Car Driver Reverses At Traffic Intersection & Puts On A “Gostan D” Show

Car reversing at intersection confuses netizens

Malaysians are frequent road users, so it’s inevitable that we sometimes see strange occurrences on the road, such as this motorcyclist who seemed to filter into a lane by just tilting their head instead of turning the steering handlebars and this Kelisa car driving through KL flood waters like it’s no big deal.

In a recent case of unusual road incidents is this car driver seen driving in reverse down a busy intersection in Sabah, even effortlessly turning corners while in reverse gear.

Car driver navigates traffic in reverse gear

On 25th July 2021, netizen CY Ken took to Facebook group, 山打根吹水码头, to share a video of the car along with the caption, “GOSTAN drive…first on earth.” The incident is said to have taken place in Sandakan, Sabah, according to several accounts of the same car driving in reverse there.

For the uninitiated, “gostan” is a slang word popularly used among Malaysians, which many believe to be a local play on the words “go astern”, meaning to go backwards.

Video credit: CY Ken

The start of the 26-second-long video showed nothing out of the ordinary at a traffic light intersection.

However, once the traffic light turned green, it became apparent that the video was focusing on a car lined up backwards amidst the row of vehicles waiting to turn at the intersection.

Video credit: CY Ken

The car, driving in reverse, effortlessly made a turn down the four-way intersection, just behind a motorcycle and another vehicle. The skills of the driver was on display as it took another turn left into a lane lined with shoplots after successfully tackling the intersection.

If not for the flashing emergency lights on the car and the video evidence, one wouldn’t have thought that the car was navigating traffic while in reverse gear like it’s no big deal.

Video credit: CY Ken

Netizens confused and amused by car driving backwards

The video shared by CY Ken received over 10,000 shares and 2,700 reactions at the time of writing, with many befuddled by the car driver.

Some pointed out what might have been happening with the car, such as Thomas Liew, who commented, “Having a [gear box] break down in the middle of the road isn’t [going] to be pleasant, but this driver somehow managed to handle it without interrupting the traffic with a good gostan show.”

However, others also wondered if the driver could have called for a tow truck instead, if its gearbox was indeed malfunctioning. This included this response Liew got on his comment from netizen, Felix Kah, who commented, “Instead of [endangering] others, the driver [could] call for a tow truck if the gear box is faulty.”

Image credit: Thomas Liew

Others were simply amused by the sight. Netizen Huang De Hua joked, “Gear R for ‘Racing’.”

Image credit: Huang De Hua

Another netizen, Fazhrin Mastur, commented, “Maybe the driver is engaging in a challenge with their friend. Or all gears – from one to five – aren’t functioning, except for the reverse gear.”

Image credit: Fazhrin Mastur

Car driver reverses through busy traffic intersection

Most of us have probably seen and heard tales of vehicles up to unusual antics on Malaysian roads before, such as when this Myvi car “flew” over a 50m-wide drain in JB. It’s safe to say that this car driving in reverse and putting on a “Gostan D” show for everyone is no different, and another addition to wacky road incidents in the country.

But in all seriousness, it’s always best to call a tow truck for help if you find anything faulty with your car and play it safe for the benefit of ourselves and other road users.