Driving in Kabul

You would love driving here!  One rule:  "the driver in front has the
right of way".  Well, maybe two rules:  "Don't hit anybody".  The
pavement, or not,  is open to all. Some streets have lines but it
would be better to put the paint somewhere else. Nary a  street light;
 clearly a waste of resources.  Some corners have policeman who must
feel like some of the most ignored people in the world.

 Literally cars can go anywhere, pass right or left, go the opposite
way on a one way street, come within inches of each other (I am learning to not hang my arm out the window), 6 abreast in a 3 lane
road, bikes and motorcycles in between, pick an opening whenever you
can get. If the traffic is too crowded on the street coming the other
way, just come on up our side, not a problem, someone will always move
around you.  The best tactic is at round-a-bouts where the one who
wants to turn left is on the far outside lane.  Not a problem just cut
off the traffic (no one ever gets T-boned), cut straight a cross and
of course if you are also wanting to go that direction, but buses,
trucks, etc are coming from your right, it is a great opportunity to
sneak right under the cover of the other vehicle and go the direction
you want.

 (Just a note, "round-a-bouts" are an oxymoron at times as it clearly
is a waste of time to go all the way right around an island when you
can much more easily just turn left into oncoming traffic and get
where you want to be, without wasting all that gas going
"round-a-about!)

 It is is especially fun to see how close you can get to a bicyclist
on your right, no matter how much space you have on your left.  And
cars , trucks, coming right at you will likely slightly swerve the
opposite direction as you do to  never  hit head on.  Of course if
there is a pedestrian or a bicyclist or cart between you and the truck
coming right at you... that always provides a bit of a buffer.

Another great maneuver is when passing, speed up like mad, no matter
who may be coming the other direction and cut off the guy you just
passed before a pot hole or speed bump n the road 'cause you know
everyone is going to slow down for that anyway and not hit you.  Works
every time.

Of course the horn means you are coming, everyone look out because you
likely are not going to change your direction, especially if someone
is wasting space and there are only 5 cars abreast and you are making
it 6.  And if you are following the polite rule of usually passing
behind, not in front, of a pedestrian in the middle of the street, you
both can keep going at your same pace without wasting time slowing
down.  After all, a miss by an inch, is still a miss.

Oh, maybe rule #3:  don't drive into the gutter at the edge of the
road.  That 2-3 foot drop right at the edge of city streets would
likely stop your car and be embarrassing, although I doubt it would
jam up traffic much.

It's always a relief to get back home in one piece.
The drivers, Mouhammed and Haroum, do a superb
job of driving and translating our directions....we  rely
on them a lot to know where people live and locations.
All homes are behind locked, and guarded gates, walls, barbed wire, and.....depending on how important you are to the government, all sorts of cement and ram-proof barriers.  That's another subject!


May your drive in the lines,


Jon and Marita