Traffic (Dun dun Dunnnnnnnnnn)!!!!

There is simply no way to describe Philippine traffic. There are very few hard and fast rules. One of the rules is “Go with the Flow”. Lines on the roads are suggestions. Drivers will easily make 2 lanes into 4 lanes. They move in and out. There is a certain sense of cooperation, as everyone just goes with the flow. A second rule is that he whose bumper is ahead has the right of way. People will signal (or not) and move directly and quickly in front of you. You have to learn when to give way. If you leave a space someone will quickly fill it, whether they need to or not. It’s a compulsion. And you’ll never get anywhere unless you learn to stick your bumper out and move into another lane. But don’t look over your shoulder or they won’t let you in. If you are trying to break into traffic, such as when you have to make a   u-turn (the only way to change direction on major roads. There are very few traffic light and left turns). You just have to keep slowly moving your nose into the traffic until someone is forced to give way. The next scary thing is the motor bikes. 1000s on the streets as they are cheap and they buzz in and out like they had a death wish. Elder Staton calls them “bumble bees” and we agree. They actually have frequent fatal accidents. The guy on the motor bike always loses. Then there are the jeepneys, which are an open-air small bus. They navigate as though they had road priority. There are lots of those too. And then there are the “tricycles”. These are motorbikes with a cab to the side. All in all the roads are an un-choreographed dance that simply has to be experienced to understand. Bruce is doing quite well. We have decided that if it take us 15 or 20 minutes longer because we are less aggressive, that it is okay. I think I will just let him do the driving until we do long hauls out into the provinces.