Driving Licences and Derring Do

After 3 months of haggling with tuk tuks and wading through red tape, we got our Sri Lankan driving licences, hurrah!! This seriously tempted me to commit a deliberate offence, like speaking on the phone whilst driving, just so I could get pulled over (tho experience tells me no one gets 'done' for this particular offence) and have my SRI LANKAN driving licence inspected. The police and military are always so surprised when an ex pat has one. Probably because they know the ordeal required to obtain one. Though I don't know how people drive without one. Officially it's the only way you are allowed to...

I had a prang within weeks of getting our hire car, (whilst I was stationary.) A guy had unfortunately spilt his sack of breads on the road and, as if by magic, a traffic policeman appeared and started directing traffic (they usually do this in 3s in totally unnecssary places...) Anyway I felt the car wobble slightly and a guy in a jeep had pulled out of a parking place and gone into the side of my car! I was being beeped at and waved frantically on by the policeman so I drove off. I am told that to be able to claim from insurance you AND the perpetrator have to go to the police station on the same day (if he agrees to of course!) and get a police report. It takes ages. Also it only costs $2 or $3 to get a paint job or even to fix huge smashes is very cheap, so no one bothers with the hassle of claiming. No wonder insurance is so cheap....

Driving, as in many developing countries, is utterly crazy. People join main rds from side rds as if they have right of way, with no perceptible slowing down at all. No one indicates, (except in an entirely random fashion) people stop suddenly, change lane for no reason AND vehicles ON the roundabout give way to those joining it, which makes for quite hair-raising experiences at these junctions, and of course it means the whole principle of them doesn't work! I wonder what Sri Lankans wd do in Swindon with those multiple roundabouts....?

And as for the buses. I can see I will be returning to this subject another time......

People also step out in front of you to cross the road. I have swerved, braked and screeched to halts many times before now to avoid maiming those who play the National past-time of chicken. I have actually hit a man too, I'm ashamed to admit. He was fine, fortunately. I was filtering left, driving through a GREEN light. The two lanes next to me were going straight ahead and were on a red light. A man just walked out from in front of these two lanes where he was obscured from my vision, and walked across my path, without looking ONCE. The verbal abuse I got for daring to drive my car, on a road, through a green light was unnerving........

But in general boy, has the car made a difference. Life suddenly seems SO much easier. It does give you a much more removed perspective. It felt quite strange having been out in the heat , dust and traffic hassle for 3 mths. I am supremely grateful for the privilege of having it I must say.