I experienced my first convoy this evening. It actually went very smoothly, but driving here is certainly a unique experience. I always thought driving in Turkey was sporty, but being on the road here makes that place look like Saturday afternoon at the local Go Kart track. The biggest problem is that there don't seem to be any actual traffic rules to speak of. At least, none that are enforced. Of course the police have bigger things to worry about.
Not our convoy vehicle
And then there are the pedestrians of all types, both two-legged and four. The latter generally stay to the side of the road. The people, on the other hand, seem to have almost no concept that if you walk in front of a moving vehicle, the score is going to be Vehicle 1, People 0.
I could probably understand that if these folks had no vehicles other than the ones the military has on the road, but that's not the case. There are cars and trucks of all shapes and sizes, in various states of assembly, on the roads here. This is the capital of the country, after all.
Actually, if you want to get a feel for what it's like here, check out this video: http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=1929335. I wish I could take credit for it, but I can't. The choice of music is inspired. The main difference is that now there's actually a concrete median on this road, making it less likely that people will suddenly decide to drive into oncoming lanes.
Well, that and there's no music playing in the background wherever I go here. I wonder how they fit the whole band in the back of that vehicle?
1 comment:
Enjoyed your comments about Paul Newman. I couldn't agree more. He was a favorite of mine ... all the same reasons as well as the fact that most women, such as myself, found him truly attractive.
The video was great fun to watch...not sure it gives me comfort as to your safety but it will do. Actually, Colorado drivers don't look much better.
Love,
Mom
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