Liability Waiver Who?

There really is something magical about Asia. Some might say it's the colors and smells, the excess use of neon lights, or pherahps the feeling of welcome (or at least the constant state of shock and awe that everyone you pass seems to be in when they spot you, the foreigner). Personally, I think it's the availability of potentially life-endangering activities without the need to sign one of those pesky liability waivers (or got through any sort of safety inspection or training before commencing said activity).
I suppose when you live in a place where the mere act of crossing a street (or walking through a pedestrian walkway in a shopping market) immediately thrusts you into a game of Frogger with vehicles (cars, buses, tuk-tuks, motorcycles carrying a family of seven) speeding at you from all directions with no intention to slow down or avoid you, that insisiting someone fill out a liability waiver for anything from diving to zip-lining is just plain silly.

I first acknowledged this phenomenon in China when I paid $2 to take a zipline off of the Great Wall. As my friends and I completed our jumpes, we laughed at the improbability of doing such a thing with so little preparation in our own countries. "Hey, did anyone fill out a liability form?" No. "Uhh...did we get a quick safety briefing?" No. They just took our money, quickly strapped us into the harness and sent us on our way, flying over a lake. Fun? You betcha'! Something you could do in the US of A without a half-hour video and safety inspection after filling out and signing a 20-page legal document declining your right to sue should anything go wrong? No way, Jose.
Safety truly is an afterthought here. Want to ride a bike or even a motorcycle? Rent one. Want a helmet? Why, are you some kind of wuss? Thinking of kayaking down the river, but have never set foot on a boat? Hop in! You'll learn as you go. What's that? The gondola is closed due to 100 mph winds? We'll just find another one down the road that'll take us to the top of the mountain. How about a nice rock-climbing lesson? Come on over...you will have to sign a form accepting their insurance policy (which is the closest I've EVER come to signing anything remotely close to a liability form).

Thailand is crazy when it comes to transportation. I had no idea that you could fit an entire family from grandma on down to baby onto one tiny motorcycle, or that you could drive a motorbike while your girlfriend sits side-saddle behind you holding a full-sized 20" television in a box, but you can! Hell, the most frequent transportation we take is to pile into the back of a pick-up truck with a sketchy cover and no tailgate, then speed down the highway for a couple hours. No one ever falls out, so we must do alright.

The most hilariously shocking example on this trip was our visit to the tourist trap that is the Bridge of the River Kwai. There isn't much to it except the opportunity to walk over the rebuilt bridge (see the movie to find out the history of the good old Death Railroad, and to learn to mispronounce the word, "Kwai"...it should be pronounced like "Square" without the "S"). When we got there, we took the requisite photos and started to walk onthe bridge. I determined after the first ten steps that it was in my best interest to walk on the metal center rather than rotting wood planks on the side. After walking a little ways, we came upon a warning sign that said something to the effect of, "Be careful walking on the bridge as it is a working railroad bridge. IF you see a train move aside quickly." Really? That's the nod toward safety on on operating railroad bridge? How about, don't walk on the bridge, lest you get hit by a train? That so wouldn't fly anywhere else! Oh yeah, that and the fact that there was no railing and enormous, gaping holes that the largest of people could easily fall through.

While such a warning sign and the obvious dangers of walking the bridge (along with the number of people that refused to step aside and let people pass as they all walked back and forth across it) might be a deterrent for some, it just made the whole excursion more of an adventure.

Asia truly is a magical place.