Tuesday, October 23, 2012

I DROVE IN HAITI!!!

And if you don't know what that entails, let me enlighten you:

Haitian Rules of the Road book:

Chapter 1 "Communication on the Road"
Honk before you do anything

Honk when you intend to but don't do anything

Honk when you want to pass, let another driver in, tell them to get out of the way, etc

Honk when you want to communicate anything to anyone

Honk when you feel like honking

Feel free to honk as long and as loud and whatever rhythm you desire

Personalized horns are awesome so get one

Honk to your hearts content

Hand signals should be used whenever possible in addition to honking.

Chapter 2 "Road Signs and Signals"
Stop signs are definitely optional

Look, Honk and Go is the name of the game.

Yellow light means hit the gas.

If you have a turn signal, you can use it, otherwise just honk and use hand signals.

Chapter 2 "Speed"
The smoothness of the road determines your speed

If there's no one around, hit the gas pedal

Go fast and honk your horn and people move out of your way

Chapter 3 "Chaotic is a Matter of Opinion"
There are a lot of people around, so stick to your guns

Don't ever let a tap-tap get in front of you

Be nice, but not too nice.

There is no such thing as tailgating.

U-turns are a must.

Traffic happens.

PAY ATTENTION ALL THE TIME!!!

END OF RULES OF THE ROAD

So let me just clarify that is very exciting, quite intimidating, and definitely a challenge. Let's just say it's a really good thing that I pay attention when I'm driving with others and am observant on how things are done here. After the fact, the person who asked me to drive told me that the area I drove in was the worst place to drive in Haiti, so if I can drive there, I can drive anywhere.


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