I’ve always been fascinated with the dashboard displays in Bangkok taxis. Drivers personalize their cabs with an array of little statues, coins, garlands . . . you name it, it’s all fair game. There was – and probably still is – a blog devoted to just Bangkok taxi dashboards. Every driver’s diorama is unique, all help keep your mind off the driver’s deplorable driving skills.

Part of the taxi’s  front window is already covered with a line of licensing decals. Add in the tons of stuff the driver has hung from the rear view mirror and affixed to the dash board and there’s not a lot of viewable window space left. That should be a safety concern. But then Bangkok drivers don’t really pay any attention to any other vehicles around them, so it probably doesn’t really make a difference. Besides, considering the death defying driving skills of your average Bangkokian, all those little Buddhas lined up on the dash board may be a good thing. I put more faith in Buddha’s protection than I do in the ability of a Bangkok taxi driver to deliver me safely to my destination.

I guess I should have seen it coming, but instead was surprised by the latest addition to taxi dashboards: portable DVD players. It’s not completely common place yet, but give it a few months and I’m sure all taxis will be outfitted with one. Just in case any of the driver’s attention was on the road. The first I ran across was on a ride from Khaosan Road back to Bang Rak. Not a short trip in Bangkok’s traffic. And having something to watch on the DVD player helped pass time.

My first DVD taxi driver was a young guy. So he had music videos playing. A bit of hip hop. A lot of rap. I’m enough of an old fart to not be immersed in hip hop music. But some of it is actually quite good. One of the videos the guy had was Cypress Hill. They did a Latino rap song that heavily sampled CSN&Y’s Suite Judy Blue Eyes. It was great. I made note of the artist and the next trip I made to MBK I went up to the fourth floor and bought a bootleg copy of the CD.

My friend Noom and I were in another cab on a long trip about town and the driver had the latest Transformers movie on. Noom had not seen the movie yet, so the driver started it over for him. I groaned. Not over the movie but over the possibility that ride would turn into a two hour one so Noom could watch the movie. Rather than risk that costly error, I suggested to him we stop and pick a copy up for him in Patpong. No problemo. Noom chatted with the driver for a minute, grabbed twenty baht out of my wallet, and bought a copy from the driver. Yup, forget about paying 80-100 baht for the latest Hollywood blockbuster on the streets of Bangkok, you can now pick them up for 20 baht from your favorite taxi driver.

I’m not sure if buying bootleg DVDs cancels out some of the protection offered by the Buddha lined up on the taxi’s dash board though.