"I don't think I can drive here," an officemate of Carol on a work visit from London remarked while observing traffic from the backseat of a service limousine. Another, a newly-arrived Malaysian expat, thought he could and tried; he promptly learned overconfidence doesn't pay. His rented car got badly smashed at the back and he had to skip work for two days to iron out details of the accident with the traffic police. But his was not an isolated case; new expats getting involved in minor and at times major car crashes is a common occurrence.

Driving in any foreign land could indeed be a burden many would gladly forego. Lack of familiarity with the place and with the driving habits of the resident motorists is enough to scare anyone from trying. But, driving in Doha is not optional. If you have a family, it even becomes an urgent necessity. Up until this year, the only means of public transportation are taxis. This year buses have also been introduced in preparation for the Asian Games this December. But, they are not always available and sometimes in order to get them one has to walk long distances under sweltering heat. One has no choice but to go private. But then that's when the adventure begins.

The unorthodox driving styles of some motorists here could be at the very least annoying. Certainly, nobody enjoys being cut or side swiped or honked at. In some cases, these behaviors are enough to trigger IED (Intermittent Explosive Disorder) or road rage in the innocent victims, making matters worse. But one would go crazy if one were to be upset with every discourteous maneuver of the others. Thus, keeping in mind that majority of the drivers come from all over the world bringing with them all sorts of weird driving habits, I have adapted a more proactive attitude and just treat a questionable move as an amusing adventure.

Many times, as I cruise at the speed limit in one of the major roads, I look at the rear mirror and see a car that appears like a small dot very far behind. I blink and look again. This time the dot has already filled the whole rear view mirror and is already overtaking me. It immediately disappears in front of my eyes before I can tell whether it is a Ferrari or Lamborghini or an ordinary SUV. Hey, this is like the autobahn of Germany,' I often tell Carol. Over speeding is a mild term to refer to how fast they go.

Once, Carol called my attention because she saw a driver drinking coffee while passing us from the right. What's wrong with drinking coffee? In Holland, they even take their breakfast behind the wheel. But he was using a porcelain mug with gold handle, maybe a part of their dinnerware set. He must have so much confidence in his driving that he didn't need a spill-proof cup. I was left wondering how he managed not to spill his coffee in the roundabouts.


But, nothing beats what I saw. The driver of a BMW van was having an animated conversation on his mobile phone while his left leg was resting on the dashboard. I had to look twice to confirm that I saw what I saw. His car must be new because the seats were still wrapped in plastic. Obviously, he was trying to announce to the world he didn't need his left foot and left hand to drive because his car is automatic. At least, he was more creative than many Dutch who send out the same message by leaving their left hand dangling out of the window.

The "Keep Right except to pass" rule is not practical here. It could even be unsafe. You are cruising at 80 KPH at the right lane and suddenly, without any warning, the car in front of you slows down to 20 KPH to turn right or perhaps another cuts in at the same snail speed from a side street and never bothers to go any faster. You can either brake abruptly and risk being bumped by a tailgating car or switch to the fast lane and risk being run over by huge over speeding SUVs. The absence of acceleration or deceleration lanes makes joining or leaving a major road something close to a Russian roulette.

And then there are the roundabouts, millions of them; almost every intersection is a roundabout. No, they are not a source of amusement for me anymore. The only thing amusing about them is their names TV Roundabout, Parachute Roundabout, Burger King Roundabout, Rainbow Roundabout, etc. and maybe the fact that they have names at all. For Carol and Josemarie, they are a source of dizziness as they are more vulnerable to the G-Force one is subjected to inside the circular path. Once, after a rather long trip that brought us to the outskirt of the city and through thirty roundabouts, Carol and Josemarie remained seated in the car for a while. Carol said they were waiting for their blood to flow back to the other side of their body.


After going through at least eight roundabouts a day for four years in Holland, I should find them easy. But, compared to the small, one-lane roundabouts of Holland, the ones here are big and with three lanes. It could be quite confusing as to when and where to join. But, the rule is actually simple. The innermost lane is for those turning left, the middle for those going straight, and the outermost for those turning right. Thus, in principle, if one stays in the correct lane, one does not have to cross path with other vehicles. Those turning right can go in and exit anytime using the outermost lane; those going straight or turning left will have to wait until the innermost and middle lane are clear before moving in. Also, as a result, there should be four dead spots or unused stretches of the outermost lane: these areas are usually used by taxis to pick up passengers or by some enterprising individuals to carry out business meetings. So, in theory, roundabouts are supposed to be wonderful inventions to keep the traffic flowing.

But, that is as good as they can get. In practice, people do not know the rules and follow their instinct instead or perhaps they do but choose to ignore them just the same. Many times, as I negotiate the circular path inside the roundabout, I just have to give way to somebody overtaking me from the right (who is not supposed to be there) or to a speeding car coming in from outside and certainly does not have the priority. Others try to stand up for their rights and end up colliding with those who don't respect them. And this happens very often making the roundabouts the regular venue for minor accidents.

Moreover, roundabouts are great only when the volume of traffic is low. But, during rush hours they become choke points where only the brave dare to tread.


Since there are always cars inside, you will have to wait for that small break, that split second moment, when you can reasonably insert yourself in with success. This moment requires a lot of concentration and decisiveness. A moment of hesitation could be disastrous. It helps to have a powerful engine for this operation. The alternative is to wait forever and go deaf listening to the horn of the car behind. A Dutch officemate of Carol gave a simple tip on how to join roundabouts: don't look, just get in. In fact, some motorists do just that. They bully their way in by approaching the roundabouts at high speed without looking, forcing the cars already in the roundabout to give way.

There are other factors that make driving here unique and challenging. But, I think the key to survival is defensive driving. Luckily, I had the chance to practice it during our one-month vacation in Manila before we came here. And having driven for many years with both the free-for-all Filipino mentality and the strictly regimented European frame of mind, I feel confident I can continue driving here and live to tell. At least, I think I am in a better position than the Malaysian officemate of Carol who, after his traumatic crash, decided to buy a big SUV to feel safer only to conclude later that a truck would have been a better choice. And better still than another British officemate of hers who declared he could drive in Doha or anywhere else except in Manila.

 

 

Munting Nayon News Magazine