Change in traffic rules.....

Driving around in this country, one gets a very nasty feeling of traffic
rules having been changed without road users being officially informed
about them.

The following are some of the most irritating...

1. Pedestrians have become totally irresponsible when they are either
alighting from public transport and/or crossing roads. They never seem
to bother to look right or left before stepping into the path of an
oncoming vehicle. Could this be because, when there is an accident,
NOBODY bothers asking the suicidal pedestrian if s/he bothered checking
before deciding to cross? It is ALWAYS assumed that it is the driver's
fault and everybody descends on him/her without a bit of evidence. And
to add insult to injury, the offending pedestrian is NEVER taken to
task. In other countries which apply better laws on the road, even
charge pedestrians for this misdemeanour, not just the driver.

2. On a highway, we are taught in driving schools, slow and heavy
traffic is supposed to stick to the left lane leaving the right one free
for faster traffic and for overtaking. But, in this country the rules
have been reversed and one gets the impression that all of the slower
traffic drivers were trained in countries where they drive on the right.
Nearly every slow traffic will be populating the fast lane thereby
forcing the other faster lot to overtake from the wrong side and making
them highly frustrated when both lanes have slow moving lumbering
nincompoops.

3. Traffic police seem to be able to do nothing about all of this,
either. They never seem to enforce the right traffic rules.

4. Having people selling all kinds of things at intersections. This
creates traffic jams when cars ahead start stopping to buy things from
these vendors not to mention that it is a dangerous pursuit in this age
of people being robbed and held up. How does one know that a vendor is
not a crook in disguise? Again, can't the traffic police regulate this
as well as the umpteen beggars/crooks(?), who also descend at your
window the minute you stop?

5. Matatus and tuk tuks stop and turn anywhere they wish, with
impunity. God help the person who tangles with them! They have become
awful pests.

Can the people and police concerned please bring order back onto our roads?