You think your traffic is bad?

[Astro_Bot]

Then check this out: Meskel Square, Addis Ababa (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEIn8GJIg0E)

The traffic is crazy enough, but the pedestrians? :eyepop:

[mental4astro]

HA! That's amazing!:lol:

Very apt song that the video runs with. The chorus says "for me, to be happy, I want a truck!" Too right! :lol:

[Octane]

omg...

H

[AstralTraveller]

One minute 54 seconds without an accident. What's the problem?

[tlgerdes]

Yeah, but at least the traffic is flowing. I've been in some great traffic jams OS.

[Monstar]

No rules, love it.

[Moonboy]

There seems to be a lot of blue cars with white tops and about 50% of the cars are spewing out black smoke....

And I don't know why, but this video was suggested after watching that. :lol:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jidziKYG9jk

[desler]

That is one very interesting watch, difficult to believe all the peds made it across the intersection!

Daz

[Hans Tucker]

Friends came back from Thailand and describe a similar situation with the traffic there. No apparent rules but it somehow works and the biggest thing of all...No Road Rage.

[Matt Wastell]

Has a life of its own - a fascinating watch!

[big_dav_2001]

I can definately confirm the traffic in Thailand. I got stuck on a tour bus trying to re-enter Bangkok after a tour to Kanchantanaburi (?spelling) and the Bridge on the River Kwai. We were on the outskirts of the city, in total gridlock for 1.5 hours, when a police officer came wandering along. The driver then suggested we all get off and walk to the nearest train station, as the police offer said it would take at least another two hours to clear the jam.

Even when the traffic is flowing, speed limits seem to just be a suggestion, pedestrian crossings are for decoration, and the dotted lane markings are simply pointing out that there can be another lane between the existing ones. Most disturbing though, the Tuk-Tuk driver we hired for the day would often wait in the nearest bar with a beer while we went off and saw the sights.

Crossing the road was horrifying the first few times, especially in our 'lessened state of awareness' (ie drunk ;) )... Best tip was to not hesitate, don't look at the cars, keep your eyes forward and they'll stop or go around, which they all did without as single fuss or yell.

But at the same time, it's a kind of controlled chaos, we saw not a single accident, and nobody seems worried about road rage.

Davin

[gary]

As crazy as that one is, I've had the knuckle-tightening experience
of having driven in more intense and chaotic intersections in cities such
as Nairobi where if you come through unscathed, the clearances will
only have been in millimetres. :lol:

It is important for the driver and pedestrian alike to remember the
side mirrors.

However the ultimate I have seen for sheer bedlam was a place in Karachi
that a travelling companion and I simply named "The Intersection".

Whenever there was a desire for raw entertainment, we would
sometimes say to each other, "Let's go to The Intersection" where
a great show was always guaranteed. Man, machine and animal would
pit against each other in constant conflict and death-defying stunts and
the sound of crunching vehicles was always ensured on any visit, no
matter what time of the day or night.

[Exfso]

Holy cow, looks like ants during a frenzy...

[Varangian]

Well-oiled machine. The great thing about Addis Ababa is that there are no tourists driving around to stuff it up. If you played it in real time it wouldn't look so crazy.

[Meru]

Haha! Great video, though coming from India I must say that looks like a good day and not peak traffic :P

[Kevnool]

The pedestrians are cool to watch.

Cheers