These videos were taken on my way to the airport. They're not even that bad compared to some of the crazy I've seen.
It's a lot different seeing it through a video becaues you miss out on the peripheral vision. It's insane. Try crossing a street...you never know where a car's going to come from. Or a bicycle. Or a motorbike. Or a tuk tuk. But, they all seem to work together and break appropriately and such. It's absurd watching this happen.
Pay attention though. You'll notice all sorts of crazy things. Cars and motorcycles cross the center line all the time. I'm fairly certain the lines are more to make westerners feel better. Sometimes there will be three lanes of traffic going one way and only one the other. Most of the time it's two-ish lanes. However, a "lane" could be comprised of three motorcycles or a motorcycle and a car or any outlandish combination of vehicles.
You'll also see cars and motorcycles going the wrong way on the other side of the road. There are no stoplights at most intersections, so people cross traffic when there's an opening if they need to turn left and go just a little further on the wrong side of the road.
This is also true of crossing streets. People just kind of edge their way into an intersection into oncoming traffic.
Traffic's so crazy that businesses actually hire people to help drivers back out onto the street.
Horns are super important because they communiate...something. I've decided the horn indicates, you're in my way, move as well as I'm in your way and I'm not moving. Not sure how that really works, but it seems to be pretty consistent.
So the videos:
This one illustrates what happens at intersections without stop lights. It's a free for all to see who gets through first. And yet, no one gets run over or waits an inordinate amount of time.
Last, but not least. A normal traffic light stop...is anything but normal. Tuk tuks and motorcycles attempt to fill in all the spare space, including the shoulder...and then merge back into traffic after the light changes green.
It's a lot different seeing it through a video becaues you miss out on the peripheral vision. It's insane. Try crossing a street...you never know where a car's going to come from. Or a bicycle. Or a motorbike. Or a tuk tuk. But, they all seem to work together and break appropriately and such. It's absurd watching this happen.
Pay attention though. You'll notice all sorts of crazy things. Cars and motorcycles cross the center line all the time. I'm fairly certain the lines are more to make westerners feel better. Sometimes there will be three lanes of traffic going one way and only one the other. Most of the time it's two-ish lanes. However, a "lane" could be comprised of three motorcycles or a motorcycle and a car or any outlandish combination of vehicles.
You'll also see cars and motorcycles going the wrong way on the other side of the road. There are no stoplights at most intersections, so people cross traffic when there's an opening if they need to turn left and go just a little further on the wrong side of the road.
This is also true of crossing streets. People just kind of edge their way into an intersection into oncoming traffic.
Traffic's so crazy that businesses actually hire people to help drivers back out onto the street.
Horns are super important because they communiate...something. I've decided the horn indicates, you're in my way, move as well as I'm in your way and I'm not moving. Not sure how that really works, but it seems to be pretty consistent.
So the videos:
This one illustrates what happens at intersections without stop lights. It's a free for all to see who gets through first. And yet, no one gets run over or waits an inordinate amount of time.
Look closely to the left in this one. You'll see a van driving down the wrong side of the road for a substantial period of time, attempting to merge into my lane of traffic. As the van merges, a gaggle of motorcycles decide to cut in front of it and turn left.
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