Out of the way white man!

Yes, I actually yelled those words from our car as we drove to work earlier this week. I’ve become a psycho. I’ve been driving on the left side of the road, dodging potholes and Matatus (Kenyan local transport vans) for 6 weeks now and I am a changed man.

I’ve driven in some crazy situations before, driving a motorcycle regularly through Manhattan, taking a 4WD down the coast of Costa Rica through rivers and streams, or navigating my way along the coast of Spain north of Barcelona with 1000ft drops looming off to the side. All of those….merely training wheels.

Our first week here, we were saddled with a mini suv to drive to work everyday which is an easy drive down the coast, with limited traffic or obstacles. After a few weeks of that we got adventurous. It was decided that our little 4WD vehicle could serve as a safari vehicle for a day. After avoiding both elephants and antelopes on a road that was barely suitable for walking, my confidence grew. Now, there is nothing they can throw at me that I can’t handle…goats, cows, wheel barrels, monkeys, huge ditches across half the road, mud, lakes, rivers, streams, hills, mountains, armed police….I’ve got them all.

Numerous Kenyan driving adventures later, I’ve come to a number of conclusions. First, the horn is a means of communication and should be used liberally. It has many meanings and uses and without it we would be in a world of silence and confusion. Second, despite their apparent lack of comprehension of driving laws, there is a method to the madness of local drivers and I’m convinced that if I do get in an accident it is because some European driver in their new Land Rover decided that they should let the pedestrians cross in front of them at will. (If they see a car coming, they’ll wait, get it!). Third, both lanes really are for driving both ways. Passing other cars, buses and trucks is a test of wills and is considered a right of passage similar to the Maasi tribe male teenagers killing a lion to prove their worth. Pass or be passed, 2, 3, 4 cars, whatever it takes. Just don’t get passed by a white guy.