What flashed before my eyes was not my life, but it might as well have been. I felt closer to God than I ever had in church (and I´ve felt the spirit move a time or two), but this was a whole ´nother out-of-body experience.
Driving in Madrid...(technically, riding).
No defensive driving class could have prepared me for the Spanish version, which I refer to as offensive driving ... in both senses of the word. The danger of which can be attributed to two main factors.
The first problem is street design. There are no grid-like streets and uniform lanes (apparently this is a foolish American concept). Los calles (streets) and avenidas (avenues) of Madrid curve around each other to form complex circles, veer off into narrow one-way alleys, dip down steep angular slopes directly into oncoming traffic. Sometimes, there are stop signs or traffic lights, but most of them are tucked behind more important signage like "Sexo in Nueva York"* or "Hulk"* billboards.
Fortunately, the street names are clearly marked...if you can manage to escape being blind-sided by a "smart car" before you reach the intersection.
The city should be renamed Labyrinth.
Adding insults to potential injury are the drivers. All of whom appear to have received their driver´s licences at a miltary training facility. The motto is cut off or be cut off, flip off or be flipped off, honk or be honked at. As one driver sped through the intersection, fist pumping out the window, I believe I heard him say (and my Spanish is not that good) something about tu madre. *shrugs*
I am told that, in older cities all over the world, driving can be like this. The streets and buildings were designed hundreds of years ago, before cars and the word "signal"...which clearly has no translation in Spanish. There´s not much anybody can do. What can I say? When in Madrid...do as the Romans (pillage and conquer?)...no, walk.
One thing I know for sure... Red light may or may not mean stop, Green light usually means go, but Yellow light means "go very fast"... all over the world.
4 comments:
me encanta su blog! y me encanta espana, el pais de mi madre. entonces, recomiendo que visites el norte de espana. hay muchas ciudades muy linda como bilbao, san sebastian, santiago de compostela, y mi favorita--santander. yo creo que el sardinero (la playa de santander) es una de las playas mas bellas de europa. entonces, me gusta el norte mas del sur de espana...la atmosfera y el ambiente es muy diferente que madrid y el sur. espero que tenga una buena visita!
Kat, gracias por tu recomendaciones. Espero visitar el norte si mi puede.
Stay tuned for more!
oh my jesus (hey' zoos).
Faith, i have ridden with you in houston. Not to sound cynical, but i wouldn't reccomend that you do any driving while in spain.... or brazil.... or africa .... or houston... Just my two cents.
In lagos Nigeria like many other places there are no street lights so in that case.... everything means go.
The only speed limit is the traffic and it does to good of a job.. most people use motor bikes if they can afford it. Cars... espicially big black europena or american cars with tinted or regular windows are heavy targets for street venders. People who clean your wind ow with dirty water for no reason when its already clean and when u refuse to pay they spit on your window.
T~T
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