TOW#511 — Traffic culture
I initially started writing on another topic for this week’s tip, but after the traffic nightmare I went through yesterday, as well as some comments and pictures from Facebook friends about our traffic (non)culture, I decided to change the text for today.
Why stop in the middle of a junction (when there are anyway too many cars to cross to the other side) and block traffic from other directions!?
In civilised countries, everyone knows that it’s forbidden to stop in the middle of a crossroad. Some junctions here too have properly marked it with a red grid. Just know that not only does blocking it not get you through faster, it also blocks traffic and delays everyone else’s arrival at their destination.
Why must we stop in the middle of a pedestrian crossing, again when there’s heavy traffic, and block pedestrians’ way!?
To make things worse, when I’m waiting just before the zebra crossing, because there’s a long line of cars in front of me, there’s always someone behind that starts beeping like crazy. As if I’ll somehow speed up the traffic by going onto the pedestrian crossing itself!
Why do we think that we can stop anywhere and block traffic as long as we’ve got our hazard lights on!?
Every time he visits, a friend of mine from Australia learns something new about our rules in traffic. He mentioned to me that his favourite at the moment is that when you put on all four indicator lights you can do whatever you want!
Why have we almost stopped using the indicators when turning left or right, or when stopped on the side of the road!?
Sometimes when I’m in a car with someone who gets upset because somebody didn’t signal when turning or parked on the street, I jokingly say, “don’t get upset, that person always turns here and stops and there’s no need for them to tell you what they’re gonna do”. They slow down, looking for a parking space, but don’t even think to warn others that they’re thinking about stopping.
Why ignore double yellow lines and endanger traffic and the lives of others, rather than drive another 50 metres where we can turn around and go back to where we want to go!?
The other day, on one of Skopje’s main roads, I saw not one but two drivers cross over double yellow lines in the space of about three minutes. The most interesting thing was how calmly they indicated that they’d be turning over the double lines, i.e. a violation for which your licence can be taken away.
Why does someone always start beeping at traffic lights even before they’ve turned green, trying to hurry up those in front of them!?
I already wrote about this in a tip entitled Nano-Second. Just know that beeping definitely does not speed up traffic and doesn’t result in getting past the traffic light faster. All it does it stress out the person beeping and everyone else around them.
Why do pedestrians cross the street where it’s not marked and despite there being a fence or a flower patch, even when a pedestrian crossing is only about 50 meters away!?
The most frightening thing is that I’ve seen older gentlemen and ladies, fashionable girls in heels, city lads in suits, and so on, all doing it. Don’t be so lazy that you can’t walk another few metres, because it’ll definitely reduce the risk to yourselves and others.
And, finally, the last point on this list, even though of course a whole book could be written if we did a little analysis of our streets, why drive through a red light!?
Where are you rushing off to?! To see St Peter!?!? (I once heard an elderly man say this to a guy that was riding his bike too fast on the pavement). I often see that when the light for pedestrians turns green, a few more cars keep going on the other side. As we know, if the light’s green for pedestrians it means those cars drove through a proper solid red light. Look, your life may not matter to you, but at least think a little about others, because you’re putting their lives in danger.
Really, I don’t understand, why!?
Has our level of awareness and manners fallen so low?! Are we so inconsiderate of others in traffic that we knowingly endanger their lives?! Are we so full of ourselves that we think we’re the most important ones on the road?! Don’t we feel any guilt towards others!? I don’t understand…!!!
A friend of mine from the US once told me a very clever thing — “the culture of a people can be seen in the traffic and the way cars are driven through the streets”.
Don’t read this text from the standpoint only of ‘they’, i.e. that someone else is doing this, not us. We all know that we’ve made similar such mistakes (broken the rules). And since we can’t change others and influence their level of awareness, let’s at least try to change ourselves and improve road traffic culture and beyond.
Wishing you success with the changes to come,
Petar Lazarov
“Tip of the Week” Team member
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