Rules of the Road 101

Greetings from sunny Parakou, where the dust never settles, the smoky cooking fires never cease, and the shouts of “Baturi!” (“white person”) greet you along every road.

I’ve lost track of time out here, as I’m in the African time zone where the hours, days, and weeks all melt together; but based on my calendar, I’ve been here nearly a month and am settling in nicely.

I moved into my apartment on the mission compound just after Christmas and was very thankful that my parents came to visit from Niger and helped me get set up and unpacked while I focused on learning my responsibilities in the office.

Outside of the office, I have dedicated my time to mastering the spiderweb-like roads of Parakou on my new “moto” (motorbike). I bought a shiny, red 100cc Yamaha scooter off the former treasurer, and after a minor altercation with the cement curb in the mission parking lot, I’ve been quite pleased with my moto. Parakou has many paved and cobblestone roads, complete with traffic lights and road signs, however I quickly learned that many of these “road signs” are really just for aesthetic purposes, and actually attempting to obey some of the signs could be downright hazardous. For example, the Pedestrian sign is rather misleading, because to the uninformed, it gives the false impression that Pedestrians have right-of-way.

Rules of the Road

1. Pedestrians Signs: Pedestrians NEVER have right-of-way; signs are only to alert drivers that they should be prepared to honk or swerve around foolish pedestrians attempting to cross the road.

2. Stop Signs: Could indicate a major intersection, but actually stopping would be suicidal, as the motorists following you would be forced to swerve around you, honking and gesturing angrily at your traffic “faux-pas.”


3. Signal Lights: The preferred method of signaling on a moto is using one’s hand to point. However, this should not be confused with moto drivers using their hands in conversation with their passenger(s), or waving to friend on the roadside, or just pointing into the distance for no apparent reason. The best way to determine whether a moto is turning or not, is to carefully scrutinize the lean or tilt of the driver’s upper body, indicating which direction he or she is planning to turn.


4. Speed Limits: There are speed limit signs posted around town, but the general rule of thumb for speed here, is to go as fast as your moto will allow, restricted only by pot holes, goats, chickens, and unmarked speed bumps. Speed “bumps” here are constructed in a manner that makes them similar to hitting a 6 inch cement curb, so it is best to quickly learn where these unmarked speed bumps exist and slow down accordingly.


5. Traffic Lights: These are my favorite, because depending on many variables, including power shortages, the traffic lights may or may not be functioning. So, when the lights are functioning, local traffic allows a period of grace for motos and some vehicles after the light turns red. Unless you are a foreigner, then you must stop at the orange light, otherwise risk a hefty fine from the police man resting under the tree. Once the first person stops, everyone following usually stops, and then the motos begin to line up, all jockeying for the front position, and soon the swarm of scooters is covering both lanes of the entire road. Amazingly enough, when the light turns green, the motos all move forward and funnel onto the right side of the road to avoid oncoming traffic.


6. Left Turns: Turning left is a bit of an art here, whether you’re driving a moto or a car. Signaling can be used, but not at all required, and is really misleading because the left turning signal means many different things in local traffic, so is rarely used for actually making a left turn. So, begin by easing into the middle of the road, however understand that traffic coming behind you will continue swarm around both sides of you, and even if you left signal is on, people will continue to pass you on the left hand side, so you must be very aware of the oncoming traffic and traffic behind you. To avoid stopping in the middle of the road, it’s best to cross over to the opposite lane whenever you can, and then continue driving on the shoulder into oncoming traffic until your left turn arrives. Once you have turned left, it’s perfectly acceptable to remain on the left side of the road for a while, continuing to drive on the shoulder of oncoming traffic and waiting for an opportunity to wander back onto the right-hand side of the road.


7. Pot Holes: These are objects that govern the flow and direction of traffic, it is important to swerve around these no matter what, ignoring oncoming traffic or other vehicles/motorbikes around you. Swerving around pot holes is most effective at high speeds, slowing down is only for the faint of heart.


8. Use of Horn: Honking rarely indicates driver frustration, but rather represents a complex road language, depending on the length or volume of the horn, and how many times it is repeated. Here are some examples of how the horn can be used to communicate with other motorists or pedestrians:
   
1. Single short horn: A friendly “Hello” or a notice to pedestrians/children to be aware of traffic.


2. Double short horn: Notify other motorists that you’re passing them on the left, or a zemi-jean (moto taxi) soliciting his services.


3. Single long horn: “Hey!” – could be an annoyed “hey”, or just a slight reprimand to another motorist not obeying any one of the 7 rules listed above.


4. Double short, then long horn (and repeat): “GET OUT OF THE WAY!!” (generally used by large trucks or buses). Either the driver’s brakes do not work, or they are in a hurry, or just a very important person who wants to know that he or she is important and traffic should give way (this is also signaled by the use of headlights during daylight or dusk hours).

Those are the general traffic rules I have observed so far, so I’m doing my best to adapt my driving skills avoid any collisions in the confusion.

Prior to my arrival in Parakou, I was quite excited about learning the local language in town, Bariba; however now that I’m here, I found out that not only is Bariba spoken in town, but also a mixture of about a dozen other languages! Everyone speaks French, but selecting a single local language to learn is difficult, because every person I meet speaks a different language. My new language plan is to at least learn “hello” in various local languages, and then I’ll have to decide which one I want to focus on learning in more detail. Learning a few key words in any local language is very helpful for bartering in the markets, but that’s a whole different subject for another day I think. So until next time, or in one of the many local languages, Yom: “gna-mu-seht!” (spelling unknown, wrote it like it sounds…)