Culture and Driving

I for one have traveled many places in the world and meet so many great people. I read about how Americans screw up when driving in other countries. While in the states our driving laws are going down hill in many ways I thought I'd just share the driving laws in my wifes home country. I am not bashing anyone or any drivers but face it the rules of the road depend upon culture and these rules apply to Manila as I observed them real life.

Lanes: They are clearly marked on the pavement if there are two lanes understand lane travel markers are a general guideline. If 6 small cars or Jeepneys can fit in the 2 lanes it is ok.

Making Left: This can be done from any lane of travel if you toot the horn and play chicken and 1 inch clearence.

Making Right: Apply making a left rule.

Stop Lights:
A. During the day even if you have a green two small toots by the people against the red light mean they are proceeding with caution through the red light.
B. At night one long honk your not slowing down and going against the red light.
C. At Night two short honks your procedding with caution against the red light.
D. You stop for the Red light you must turn off your lights until the light changes.

One Way Streets: It ok to go the wrong way as long as you do it late at night and blow your horn and don't give in.

So after 18 years I drove one time in Manila just to make the driver turn as white as I did on my first car ride there. :) American miltary are all over the world and do they screw up driving yep, they are young foolish and on leave and all to often drink to much. An excuse nope just the real world and the culture of where one is at and I for one usually appericate it very much.

Add to that 'the biggest vehicle always has right of way' and you've nailed the driving rules for rural eastern Ky and most of West Virginia.

I'm teaching S/O to drive right now. She'd kill me if she knew I was disclosing this but here it is. She's never driven before and I some how know what you are talking about. Quite frightening really. The left lanes are fair game with her, the shoulder is not safe on either side, and the bicyclists in the correct location don't worry about getting dinged from behind but about getting broadsided. The blinkers are a commodity that isn't to be trifled with, the clutch is not really needed to downshift and I don't even ask her to stop at the stop lights or signs any more. She's native Oregonian and has really just backed my claims that Oregonians are the worst drivers in the Continental US.
I back this by having driven most of the States on motorcycle and the Oregonians plain out right scare the crap out of me. It seems all the places I've been, Mexico, Canada, Spain, Australia and nearly all of our 50 states Oregon has the worst drivers.

Amusing post about Manila

Lived in Oregon a number of years in the late 70's or so everone knows there that at the end of the freeway on-ramp you stop and think real hard if you actually want to get on. As for my wife sent her to driving school as we pulled into the parking lots and I said s-l-o-w down she reminded me she knew what she was doing as we proceeded to get high centerd on an island in front of the driving instructor, yep made her go to class by the time she got back I got the car off the island :)