Driving

Meet my beautiful Toyota Corolla. I’m not really sure what year it is, but it still runs like a champ and that’s all that matters! Any name suggestions are welcome.

In South Africa we drive on the left side of the road and from the right seat in the car. As if this weren’t adjustment enough, most cars are manual transmission. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my father for giving me a manual transmission vehicle, for I was able to hop in the driver’s seat just two days after my arrival and headed straight for the highway. Shifting left-handed is a quick adjustment, as is driving on the left side of the road. It’s the turns that create the challenge. I have yet to turn into traffic, mostly because there are cars pointed in the correct direction to guide me. If that trend holds then any wrong turns I make will be on empty roads, which I think I should survive.

Speed limits here are recommended. In my two weeks of being here I have seen two police vehicles total, and only one was monitoring traffic. However, there are cameras monitoring speed and traffic lights – which are called robots for a reason to be determined (one of my etymological puzzles for the sumer) – and one must be prepared to receive a fine roughly 30 days after the offense is documented. The biggest joke concerning cameras is that there are signs announcing their presence on the same post as the speed limits. No camera sign = optional speed limits. Camera sign = permission to drive 9 km over the speed limit before a fine, and then you wait until you pass a sign without camera designation and drive as quickly as everyone else.

I don’t believe there is left turn on red, but since I have no certainty I have not ruled it out…
There are essentially two styles of vehicles on the road. First, and most common, are small cars. My Corolla is about average, possibly a notch above average. We zip in and out, accelerate and brake quickly, and fit nicely in most parking scenarios (whether a lot, street, on a curb, in a field, you get the idea). Second are “Cumbi’s.” That spelling may be incorrect, but these function as taxis and are reminiscent of the old VW vans and are known for two things. The first is their “expandability,” referring to the unknown number of passengers that often seems to be well over physical possibility. The second is the name of a South African distance runner famous for tripping up the last U.S. woman who was close to placing in a distance event at one of the 1980s Olympics. They get this name because they may trip up traffic but never seem to stop. Except for unloading, at which point they may stop in any lane they choose.

My biggest frustration and challenge at this point in the realm of driving is the turn signal located on the right side of the steering wheel. I often find myself turning on windshield wipers instead of signaling my turn. The signal is even more optional here than in the U.S. (who’s watching, right?) but I cringe every time the windshield wipes screech across a dry windshield. I really do.