Whistler's Mother

If you've ever walked down a busy street in Bangkok, chances are you've had your eardrums partially blown out by one of these guys:

Traffic cops are ubiquitous in the city, and 9 out of 10 are permanently poised and ready to direct the flow (or lack thereof) of traffic, signal the all-clear to a reversing car or permanently damage the hearing of unlucky passersby with their frantic whistling.

On the left, please note the special brocaded band to which the whistle is attached, worn around the left
shoulder--this is no casual whistler.

Apparently, there are actually schools for whistlers where they learn their mysterious whistler-language. My question is, does anyone other than the whistlers know what they are trying to communicate?

One thing is clear, if you find yourself the victim of a whistling at the BTS, then you are standing too close for comfort to the yellow line, and it is thus your own fault. Safety first, people.


Thanks to BangkokRecorder.com and A.J.C. for the photos