Train Runs Through Market

December 1, 2007 5:43 AM

Train runs through bangkok market. (via)
posted by phrontist (35 comments total)

The efficiency of space is pretty amazing. Good tags too.

The one link Youtube videos seem to fall into some other basin that cannot be named. This video has the same vibe as this sushi conveyor video.
posted by zerobyproxy at 6:02 AM on December 1, 2007 [4 favorites]

That was awesome! At first, I was wondering what the big deal was, and then I got to the end. Watch the whole thing.
posted by JeremyT at 6:17 AM on December 1, 2007

That's great. I like the way all the stands expand outward afterwards... it's like some sort of bizarro Murphy bed contraption.
posted by 40 Watt at 6:21 AM on December 1, 2007 [1 favorite]

I think these trains are very common. We have the same trains in Sydney. Our trains do not run through a market. Some of our trains take you to a market. You can also take a train when you leave the market.
posted by tellurian at 6:21 AM on December 1, 2007

I love what it says about our attention spans that we have to be admonished to watch all the way to the end of a 40-second video (not a slam at you, JeremyT, I just thought it was funny). You're right in any event, the end is what makes it. It sort of has a Michel Gondry feel to it, like one of his very mechanical special effects.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 6:40 AM on December 1, 2007

I loved going on the train from Bangkok to Surat Thani. It took hours before we were out of the Bangkok area because of the people living and working so close to and on the track. Amazing to see. Great link!
posted by kudzu at 6:44 AM on December 1, 2007

You know those James Bond and Indiana Jones movies where somebody passes into an elaborate set and the townspeople all rearrange things in an instant to conceal the passer? Turns out it's just journalism.
posted by dhartung at 6:51 AM on December 1, 2007 [5 favorites]

Saw this as a photo (probably by the same guy) in the centrefold of the Guardian a few weeks back, my friend put it on his wall. The caption explained that the market stalls fold out, but seeing it in video is just excellent. So unreal - almost coreographed.
posted by Acey at 7:28 AM on December 1, 2007

I saw similar things in India. Thousands of people living and working right up against the RR tracks. These people are impressively resourceful, imo.
posted by janetplanet at 7:29 AM on December 1, 2007

The similar videos are amazing: check out this video of a guy crossing the street in India!
posted by Acey at 7:31 AM on December 1, 2007 [2 favorites]

I like the insightful comments on YouTube like:
* LOL
* lol
* omg! wtf?
* Hey don't say that! it's not funny iam an indonesian people! in my city there is no modern house or buildings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! idiot!!!!!!
* u wudnt nw tht was a railway ther wud u lol

Ah, such insight.
posted by chips ahoy at 7:37 AM on December 1, 2007 [1 favorite]

Nifty.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 7:37 AM on December 1, 2007

At a night market in Hong Kong we saw something very similar. Except it was a fire truck barreling down a crowded pedestrian market, the folding up and re-erecting of stalls made it appear from a distance that it was a giant wave, or maybe a rat passing through a python.
posted by Keith Talent at 8:13 AM on December 1, 2007 [2 favorites]

That was really cool! When space is at a premium you do what you have to do.
posted by LeeJay at 8:14 AM on December 1, 2007

Welcome to the internet, my friend! How can I help you!
posted by mr_crash_davis at 8:18 AM on December 1, 2007 [1 favorite]

That's really fascinating. They know exactly how far back they need to be (and not an inch more). I wonder how many times per day they have to do this. It seems like they've got it choreographed to perfection.
posted by amyms at 9:34 AM on December 1, 2007

That was very cool. The link had me thinking I was about to watch a disaster video. Very surprising.
posted by sharpener at 9:49 AM on December 1, 2007

This reminds me how much I LOVE Thai markets in general. But I'd be a bit nervous shopping ON the tracks.
posted by konolia at 10:19 AM on December 1, 2007

I honestly did not expect all the sliding of tables and extending of awnings and all that at the end.
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 10:37 AM on December 1, 2007

That's great!
posted by brundlefly at 10:57 AM on December 1, 2007

I wonder how long this market is. An aerial shot would be sweet!
posted by a_green_man at 11:37 AM on December 1, 2007

That video had everything but Yul Brenner.
posted by dr_dank at 1:01 PM on December 1, 2007

Woe to the merchant who finds himself in the bathroom taking a whiz.
posted by chips ahoy at 1:13 PM on December 1, 2007 [2 favorites]

That video had everything but Yul Brenner.

