Driving is an art form


 Not only do they drive on the other side of the street, but I have no idea what some of the traffic signs mean. We've even asked some native drivers about this one and no one knows
 This one means don't use your horn in this area. Horns are well used in the country. A tap of the horn rarely needs danger or get out of the way. It almost always means I see you, how are you doing, or thanks for acknowledging me and now I'm acknowledging you. Horns are so well-used that most of them are broken on the steering wheel and now they use a switch on the dashboard.
 This sign is a general pay attention warning
 There are no standards for vehicle maintenance or visibility. Almost every windshield has something on it to block out the Sun from coming in.
 The blue vehicle is called a microlet. They are on predetermined routes throughout the city. Depend upon the number on the vehicle you know where it's going. It cost $0.25 and it stops when you tap your quarter on the handrail for the driver to hear. Quite often they're very crowded a couple young men will hang out the door. In this picture the person hanging out the door got tired of hanging so he's now just standing in the street as the vehicle is waiting to make a turn.

I tried hanging out the door on one trip. Hanging on wasn't hard it was the fact that the driver went very close to parked cars on your side. You were hoping you didn't get scraped off of the vehicle.


Left hand turns are remarkable. You don't wait for traffic to clear, but you just keep edging out until someone stops and then you complete your turn.
This is the inside of one of the microlets. They are always crowded. Sometimes some of the children sit on each other's laps. People are always friendly and talkative.

Comments

  1. SarahFebruary 4, 2018 at 7:33 PM

    We certainly miss you both of you in church and the neighborhood
    Your blogs are SO fascinating and informative.
    Sam and I wish you the best and pray daily for you health and safety 😊

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Trapani's in LiberiaFebruary 4, 2018 at 9:30 PM

      Thank you for your prayers. We need them. We have not worn a seatbelt in the first two months we've been here. Cars just don't have them.

      Delete
  2. The PiersFebruary 4, 2018 at 8:13 PM

    I think micro-buses are the same throughout most of world - at least where we have served. Cheap, over crowded and people hanging out the doors. In Indonesia the drivers wanted to charge some of the US missionaries for two seats because they were so much larger than native riders. The photo of the front window almost covered with stuffed toys is amazing. Do you drive or just take public transportation? Thanks for sharing your experiences.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Trapani's in LiberiaFebruary 4, 2018 at 9:31 PM

      The mission is working on getting us a car. We so look forward to one. Having seat belts and air conditioning will greatly increase our comfort and safety

      Delete

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