How to Drive like a Cambodian: Part 1

An average day in the Kingdom...

Over the past few months, the Kingdom's traffic has become awful. In August 2012, I started to notice my errands taking longer and longer. Around September 2012 a Cambodia Daily report shared that tens of thousands of new motos and thousands of cars have been added to the roads over the last year. The number of roads is static, road quality is not (that is decreasing). Many sections of town are getting some sort of new underground piping system, so numerous roads are out of commission, leading to greater congestion.

To cope in this increasingly dog-eat-dog, you must fully commit to Khmer road moves. Originally, I thought this would be one post. Yet as I continued to reflect, observe and process my growing intolerance towards fellow drivers, I concluded this would have to be a two-part series. There are just too many bad driving decisions one can make in the Kingdom. I keep observing new ways to break the law and bother everyone else. Much frustration comes from the sentiment that I am already driving on the edge of reckless (sometimes, just sometimes), so why do I feel like I'm constantly loosing? But if anything, life is not fair, and I must stomach my pride.

For the record, we drive on the right side of the road in the Kingdom (former French colony).

Keep Moving: As a general moto driving rule, you don't want to stop. The goal is to constantly move forward. Preferably, no one else has to stop either. As a result, you weave around everything, slowing down, but not stopping unless it's completely necessary.

Wrong Sides: Suppose that you just can't get across the road because there is so much oncoming traffic. Rather than wait patiently, you may start driving slowly, against traffic, very close to the curb, on the wrong side of the road. You may thus creep slowly until an opening in traffic when you quickly pull into the correct lane at full speed. (Oddly enough, this is one of the few times that people will use their indicators, demonstrating they are trying to cross, as if justifying the sin). Often people will start by creeping on the wrong side, right out of the gate.

Sightless Rights: If you need to turn right, don't bother checking for oncoming traffic. Mysteriously, no one ever looks, ever. Just pull right and pray that other drivers will swerve to accommodate you.

Double Lefties: Say you reach a T-intersection and need to turn left. Don't sit in the middle of the road and try to turn. Get to the furthest left possible so that you're smack in the path of anyone turning right.

Passing Effectively: Careful drivers pass on the right. Aggressive drivers pass on the left, swerving into oncoming traffic. Idiots weave through traffic while conducting a combination of both. Pass for everything going a fraction of a half-second slower than you. You will encounter interesting combinations; ex. truck is passing car which is passing moto which is passing tuk tuk which is avoiding pothole. By that point, there's no lane for oncoming traffic which presents other problems.

Placement Particulars: As a general rule cars drive on the left close to the median and motos drive on the right by the curb. Bikes stay as close to the curb as possible.

Lexus>Cars>Motos>tuktuks>bikes>people: This is the social order. Often cars and Lexus will drive down the center of the road honking all the way, expecting the wave of motos to open like a sea before them. This will frequently occur and motos will move. I feel obligated to drive slow in front of a honking car because though it's perhaps old-fashioned, but I still think public roads are for the entire public.

Defensive Horns: As a general rule, a moto will use one's horn in a friendly manner, I'm here, don't hit me. Rarely is it used as an expression of anger. The car will use the horn with entitlement, I'm here, so MOVE! I must admit that I try to use mine for public shaming. I can't say that it's working.