I've noticed a big difference in how people approach driving in both Cairo and Amman compared with how it is approached in the states. People always talk about how crazy it is to drive in foreign countries. Especially large metropolitan areas within those countries like Cairo. Through my experience in the various taxis, buses, and the occasional private vehicle I've been in I've realized the biggest difference isn't the style of driving but the approach to driving. In the west, particularly in the states we look at driving like we look at other aspects of life. We ask questions about it, about those who are doing it, about what is happening. We like to know the answer to the why questions. Things like: why is that driving cutting me off, or why are they merging without signaling? We get emotionally involved in our driving and quickly get upset when someone does something we don't understand. It also has to do with our rule-sets and the fact that we are such a rule governing people. You have your lane you drive in and nobody else is to come into it where you are. These two aspects differ greatly from driving in the both Egypt and Jordan. Theirs seems to be a reactionary society. They don't care so much about why someone is doing it, only that it doesn't directly involve them, which means an accident. People will drive in the middle of a lane, across two lanes, or switch between the two (without signaling) and few drivers will blink an eye. Sure a horn or two or three will be blown but mostly it is another means of conveying information. “Hey, I'm here,” or, “coming up your left side.” The horn is constantly being utilized and with good reason and in good form. In many ways a reactionary way of driving is better only because it makes you more aware of what is going on around you, since you have to know because you don't know what to expect. In the states we become complacent because we count on our rule-sets to keep us safe and when others break those rules we then get upset attempting to figure out why. The best thing for us to do is to practice what we call “defensive driving,” which is merely reactionary driving that involves paying attention to the road around us. Wow, what a concept.
On another driving note. I saw my first accident today. It was in a tunnel. The roads were somewhat slick, just because that is how they are here and somehow, a girl manage to turn her car on its side in the middle of the tunnel. We heard the crash and managed to stop before hitting the 4 other cars in front of us only to see the car head rocking back and forth slightly. The next thing that occurred was an amazing sight for me. Dozens of men jumped out of their car and ran up to help, partly to make sure everybody was alright and also to help clear a path so that traffic wouldn't be completely impeded. They put the car back on its wheels and made sure it was only in one lane of traffic instead blocking both, that way the rest of the cars could continue on their way. It was fascinating to see it all happen so quickly because in the states not only would nobody touch anything many people wouldn't even get involved to help, they would just sit in their cars and wait until the police showed up to clear things up, meanwhile getting frustrated by the fact that they are stuck in traffic. Perhaps we should learn a few things about efficiency, and worry less about lawsuits.
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