Gordon has quickly
come to realize that driving in Botswana is a lot more fun than in
Ontario. In saying so, I would say he
has dome most of the driving on this trip; followed by Binnie. I prefer to be driven in my semi-retirement!
So, what kind of
driving has Gordon been up to?
While he will drive
over to his grandmother’s (Mma Binnie) and pick her up and bring her to our
house for supper and to stay the night.
She has bad arthritis and finds it painful to walk at times.
He may be dispatched
to pick up Mma Binnie and take her to church; later, he’ll get a cell call to
come bring her home.
Thus, he must
negotiate the sandy, dusty laneways that snake between houses and yards and
through a labyrinth of properties that are neither signposted or
identified. Just like a giant corn maze.
He 2nd
order of trips is around the village to run errands. Over to the grocery store to get milk and
supplies; over to the hardware store to get an extension cord; over to the post
office to check Mma Binnie’s post box for mail.
This driving is a
bit more predictable with defined paved roads once you come off the feeder
laneways.
However, you have to
have eyes looking in 3 directions at once; front and to the two sides; you never know when a car in front of you is
going to stop without any warning; from the sides you have to watch for cars
appearing out of nowhere since there is no curbs and you can access the paved
road from almost any spot; not to mention donkeys and goats who decide to cross
the road at the last possible moment.
At “T” intersections
you have to be extremely vigilant because you never know who is going to stop
or whether a vehicle is turning or not.
A high percentage of the time the physical stop sign will be missing
although the post is still there?
The third level of
driving is the 42 km commute into the capital Gaborone. This entails highway driving and in-city high
density driving.
Botswana seems to
have 3 speed limits, these being 60 kph, 80 kph and 120 kph.
Thinks about
that. Botswana’s highest posted limit is
20 kph higher than the 400 series of motorways in Canada.
Consequently, a trip
to the City takes you from wide open stretches of relatively vacant land where
the posted limit is 120 to build up areas and villages where the speed limit
drops to 80 and 60. In the villages
there are always speed bumps that really force you down to 60.
The open areas are
like a mini grand prix since the 2-lane road twists and bends in sweeping
curves and you can just let her rip (along with everyone else!). Nothing like ”letting your hair down” as they
say.
I am one of those
people who firmly believe we have over-engineered our roads and vehicles in
North America. We try and make
everything scientifically and engineering-wise as safe as can be. That then lulls a driver into a false sense
of security and attitude. Better to
make the road a little bit more dangerous and force a driver to concentrate and
to monitor what he or she is doing.
In Botswana the road
system is 100% worse than in Ontario but I would prefer to drive here any
day. You are involved in your driving and
you are focused on what you are doing.
In Ontario you find countless things to distract you when you drive
because it is so safe.
How many times each
winter when there is a pile-up on the 401 we say, people were not paying
attention to the road conditions?
In the city the
volume of traffic with cars, trucks, taxis and buses goes up through the
roof. Quite honestly Gaborone suffers a
lot because of too many vehicles and not an efficient road system. As with other big cities around the world,
the road network has not kept up to demand.
Thus, in one sense
congestion tends to help with driving conditions since it is hard to get up to
any speed. That is not to say that the
chance of collision disappears however because of so many vehicles doing
strange and wonderful turning movements!
No letting your
concentration drop at all.
Finally, it must be
noted that policing does exist and there are speed traps with laser “radar”
guns here and there and a semi-permanent police check halfway to the capital
where vehicle lights, turning singles and horns, etc. are checked not to
mention drinking and driving.
Thus, rather than
avoiding the drive into and back from Gaborone, Gordon enjoys the challenge and
often takes the helm.
At least he has not
been involved in an accident with donkeys like his mother!
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