Driving

By Newman:

When I look back at how life was in Charleston I think about how much time I spent in a car.  If I needed to pick something (as they say here) I could easily jump in my truck and run across town and perhaps go to 3 or 4 places and still be home in a just a few short hours.  I often complained about traffic lights or bad intersections (Sam Rittenburg and 61) or the flow of traffic around 5pm.  Driving here in Uganda is a little different.  We have a nice, older, vehicle that is well equipped for life in Africa.  It is comfortable to drive, has power windows, and lots of space.  These are all good things for driving here.  Let me first say that driving in Masindi is simple if you avoid the potholes, and slow, thanks to the speed bumps every fifty yards.  Driving outside of Masindi is a little bit different.  First off, size matters.  Stay out of the way of buses or trucks.  They will not slow down nor will they get out of your way.  This sometimes leads to some very close encounters but I tend to lean towards the side of safety rather than risk a game of chicken that I know I will lose.  Second, size still matters.  Our vehicle is bigger than a motorcycle.  This is a little tricky though because a motorcycle is somehow more maneuverable than an SUV.  They can dodge in and out of traffic, speed up and slow down, and pretty much weave through anything but they do know their limitations.  They know that they don’t want to accidently meet the front end of an SUV so while they keep their distance, literally inches, they somehow seem to also have a safety bubble around them.  Third, stoplights, I think there are about 5 in the country.  They all work but that doesn’t mean people use them, especially motorcycles.  For some reason, during rush hours (about half the day) rather than use the stoplights the traffic police come out and direct the different lanes while paying no attention to what color is actually lit.  This is a good use of electricity…. since we had none in Masindi for three weeks.  While there are very few stoplights, there is no shortage of traffic circles, a great invention to keep traffic flowing.  Refer back to previous notes about size while imagining these traffic circles.  Most circles have two lanes, inner and outer.  The idea is that the inner lane keeps going around until it needs to exit in which case the vehicle moves to the outer lane and leaves the circle.  That is the idea, in theory size matters.  Lastly, for now, is the local bus taxis.  These are common in developing countries as a cheap mode of transportation and the ratio in Kampala sometimes feels like 1 of these for every non taxi.  They are typically a Toyota/ Hiace version of a 15 passenger van that is the size/ shape of a Volkswagen van.  They tend to have more than 15 people in them and sometimes have things tied to them as well.  They don’t seem to understand the size rules that everyone else follows and will stop anywhere, literally, if it means picking up an extra fare.  One of the best parts about driving in Uganda is that talking on a cell phone is illegal and results in hefty fines, unless you pay a lesser bribe.  Needless to say I follow all the rules, the actual legal ones, and have been a very safe driver.  We have had any number of adventures in the car and look forward to many more.  I would advise you, if you plan on visiting, to bring motion sickness pills, make sure your seatbelt is fastened, and keep your arms inside the vehicle at all times.