Okay this is no joke! People ride in truck backs in the most UNSAFE ways in Jamaica! I often get stuck behind or end up passing vehicles like these on the roads and marvel at how they put their lives in the hands of fate.
I followed these guys for quite a ways between Ochi and Montego Bay. Once we got stuck behind them at the red light they realized I was taking pictures and started waving.
This next one had me in complete awe. I couldn’t believe this because we were driving about 130 kph and this truck was moving almost as fast as us. And check it out, the guy in the back seems to just be chillin out eating his lunch or something!
I have seen SO many more like this but can’t seem to pull out my camera fast enough, so I searched the internet to see what I could find. I think this one was the most ridiculous one I could pull up in a search. The caption read “I can’t imagine…..” Seems it wasn’t taken in Jamaica but you get the idea.
And there you have it! Anything goes…even if risking your life! I have ridden in the back seat of a car with 5 Jamaicans before. I’ve also seen them climb out the trunks of taxi’s when they get dropped off. I guess when you need to get somewhere you just do it however you can!
[ad#in-post]
Comments
9 responses to “Riding in Trucks in Jamaica”
haha, I love this posting…crazy drivers, crazy passengers…
It is certainly not confined to JA… it seems that most of the world is much more relaxed when it comes to traffic safety, compared with “1st world” countries. In our society we are so conditioned to wear seatbelt, helmets, etc that it seems strange where people don’t.
Some of these laws make good sense–I don’t want to fall off a motorbike without a helmet, but some are stifling. I loved getting to Aruba to be told that drinking in the car is fine as long as you don’t pass it to the driver… this kind of freedom is liberating.
In Dominican Republic the Honda scooter is used as a family car–dad drives, mother rides sidesaddle behind him and holds two kids, one under each arm. Watching these people get passed by motor coaches on highways with no shoulders gives me shivers–but I didn’t see anyone die.
In DR they also use cattle trucks to ship the Haitian workers over the border twice a day. Standing room only, sweating in the hot sun–but just hope it doesn’t rain.
Jeez you get around!!
This reminds me of a ride I once hitched, in the back of a Jamaican Defense Force truck, down a winding mountain road at high speed. Never again!
LMAO!! I’d try it…….ONCE!! But only if there were a bunch of JDF officers in there!
lmao.. this is too funny but carib folks live in the moment and dont stress themselves too much about the consequences.
of course, that is until the consequences hit them in the face!
Risky business, indeed. Just the other day, I heard about a guy in the country, who fell off a truck carrying construction material. The fall didn’t kill him, but the planks did.
Lovely blog, by the way. 🙂
Thank you.
Yes those truck rides are no joke. Remember last year (I think) where one overturned and killed all 14 people on board? Sad. 🙁