of the fatal road
I've never felt so close to beating someone's face one with my fingers. How has road manners degenerated to such degradation, following a flowchart defending inconsistency leading to the opposite end of reason? Fortunately, my wife and two girls were on board at the time, so I could not go down to Tai Chi on the car of the miscreant. Dang! While deploring the failures of others, I myself come described as one who packs her brood on a supine motorcycle tantrums driving. Explanations may be necessary.
I worked in Casablanca; one of the least beautiful cities I know. Among his many irritating was the traffic. Although not congested Jakarta or Beijing-Rome-polluted or erratic, it still hurt every day. Every time the lights changed to green vehicles honked as if the first row was asleep in the meantime. I dreamed of returning to Makassar, where traffic was dumb as a dog but never bitten and growled as his counterpart from North Africa.
Well, time has moved on and this small town trying to become the hub port of Indonesia is home to a collection of honkers right. Nothin 'gets my serotonin sluicing as a band honkers fire when whistling with rain and my engine stalls crapped out. But I can take that. I know then it's partly my fault, and I would have kept a lid on the engine during the rains. I can not take, however, is ...
... Teenagers Mr. Cools but poor on their custom bikes who think the road of their band of personal strength. Such a helmet without grease plant buzzed us to the limit of the capacity of its two time on the road by the lake to our complex. As it sank in the Doppler effect, I tried to use mind over matter to induce a fatal accident. He would have brought me the warm contentment to see his mutilated body flayed on the road and its parent tottering on the edge of disbelief in an abyss of pain. Harsh but fair.
And then yesterday, on the same road taking daughter to school and the woman and the baby shopping, there was a turn and a taxi oncoming which forced me to a gap. I had to drive through the last remaining puddle of water, except this puddle was the entrance to Hades. Our bike launched and shock echoed. There were some faffing to get us a tussle to keep standing. We may even stopped briefly. Alas, all I remember is the honker in the car behind his horn constantly. It upset me. Clearly I moved if I could. The honker only delayed his trip before having to endure my middle finger determined and insults related to the mother feeds. By the way, he said, so I cried more because I wanted to get out of his car to beat key questions in his head, and the responses from the other side: How incessant honking is supposed to clear the road? How your belligerent, self-indulgent impatience is supposed to help someone, Honker?
So, I'm always the bad guy. Which in a reasonable country would not honk a twerp packing children on a motorcycle? But is it a reasonable place? Many people with cars have their credit for a while before repossession; the people of the burgeoning middle class with enough money to do a show to have more than what they have. Those who possess the cars are the elite, and all they are and do is purchased. The other eighty-five percent have only money to putter around on bikes. So, in my defense, if I get girls to school and so on, I have to take my chances in traffic on fatal road. Which choice? Multitudes depend on this affront to our standards of health and safety proud.
There Barroom theories on how people drive in Asia and in such places. To understand them, you should take this quick test drive, you
If you want to pass your test, you need :.
a STUDY b. PRACTICE c. Rp.400,000 HAVE IN YOUR WALLET
When the maneuver, focus on :.
a MIRRORS, b. SIGNALS c. GUESS WORK OUTSIDE honking
When goods transporting think :.
a WEIGHT LIMITS b. CARGO SECURITY c. HOW MUCH MORE YOU CAN PILE ON BEFORE DEPARTURE
At a junction :.
a STOP AND CHECK EACH WAY b. SLOW AND CHECK RIGHT c. DO NOT SEE, DO NOT STOP
The condition of your vehicle is
a . LEGAL REQUIREMENT b. IMPORTANT c. CONCERN NO ONE AS IT BEGINS
Road signs are :.
a WARNINGS b. SUGGESTIONS c. DECOR
The traffic lights are to :.
a SECURITY b. ORDER c. PROVE MANHOOD BEING FIRST OFF
When the lights turn green, it is the custom of
a . PATIENTLY WAIT FOR THOSE IN BEFORE MOVING b. HONK in the conviction that your heart beating DEPENDS
The amount of passengers you can carry is limited by :.
a RIGHT b. CAPACITY c. IF YOU CRASH
You can travel the wrong way :.
a IN EMERGENCY MEDICAL b. WITH POLICE ESCORT c. WHEN YOU WANT - EVEN ON HIGHWAYS
If in doubt:
a . PULL AND TAKE A MINUTE b. HONK
How did you do? The correct answers were B and Cs. Only in this way can you negotiate "traffic" - a game of leapfrog while slaloming around potholes - a tilting monitor system, questionable licensing, no law enforcement, the shattered infrastructure and the need for goods and popular families commuting
and this is just a sample of road lore in such cultures; just too many stories to expose. All I know, not long ago, things were crazy / beautiful, lawless / civilized, chaotic / free. Recently, however, overcrowding, crumbling streets and boofheads middle class cars are experiencing a recipe for rage, and the other day, I really almost died.
In reply, I am using my bike more. It is not only healthy but I also move faster. The only downside is that I can not get the whole family on board with the shopping, too. driving Placid.