after midnight with all the drunk rich kids and bodyguards behind the wheel.
I would have whipped out the 9milly and busted a cap in his freshy arse.
innit.
KK
Good on you warhorse and KK,too many on this site have no idea.
I never look for trouble but i hate bullies,especially khmer bullies.
Too many pussies here trying not to offend our hosts who are too often selfish,uncaring c#%ts.
I would take them out without thinking or caring if i was in the mood,time we fought back.
What was that movie with the douglas boy?
Actually if you can believe it a brand new 9mm Beretta 902 in stainless costs around $4000 here in Cambodia. RRP is about $800. Nice gun. Definately a crowd stopper.
kk
Discretion is the better part of valor. No matter how you put it, especially when out numbered and out gunned. Another minor skirmish withthe ever elusive Bong.
"Discretion is the better part of valor."
If that's true, then perhaps the OP should have reversed out without the initial brinkmanship.
We can Monday Morning Quarterback this all day, shuld have, would have , could have, We were not there so my take is that too many time Expats give into the every whim of the Bongs...."We are guest in this country and Blah, Blah, Blah whatever the excuse. Thats why they are so good at getting away with everything. They are not held accountable for thier actions and they know that we will just rollover out of respect, fear or stupidity. Well I am 54 yrs old and having spent the majority of my life in this part of the wordl with the exception of Mainland China and Burma, I dont bend over for anybody. This has paid me well and nvere had a problem.
Mr Latham and KK it seems we are cut pretty much from the same mold so I say "Press On".
The OP explicitly asked for feedback, so no whining, OK? 
Saying that barangs give into the bongs every time is stretching it a bit, but I understand your point. There are times when standing your ground (as a barang) is the better choice, but road rage escalation probably isn't one of them. It's more a matter of self-preservation than being a guest in their country. If you raise a hand against a local, the most likely result is that you'll be beaten senseless by onlookers who will *always* assume the westerner is at fault. Even if you "win" the initial encounter, the loser will have lost face and probably seek revenge. Your best option under those circumstances is to get out of town.
If ML had asserted himself in a second confrontation with the enraged Camry driver, we'd probably be reading about another tragedy in the police blotter. So given that his best option was ultimately to acquiesce, what did he gain by being cocky in the first instance?
''The reactions and behavior of the Bongs is becoming more confrontational and aggressive'' ; point well taken, hovever ''rolling over for them '' must be taken in context. Having a few minutes up my sleeve, I take the liberty with a few queries. I have tried to highlight my comments using the toolbar, hope it works.
Had the classic cambodian experience tonight.
Out in the ute with the sister in law and two kids,turned onto st 3 from 130 at the old broken bricks.
The street had cars parked and the usual rubbish evident that made it one way.
About halfway down a pimped older camry came flying towards me with his lights flashing.
So I stopped.
He flashed his lights and blew his horn,I did the same.
This carried on for several minutes.
So neither of you had right of way, he was probably just as pissed off as you were
Then he gave me the finger out the window-yeah he had class. (like giving the big wave?)
Finally he got out of the car and stood beside the door and abused me thoroughly.
The gallery was loving it.
He was a big khmer in his mid twenties. (so was an immature khmer, take it on the chin like a man, particularly when kids are around)
So i slowly reversed and as he turned down 130 towards norodom I gave him and his two mates the big wave. The passenger feigned shooting at me-wow was i shitting-NOT. (feigned means pretend - he had a gun or was simply making a pistol gesture?)
Later the camry reappeared but i lost him. (you went looking for him , or vice versa? Sister and kids still in your car?)
Ironical on this day of rememberance of our great friends the viets liberating us from ourselves that the khmers still behave like murderous thugs-the original slow learners really. ( in this anecodate it doesnt read that they behaved like murderous thugs, just a bunch of pissed off kids)
What would others have done in this situation-just rolled over? (yep, especially with kids in the car)
Thanks boys-the question was-what would you have done?
Sounds like you pussies would have rolled over instantly-would you have?
You didnt say. ( yep, with kids in car I would roll over and thats that. Alone or with mates - and armed- well thats a different story , and would need to be a more important situation than this to warrant actions that I might regret later)
I have very few conflicts here,I usually have a great time with the khmers.
