Safety First

Those of you who know me, are aware of my predilection for back seat driving. I'm almost incapable of keeping my mouth shut and letting the driver drive. In the US, where driving laws apply, this is one thing. In a third world country where driving is a contact sport, keeping my mouth shut is damn near impossible.

I've sat in the back seat of taxis, sure that I would throw a clot, clutching a complete stranger's hand. I've winced, done deep breathing exercises, and tried to ride with my eyes closed. Nothing seems to improve the experience.

What I will say is this: I haven't seen a lot of wrecks. I've seen a few dented bumpers, but for the most part--although scary--driving here is safe enough. Most vehicles are small and underpowered. There aren't a lot of 'large cars' or even eight cylinder ones to prove threatening.

My husband brought home a report prepared by their health and safety department on this country's risks. Here's a direct quote: "The most significant safety threat a visitor to Tunisia faces is the indigenous style of driving. Local drivers rarely look before changing lanes, commonly run through red lights, use road shoulders and turning lanes to pass, drive against the flow of traffic for shortcuts, and can be generally oblivious to other vehicles on the road."

Also, pedestrians will step out in front of vehicles. I've quit calling them people and started calling them lemmings. (Hey! No one understands me when I speak anyway, so I don't have to curb the sarcasm.)

Driving here seems to revolve around the driver keeping an eye on everyone in front of him (that's HIS job) and ignoring everyone behind him (that's THEIR jobs, to watch him). That means as long as you are behind someone, it's okay for them to cross four lanes of traffic to make a squealing right turn. They were in front of you and that's their prerogative. This really equates to the "don't make direct eye contact" method of driving in use in Boston traffic. The same rules apply. Don't look, just merge.

I am going to have to trust my husband a great deal. Learning to drive like this is going to take some doing and he'll be in this traffic every single day. He's already got a couple of the habits down pat. No one here uses turn signals either... One of the Scots already said that when he goes back home, he still drives 'Tunisian style' and it's gotten him in trouble in the UK. We're going to have to watch out for that when we head back to Texas next month.

--Sandee Wagner