Why Are You Going So Slow, Mommy

I did it! I drove somewhere by myself!! I sound like a giddy teen, which I even felt like after I made it home unscathed. That sounds pathetic when you consider that my destination was less than a half mile away. But then, you don’t know about driving in Cairo.

Let’s see, where do I begin? At first glance, drivers do not observe any traffic rules here. There are no stoplights (or at least, any that work) or stop signs. Sometimes you will see lane markings, most of the time there are none. Regardless, nobody stays in his own lane, the drivers just try to fit as many cars as the road allows. Drivers will back up in the middle of the road, in the middle of traffic, even if they are at an overpass. Drivers cut each other off all the time, and there will always be someone making a left turn from the far right lane. Streets often seem impossibly narrow since cars are parked or stopped carelessly on both sides. And Cairenes (those who inhabit Cairo) absolutely love their car horns. Pedestrians are even worse, they will cross right in front of traffic at the last moment without a care that s/he will get hit. Those are my first impressions.

Now, after being here for six weeks, I have begun to see things differently. I see that there is order in the chaos. I’ve come to realize that drivers do not go that fast so driving is manageable once you learn how they do it. You merge at traffic circles by not being timid. You insert your car into cross traffic by blocking off other cars or you will never go anywhere. You watch for traffic coming at you at any direction at all times. There are unspoken rules, if you will.

Besides learning to drive the Egyptian way, having a big SUV definitely helps. Like Jim says, many are intimidated by the size of a large vehicle for the simple reason that they don’t want to get hit. So I feel like I’m getting bolder and feeling more confident every time I get behind the wheel. That is until my three year old asks me “why are you driving so slow, mommy” and reminds me to “crank the wheel, mommy.”