Driving here is an amazing spectacle. What you are doing on the road is the least important thing in the world when compared with what the other driver’s actions so frequently are.
Highlights I have seen on major roads:
1. Stopping in the middle of your lane to talk to someone outside. The rest of the traffic can get stuffed.
2. Overtaking on a corner.
3. Not letting people merge ever, unless they force their way in.
4. Driving the wrong way around a roundabout.
5. Ignoring red lights: This is way too frequent, so you can’t just go when your light is green, you have to check that the other traffic is actually stopped.
Highlights I have seen on Freeways:
1. Swerving across the entire freeway to get to the exit.
2. Overtaking in the breakdown lane
3. Reversing! I am not joking. The other day we were in the middle lane (luckily) and the guy in the lane beside us (doing about 120 km/h) and slightly ahead swerved violently across into our lane because someone was reversing toward him in his lane.
Here is a transcript of conversations between an employee of the Traffic Control Department of the Public Security Organ and some fairly standard driver’s license applicants:
Traffic: So what experience do you have with cars?
Applicant: I have driven a tractor.
Traffic: Perfect. Here’s your license.
Traffic: So what experience do you have with cars?
Applicant: Last year a car ran over some of my chickens.
Traffic: Perfect. Here’s your license.
Traffic: So what experience do you have with cars?
Applicant: I have seen a picture of a car.
Traffic: Perfect. Here’s your license.
Traffic: So what experience do you have with cars?
Applicant: What is a car?
Traffic: Perfect. Here’s your license.
Sounds like they should just give everyone dodgem cars!
Comment by Dennis — March 2, 2010 @ 3:27 pm
It would be great if German authorities could take over and prosecute these cases – would keep them busy for the next 100 years and I could drive like a want to!
Have you been to Vietnam yet? Their way of riding motorcycles is even wilder… you get a driving license if you survive that traffic for more than one hour!
Comment by van Trinkmeister — March 2, 2010 @ 6:42 pm
maybe now when you come back and your dearest father is driving and after a near miss says ‘ Bloody Asians they can’t drive’ you won’t say ‘ Ahhh dad, you can’t say that. That’s a generalisation’.
Comment by Pop — March 3, 2010 @ 5:39 am
I think I might get my license whilst we’re over visiting you guys.
Seems easier than the stuff I’d have to go through to get it over here.
Like learning to drive.
Cheers,
Comment by Robert — March 3, 2010 @ 7:20 pm