Challenging One’s Humanity

I mentioned in the last post that we bought a car here.  Driving poses many challenges, aside from the matatu drivers who have no respect for traffic laws (line in the middle of the road… what’s that for?) and the left sided driving (legacy of British colonialism).  There’s also the mind-numbing traffic, which can turn anyone into a road raged maniac.

But aside from all these challenges, there’s another category of road scams that we’ve heard about.  For example, perhaps you see someone having an apparent seizure by the side of the road.  Your instinct is to stop, perhaps take them to the hospital.  But you can’t do that because there is a good likelihood that it is all part of scam to get you to stop, open your car, while bandits come and steal your stuff.  (By the way, stuff in this case also includes your baby, so this is not just about material possessions.)   Also, I was told in no uncertain terms by DW’s friend that I was NEVER to stop for someone hurt on the road, whether I caused an accident or not.  If I stop, I will certainly be blamed for whatever occurred.  These kinds of “rules of the road” really challenge my notion of what is good and decent in the world.  I have stopped many times in the U.S. when I witness an accident, to make sure I give a statement to the cops.  It’s the right thing to do.  I need to maintain a sense of decency amidst this new context.

There are other things to be aware of when driving.  The police are not your friends.  The rules were laid out for me:

- Never make eye contact with a traffic cop.  Don’t smile, don’t wave, don’t acknowledge.
- Never stop for a police officer, unless of course they are standing directly in your way.
- If you must stop, only roll down your window an inch, never more, to talk with them.
- Find a way not to go with them to the police station.  If this means offering a bribe, do it.
- Don’t offer too low a bribe (because then they will accuse you of trying to bribe them) and don’t offer too high a bribe (because then they will understand how deep your pockets go.)
- Try to avoid tangling with the police.

We’re trying to drive smartly.  Windows up, doors locked at all times.  But this kind of living also has an effect on you.  Fear becomes the undertone to mobility.  I know I don’t want to live in a constant state of fear.