Capetonian Drivers

From the start, I have firmly believed that Cape Town drivers do not know how to drive - properly. It was hands-on experience with confused drivers stuck at faulty traffic lights, or even the less-than-complicated traffic circle that led me to believe this. Nobody seems to know whose turn it is, or whose supposed to go next. The result is a long awkward pause, where traffic grinds to a dead halt, then everybody suddenly thinks that perhaps they should go - at the same time! What a mess.

Nowadays, whenever I am stopped at an intersection in Cape Town, the driver in the car to my left, or my right, or even ahead of me, will indicate to me, with their hands, that it is my turn to proceed. What's this all about? I don't remember that part of the K52 driver's training program. I recall the hand signalling suitable for indicating turning when there is a possible malfunction in the electronic indicators of the vehicle, but this whole "giving of permission to proceed" thing is really annoying.

It's annoying when it's the other driver's turn to go, but they are such nervous drivers that they want everybody to get out of a 100m radius from them, so even though you're waiting for them to pull off, as rightly they should, they sit wildly waving you on.

It's more annoying when it's your turn to go, and the other driver waves you on - like they're giving you permission, like they're saying "You may make use of this opportunity to cross the road before me - I will graciously allow it."

And there are times when the other driver's windows are so tinted, you can't make out if it's a "please proceed" or a "please drop dead" that they're gesturing at you.

I used to wave a sort of confused thank-you in response to this granting of consent, but that made the situation that much more annoying for me. Now I just grind my teeth and scowl - I must look like a really angry driver, just waiting for that moment that I can unleash a barrage of road-rage on the first person to change lanes without indicating. It's all in the hope that I might scare off the next generous imparter of intersection thoroughfare.

If you ever see me driving around Cape Town, don't think that I'm angry. Also don't wave me through a four-way stop. I have a legit driver's license. How about you?