The canal water is not pretty: it is grey and highly polluted and passengers can raise a gunwale tarp to avoid any splashing. The drivers boom-bitch down the canals with superb skill. Every so often, they have to lower the large overhead canopy to clear a bridge or a few pipelines but they seldom slow to do this. There are obviously no rules about minimizing wake or passing other boats. It's go, go, go and it's a thrill. There are two crew per khlong; they wear polo-style helmets, walk up and down the gunwales collecting fares, and instinctively duck when a bridge nears. At each stop, they leap onto the dock and lassoo the closest bollard, capping the last bit of boat momentum. Such an option would never exist in the West. We are far too prim, proper and safety conscious.
