Reading the comments on News24 and speaking to acquaintances, I have heard various "reasons" for the bad traffic congestion on the Cape Town roads. These include the all familiar roadworks (especially the MyCiti bus roadworks), taxis driving however they like and even that so many people are moving to Cape Town from other provinces that now there are too many cars on the roads. And don't forget the old favourite excuse (for lack of a better word) of the traffic services not doing their jobs properly. Whatever reason or excuse gets you to sleep at night, the fact remains that it is we ourselves causing the chaos on the roads.
The roads, intersections, road signs/markings and traffic rules are designed by qualified people that spent years at university studying and are way more intelligent than 90% of the people using said roads. What now makes people think that they are special and can disobey these signs/rules for whatever "reason" they might have. These are the people causing the congestion. People that block an intersection because they did not wait their turn to go through it. People that take "shortcuts" by disobeying road signs and making illegal u-turns, crossing solid white lines, turning at an intersection when they were actually in a lane that goes straight only. People driving on the verge or in the yellow line. People driving in a lane, that is clearly marked kilometers back that it is ending, until the last second before forcing their way into traffic and acting as if it's their right to do so. People not indicating (if you looked in your mirror or not, it's still the law). People driving in the right hand lane when other people are trying to pass them (no matter what speed you are doing, the first rule of the South African road is: Keep left, pass right). People not having the faintest clue of how a traffic circle works (if this is you: the left lane entering a circle is ONLY for turning left or going straight. The right lane entering the circle is ONLY for going straight or turning right). People continuously changing lanes during rush hour traffic (I've tried it both ways on many occasions and believe it or not, you still get to your destination at exactly the same time so just pick a lane and stay put).
Basically what I'm trying to say is that if this is you, you are breaking the law. This makes you no better than any other criminal out there, being a pickpocket, a rapist or even the guy that broke into your house and stole your hard earned property. Really, what makes you any different? You are not special, I repeat, YOU ARE NOT SPECIAL. You are just another common criminal that is making this a horrible place for us all to live in.
I know that what I'm describing here is an ideal world and that the people committing these offences will probably never read this article but at least tonight I can go to sleep knowing that I have tried to make this a better world for my little baby girl. Another thing that helps me sleep at night is knowing that I am not one of these people (yes, I ALWAYS follow the rules of the road). I am the guy patiently sitting in traffic (maybe inwardly swearing a bit) waiting my turn and giving other people gaps to get into the mayhem that is Cape Town traffic.
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