Heh!

What? I LOVE THE SHOWTUNES!
posted by potsmokinghippieoverlord at 1:34 PM on December 1, 2007

chips ahoy, I'm sure the train runs on a schedule; it appears everyone is ready for it. I'm sure Darwin would quickly take care of the situation you anticipate.
posted by localroger at 2:03 PM on December 1, 2007

And then just as they finish setting everything back the way it was, another train bullets through from the opposite direction, just like in the coyote and the roadrunner.

If life were a cartoon, that is.
posted by bwg at 3:59 PM on December 1, 2007

If this is a market that many tourists visit, I'd imagine that the Thai folks get a kick out of the reactions of surprised farangs when the train goes by!
posted by altcountryman at 4:33 PM on December 1, 2007

My first morning in India was EXACTLY like that crossing the street video. Took me 30 minutes to cross the street in front of my hotel. And I used to think Manhattan traffic was bad.
posted by bashos_frog at 4:47 PM on December 1, 2007

this video reminds me of those US army truck drivers we would love to watch in our small, german city desperately trying to negotiate the tight turns with their behemoth vehicles. the local truckers would always ridicule their skills.

btw, the south shore train runs through michigan city on the main street but it's not nearly as spectacular...
posted by krautland at 6:34 PM on December 1, 2007

Excellent.
posted by Bugbread at 6:47 PM on December 1, 2007

I actually enjoyed zerobyproxy's link to the sushi conveyer even more. It was really voyeuristic and captivating for some reason.
posted by patr1ck at 7:36 PM on December 1, 2007

Quite delightful.

I can't help but wonder how often people get hurt with this sort of thing though. Doesn't look like there's much margin for error...
posted by marble at 11:19 PM on December 1, 2007

There used to be a taco stand on this railroad crossing, my usual after party grease-anchor.

One beautiful August afternoon, after a full weekend of mycological experimentation in the outskirts of San Isidro Mazatepec (auspicious name), I was sitting on the cool rails, eating brain tacos and sipping a warm grape soda, when I heard a train braking on the distance. I stood up, placed a coin on the tracks to try to get a memento for that particular mushroom season, and moved away from the tracks.

After 5 minutes or three months, I can't recall, of strongly synaesthetic steel on steel screeching and creaking, the train came to a full stop perfectly aligned with the taco stand. From the engine window, the engineer ordered 6 tripe tacos to go, soft style, no onion, salsa on the side. The taquero delivered, and the train slowly picked up speed, and dozens of cars loaded with sulfur and iron mineral disappeared into the horizon.

I forgot to pick up the coin, but up to this day, warm grape soda gives me flashbacks of a single man commanding titatnic forces to stop thousands of tons of steel and iron, with millimeter precision, on a whim, in order get six delicious tacos, no onion, salsa on the side. I've never been closer to a god.
posted by Dr. Curare at 12:54 AM on December 2, 2007 [5 favorites]

Great video, by the way.
posted by Dr. Curare at 12:54 AM on December 2, 2007

One last comment, weird coincidences day today. After that taco stand closed, this place became my favorite after party dinner. A nice hamburger stand owned and operated by Dr. Alvarez Machain, just mentioned on the international kidnappings thread. He would write prescriptions on napkins for municipal police officers.
posted by Dr. Curare at 12:59 AM on December 2, 2007