I certainly dont have many conflicts to post about,thats why i posted this one. (fair enough, good on you)
Of course its classic cambodian,the gangster who is so much more important than anyone else. (Or perhaps are you more important than them? Either way, keep the rambo-ing to when the family isnt there)
Derogatory to cambodians in general,absolutely not. (correct)
I spent yesterday going around engine reconditioning shops,machine shops,used engine shops and parts shops.I had a great time with lots of banter in khmer-it was great.
Would have made a boring post, though. (I feel sure you would have made that post anything but boring!)
I am immersed in the culture and i only lose patience with rich dickheads or wanne be gangsters who are of course weak as piss if they are alone,one on one. ( like most humans if you think about it. ) Once again-what would you have done?
Can you read or not? (Yes)
Lets hear some anecdotes from you guys and liven up these boring forums.
By the way rockford you derscribe the incident as petty-that it was not. ( fair enough, I wasnt there but seems it must have been terrifying for you in order to have such a reaction)
I pushed this guy to the max, (I repeat, why inflame a volatile situation if your family is there with you? Even if the occupants of the car didnt raise to the bait, the obvious risk still is that the onlookers in the gallery would have been bitten by the herd mentality bug and attacked you as the foreigner )
if I had been khmer i suspect that the gun would have come out a a few rounds would have been fired,hopefully in the air. (yes perhaps. All the more reason to diffuse the situation - like an educated adult would do)
If you have not have had these edgy experiences then you dont get out enough. (again, hardly edgy but never mind)
What I did was stupid and dangerous but i talked with a couple of mates today and they would have behaved exactly as I did. ( yet again again again, with family in car?)
We obviously come from different backgrounds,in the building game we can have confrontations every day and we roll with the punches. (fair enough, but yet again, why seemingly endanger your family?)
What do you guys do for a living? (Businessman, based here but with operations in 3 countries. Dont use a pen so much these days of computers)
This shapes our behaviour obviously.
Perhaps you are interior designers or pen pushers of some sort,I doubt that you work with your hands. (huh?)
Come on, fess up boys.
Re Mr Horse, for reasons I have no intention of getting into in a public forum, I have owned weapons for over 25 years, primarily pistols, never had to use them except once years ago and in an extreme circumstance. Have been robbed umpteen times, stabbed, shot at and more, and in far more dangerous places than PP.
Would be Rambos / vigilantes tend not to live long in my experience. If you look for trouble you will find it, if you are prudent then the odds are you will rarely have any problem.
Yes, it is desperately sad that Cambodia has an ineffectual police force , however mock heroics from behind a keyboard will do little to alleviate that.
Having said all that, if you gentlemen honestly want to clean up the streets then just do it! Let us all know your Khmer Gangster Kill Rate, and also the fallout from such actions. Please start with the acid attackers.
(by the way, no one really will stop you from ''packing heat'', just be a bit discreet about it )
Rock,
Good points and basicly sounds as if we are in agreement and it all goes back to "Discretion is the bettre part of valor". I would have not risked my families life over this unless it was unavoidable that they were under threat of harm. I hope that I would make the same sound command decision that I have always made for people in my charge.
With regards, to my business and background and occupation. I am a retired US military senior NCO with civillian law enforcement experience and since retiring have been in the security industry throughout Asia from Perth to PNG to South Korea and back.
With regards, to weapons handling I am good, not as good as I was when I was younger. But I know my way around a variety of handguns, both in the military and the private sector and yes I have fired and hit target in a conflict and will wear that forever.
I cannot speak for the other fellows, but they sound like to they are level headed people with common sense. I am not condoning vigilantism (sometimes it has crossed my mind, to just give them a swack on the back of the head). You are again correct in, if you were drawn into a physical confrontation here. You will not fair well with the crowd, no matter if you are right or wrong. I know what it is like to be looking at angry crowd of locals (as the only white face and the guy in charge) while torching thier houses (acting within the law of this particular Asian country). At the end of the day to coin a phrase from ta HBO mini series "Stay Frosty" and remember 'Önly the good die young"
Yes before anyone has a moan, the highlighted/ non highlighted fonts got muddled up a bit. Sorry.
