Traffic problems!

I grew up in a town called Fish Hoek in Cape Town it is a relatively small town, our version of traffic is to have 5 cars backed up at a red robot.

I have now moved to a different part of Cape Town and on my first day of work I took the usual route that I would drive to Century City from home thinking it shouldn’t be too bad (it is only a 10 minute drive after all!)
WELL… I got stuck in such bad traffic at a 4 way intersection, the robot that was facing us was only letting one car through then would turn red! I was in a total spin, sms’d my mom and said please pray because being late on my first day of work would make a great first impression!

While sitting in this traffic I noticed that if I had to come from the right of the intersection it would go a lot quicker, there were about 10 to 15 cars going through the robot before it turned red.

The next morning I tried that route and yes we were moving but it was still slow because of all the cars coming into the traffic closer to the front, so yes it was better but not that much if you came from the back of the line!
I noticed that there were cars coming out of this one side road pulling into the traffic closer to the front of the line, so on my way home from work I drove that route.

The next morning I was at that road and taking my ‘shortcut’ it makes it so much easier and I am sure that it cut’s a big chunk of time off my travels in the morning. (even with my short cut it still takes me 30 minutes to do a 10 minutes drive)

I know, I know you are probably thinking the poor people at the back of the line that I am ‘pushing’ in front of – well I have thought of that and if they do not have the foresight to try make their traffic experience easier well then that is there problem!
I am fortunate enough to have the vision and planning to try make things easier for myself and why should I sit for an hour if I only have to sit for half that, right?

Even though some morning I am a different person sitting in traffic (it seems to bring out the worst in people) I still stay polite and I always thank people when they let me in and I always try let people in where I can, to make all of our traffic experiences a happy time!

Unfortunately, not everyone is the same and well I experience rude, impatient and inconsiderate people on a daily basis.
There are people that push in almost causing accidents and then not allowing anyone else in and if someone forces their way in (the same way that they did) then they get angry, there are people that just change lanes with no indicator on like everyone knows that they are going to change lanes now and so they must brake!

Sometimes I wonder what is going through these people’s minds!
My favorite so far happened on Friday, I was trying to pull out of the side road (there is a yellow block which people are not supposed to stop on to let cars get in and out of the side road) I need to cross 2 lanes to get in the traffic so the car in the first lane stops to let me in but the car in the second car starts pulling forward which would have meant that she would have been on the yellow block (which is illegal) and it would also have meant that I would have been in the middle of the road and no one would have been able to move so I pulled in front of her (I didn’t take an unnecessary risk because I love my car so it was still safe), I then lifted my hand to say thank you and she shook her head at me! As if I was in the wrong, can you believe it – I couldn’t! All I could actually do was laugh and when I picture her shaking head in my mind I have a good chuckle to myself.

People in traffic can be very selfish; I am trying not be one of those selfish, inconsiderate drivers.
I am trying to always remember my manners and say thank you even when people are rude or don’t really want me to pull in front of them.

I am not sure if I will ever get used to driving in traffic and I feel very sorry for the many people in South Africa (and I’m sure other places in the world) that sit in hours and hours of traffic every day, I know I wouldn’t be able to do it!

Till next time!
L