These Streets Aren't Yours
“It looks like you’re not from around here.” is the answer I got tonight when I kindly asked the driver coming in the wrong way of the street to move back. “Everyone takes this road in the opposite direction. In Lebanon, my darling (habibé), we don’t have wrong ways.”
Actually, we do have wrong ways in Lebanon. It’s just that nobody respects them.
I live in a one-way street, and disrespectful lawbreakers are something I have to deal with every single day. And as the availability of parking is pretty low around here, I often find myself turning in circles, taking this street many times in a row, coming upon lawbreakers of all kinds. There are those who don’t know, because the sign isn’t clearly visible. And those are not to blame, but they’re rare. The most frequent lawbreakers are those who knowingly and willingly break the law by taking this one-way street in the wrong way.
In Lebanon, it is frequent to witness: 5 lanes of cars on a 3-lane-road, people burning red lights, parking in double and triple lanes (thus blocking a part of the road), parking (and even driving) on the sidewalk, stopping in the middle of the road to chat with someone (or curse them), high-speeding in narrow streets and tunnels, cars going backwards on the highway (after missing a turn), motorcycles slaloming between cars, you name it.
Traffic rules were conceived for a reason. Roads were constructed following a certain plan, certain rules to be respected. Wrong way signs were created for streets that should be taken in a one way only; street lights were created so that cars that meet at crossroads take turns at crossing, thus preventing collisions; blinkers were created to inform other conductors on your forthcoming direction; driving lanes were created because a road can contain only a certain number of car lanes. Adding another lane would just worsen traffic.
Granted, Lebanon’s streets aren’t the best in the world. Some signs and rules don’t seem to make sense, street lights go on and off, and police officers are too busy smoking or conversing to do their job properly. And this is the government’s fault. But before asking for change, the least we, citizens, can do is play our part. The least we can do is RESPECT road regulations.
It’s easy to say “Everyone else is doing it”. Set the example, and others will follow. Stop at red lights, respect priorities, use blinkers, respect parking restrictions, drive within the lanes, do not park (or drive) on sidewalks, try not to block roads, avoid wrong ways. This goes for motorcycles drivers too, who seem to think that traffic rules don’t apply to them. THEY DO.
I sometimes take the time to look at people driving here. I watch them release all their tension, I hear them cursing at each others, I hear them honking all day and all of the night, provoking each others, calling each other names. I see them driving like maniacs, hurrying to wherever they’re going to. I see people lose their lives to irresponsible driving. We’ll never learn how to live together until we respect each other. These streets aren’t yours. You don’t have the right to block the road because you want to take a piss. You don’t have the right to risk someone’s life because you’re in too much of a hurry to stop at a red light.
Some people say we have other issues to deal with, our country has more important problems, traffic rules and such trivialities can wait. I’d like to say to these people that it is those small “trivialities” that make a country what it is. We’ll never learn how to live together until we respect each other. And this goes for everything we share, including our streets.
Actually, we do have wrong ways in Lebanon. It’s just that nobody respects them.
I live in a one-way street, and disrespectful lawbreakers are something I have to deal with every single day. And as the availability of parking is pretty low around here, I often find myself turning in circles, taking this street many times in a row, coming upon lawbreakers of all kinds. There are those who don’t know, because the sign isn’t clearly visible. And those are not to blame, but they’re rare. The most frequent lawbreakers are those who knowingly and willingly break the law by taking this one-way street in the wrong way.
In Lebanon, it is frequent to witness: 5 lanes of cars on a 3-lane-road, people burning red lights, parking in double and triple lanes (thus blocking a part of the road), parking (and even driving) on the sidewalk, stopping in the middle of the road to chat with someone (or curse them), high-speeding in narrow streets and tunnels, cars going backwards on the highway (after missing a turn), motorcycles slaloming between cars, you name it.
Traffic rules were conceived for a reason. Roads were constructed following a certain plan, certain rules to be respected. Wrong way signs were created for streets that should be taken in a one way only; street lights were created so that cars that meet at crossroads take turns at crossing, thus preventing collisions; blinkers were created to inform other conductors on your forthcoming direction; driving lanes were created because a road can contain only a certain number of car lanes. Adding another lane would just worsen traffic.
Granted, Lebanon’s streets aren’t the best in the world. Some signs and rules don’t seem to make sense, street lights go on and off, and police officers are too busy smoking or conversing to do their job properly. And this is the government’s fault. But before asking for change, the least we, citizens, can do is play our part. The least we can do is RESPECT road regulations.
It’s easy to say “Everyone else is doing it”. Set the example, and others will follow. Stop at red lights, respect priorities, use blinkers, respect parking restrictions, drive within the lanes, do not park (or drive) on sidewalks, try not to block roads, avoid wrong ways. This goes for motorcycles drivers too, who seem to think that traffic rules don’t apply to them. THEY DO.
I sometimes take the time to look at people driving here. I watch them release all their tension, I hear them cursing at each others, I hear them honking all day and all of the night, provoking each others, calling each other names. I see them driving like maniacs, hurrying to wherever they’re going to. I see people lose their lives to irresponsible driving. We’ll never learn how to live together until we respect each other. These streets aren’t yours. You don’t have the right to block the road because you want to take a piss. You don’t have the right to risk someone’s life because you’re in too much of a hurry to stop at a red light.
Some people say we have other issues to deal with, our country has more important problems, traffic rules and such trivialities can wait. I’d like to say to these people that it is those small “trivialities” that make a country what it is. We’ll never learn how to live together until we respect each other. And this goes for everything we share, including our streets.
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