So the driving here is crazy... there aren’t really rules to driving it seems. Its entirely plausible that the cab or any other car will be in the middle of the road, in both lanes, speeding past anything it can pass…seatbelts are not worn. And the number 2 killer of people in this country is traffic. A lot of them pedestrians. Crazy.
I’m not sure I can really capture the crazy that is driving here. Its terrifying. I don't think speed limits are even enforced. And you see more cars broken down and being fixed on the side of the road then imaginable. Like, don’t they have preventable maintaince? I’ve only seen 2 auto places, and they might have been the same.
Once, we got in a cab, started to drive, there was a bad noise, he pulled over, got out, checked the tires, and then kept going. I did manage to ask if there was a problem and got just a headshake. But nothing bad happened.
So to catch a cab is pretty easy. The meter starts at .25 and you can get most places in the city for about 2 dinar. More than that and the cabby is screwing you. Roads are everywhere. Not like home where roads follow sensible patterns of parallel and perpendicular. These could go in any direction. Curves. Hills. Diagonal. Anything goes. I’m impressed with how you can find anything. Oh and I should point out, you need darn near exact change for cabs. Like you might get in and find they miraculously have no change and you end up tipping more than the fare… besides there is no tipping. If its 1.70 JD, you might give a 1.75 because the coin is easy that way, but its just rounding. Like you always go to the nearest 5 at least. You don’t deal with pennies. So there’s that. Change is a big problem. Don’t get in a cab without anything smaller than a 10. A 5 might be doable. Just stick to having singles and some change is possible. There’s an art to it.
Traffic is always a problem. The city is split into neighborhoods, jabels (hills), and duwars (traffic circles). But they don’t really understand how to use a traffic circle. So that’s a mess. These things are like 3 or 4 lanes wide (you’re never sure because no one is in a lane…) and you can’t ever get through. 4 way stops would be more effect it seems. At least that would have a pattern. There are traffic cops that wave and whistle. But I don’t think they do anything. I mean, no one really pays attention to him or her, and it doesn’t seem to help.
Then there are busses. You can take a bus to a lot of places both in and out of the city, you just have to read the side to see where it goes, or listen to the control who will yell where its going. The control is a guy who takes your money, yells destinations, and makes sure ladies get a seat. The buses take forever, so don’t try it if you're in a hurry, but they are way cheaper. Like 30 piaster will get you most places. Sometimes 50. But still, I can get home from school for either .5 dinar (plus a bit of walking) or 2 dinar in a cab. I know which I’d prefer, but the cab is so convenient. (By the way, piaster is the change for a dinar.) To catch a bus, there are specific bus stops you can wait at. (Like one at school or one in one of the major circles) or you can wait for one to pass and flag it down. But you have to be intense at flagging or you’ll get ignored. Sometimes they’re crowded, and sometimes they seriously stink. But really, it’s not bad.
We even took a bus to a nearby city, Madaba, last weekend. Its an hour drive one way for .6 dinar. way cheap and convenient. But they don't leave at a time, just once they full enough. So schedules must be flexible.
Then there is those who are lucky enough to have a car. Cars are super expensive; like a 200% tax. So even for a used, older car, you’re gonna pay way more than you ever thought. So it’s definitely a luxury. And I’m not sure, but I doubt there is much in the way of driver’s training, which accounts for some of the “driving”. When I get in our family car and put on my seat belt, my little sister laughs and insists I don’t need that here. I’m telling you though, here is where I need it most!
I've had it explained to me that you are only responsible for not hitting anything. Not for things not hitting you. And it makes some sense. But I don't think I’m convinced that people know the rules, because I’ve seen more accidents here and heard more screeching tires than ever before. So lets just say, driving is a risk every time.
Let's say I appreciate driving at home more than I ever expected. Having my own car is way better than constant public transportation. And the simplicity of explicit road rules that are followed are an absolute gift. Trust me.
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