HaHa, PNG. Perhaps some errant khmers being sent for extended re-educating to Mt Hagen might be a start. (FYI Mt Hagen, in the highlands of Paua New Guinea, is officially the asshole of the earth)
An anecdote:
A couple of years ago I was riding on a moto with my gf in the same area as ML's incident. We stopped before crossing Norodom as there was a red light. Just before it turned green, our motodop and several others started moving into the intersection. A 20-something Khmer in a Mercedes coupe entered the intersection from our right honking his horn and wagging a finger at everyone. I'd had a few beers and spread my hands palm up in a silent gesture to say "What's your problem, buddy?" while giving him a scowl.
He wasn't in that much of a hurry because he screeched to a stop in the middle of the intersection and then shook his finger aggressively at me. Our light was green by then, but everyone was standing still, not sure what would happen. I pointed at the green light and asked how long he was going to block traffic. Did I mention I'd had a few beers and wasn't thinking too clearly?
Next thing I know he's ducking down inside his car and comes up with a black handgun which he points at me awkwardly. "Hmm," I thought while looking down the barrel, "this is a little more interesting than I thought..." Even though the guy was obviously making a mountain out of a molehill, I'd pushed my luck a bit too far without thinking about the consequences. A yellow plastic dart flipped past my shoulder: the gun was a toy.
While that particular projectile wasn't lethal, but I still feel as though I dodged a bullet that day.
Not sure if marklatham is coming back - apparently one of the new EAS admins has upset Mr Latham. Seems he can dish it out, but.....
It seems as though he thinks he is been "bagged" here on EAS. Tough country fella. Hang in there
That rockford guy must have more time on his hands than me!
Even when I has time on my hands I wouldnt bother to go into such anal detail.
Nowadays i am working for myself and on that particular day I had not eaten since about 7.30 am so I was a little towy or is that towie?
I hate the rich and the gangster khmers-they may be our hosts but as a long time believer in human rights I hate the c%@ts.
I have commented before,many times probably that I understand recent khmer history and I couch my words carefully as i can be accused of being abusive to our hosts.
But I have spent a lot of time here doing nothing but living with khmers and driving around the country extensively,much more than most people here,thats for sure.
I have worked hard on the language and I am not bad,but not good-I am too old.
I am rarely grumpy despite my apparent persona and i consider myself very priviledged to have stayed so long and spent so much.
Many people resent me for my lifestyle and the company I keep.
Tell you what boys,this internet posting is bullshit-lets get together!!!
I have already PMd warhorse,because he seems to be a bird of the same feather, a little.
Lets all sort out a meeting and a drink and have a good discussion instead of this wanking online
Would you all believe me if I told you I picked up a new car yesterday and have been rear ended twice already ?
Both times I was stationary waiting for lights to change. Yesterday it was a middle aged gent in a lae model Camry. He was profusely apologetic and luckily for him my towball did not do too much damage to his bumper bar. Today it was a 75 year old carrying about 6 tonnes of bananas on the back of his moto. His glasses were so "coke-bottle" thick I don't think he could see 4 ft in front of him !
No damage to my car either time. Funnily enough I had another car a while back for over a year and never ever got hit.
jesus.
Sounds like a juvenile conflict. Also if I didn't know better, I would have never guessed an over-the-hill man wrote this post; especially with the usage of "NOT" after a sarcastic statement...unless your name is Borat.
"That is like totally mature-NOT!!" See what I mean? Sounds like a teeny-bopper wrote it.
If you keep a super-charged ego, your life will be full of conflicts.
Also what makes this experience so "classic Cambodian" as you put it?
For a person with little patience and a quick temper like yourself, I recommend living in a different country. You said before you weren't planning on going anywhere, and that is your choice, but if you are going to live here, please cut down on comments that are derogatory to Cambodians in general. At least try to be more tactful when choosing your words when you complain about Cambodia and Cambodians on EAS.
It is also not necessary to post every single run-in and conflict that you have with Cambodians.