Road rules

I have been meaning to write something about Jambi’s insane traffic for some time, mulling possible introductions as I adapt to the culture of weaving and honking one’s way through traffic.  Tonight seems like the most fitting time to write about this topic though since I just got into my first traffic accident.  I swear it really wasn’t my fault.  Traffic in Indonesia is notorious for its nightmarish congestion and paucity of law abiding drivers only encouraged by the lack of law enforcing officers.  Jakarta is much worse in comparison and I have heard over 100 people die every day in accidents there.  It all stems from the lax driving rules and hazardous consequence of drivers that do not undergo any driver’s training or testing as we do in the US.  I am even afraid when I get in my roommate’s car because she is honestly challenged at maneuvering and… um… going straight.

In Jambi, during just a short drive through town it is common to see multiple motor bikes driving against traffic along the side of the road and many cars and bikes crossing the center line as if it allows them a special passing lane and is not actually endangering many lives by challenging oncoming traffic.  That is just called “passing on the right side” (remember we drive on the left side of the road here).  But I like to call it the “third lane.”  So I haven’t gotten accustomed to this and pay close attention to the cars that may abruptly stop in front of me and the motor bikers whose next direction is impossible to predict.

Today though, all my care to avoid collision was not enough when a woman drove her motorbike directly across the road in front of me.  There was no real intersection here, no stop sign, but she wanted to cross the road.  I slammed on my brakes but I still hit her side on and we both fell off our motorbikes.  What followed was the normal swarm of Indonesians that love to see an accident as well as a few helpful guys that pulled me and my bike out of the road.  Yelling at someone in a foreign language is actually quite fun too but I have to point out that she started that part too.  I left the scene in a little bit of shock with a bloody elbow and foot but nothing serious.  I had been on my way to meet a woman I give private English classes to and she immediately shuttled me to the hospital to get the wounds cleaned and even paid for the bill!  After our class I went home to relax a bit, and when the slight whiplash set in later in the night I was happy to have a good friends who could relate and also give a dang good Indonesian massage.