If you drive in Mandalay :

Beware of the swarms of reckless riders of bicycles and motorcycles, drivers of cars and buses, trishaw pullers,tractor drivers ,horse carts and what not of this place.

Everyone is in a mad rush to get somewhere as fast as possible by disregarding the rules of the road and society.

Bicycles and motorcycles will suddenly stop in front of you without a glance sideways or to the back , swerve out of the side streets in front of you , helmets will fall off heads and  in front of you, 4 to 6  bicycles will go side by side,chatting away ,  leaving you a minimum of or no space to overtake them and they will ride on the wrong side of the road without a care in the world. Overloaded tractors and horse carts will challenge you head-on to games of ” Chicken “.

Accidents are a plenty but the mad rush goes on especially 7-10 am and 3-7pm everyday.  

My wife never has the kids ride a motorbike with me, she has me transport them in the car, I think she feels it’s safer with the metal sheet of the car body  between the kids and the madding crowd on wheels of all sorts.   

  I have at many times felt the urge to swear at offenders of traffic rules and safety but resisted  that urge. but it wouldn’t change anything at all…. just a waste of time…. their response is just a blank look or mumbling…

And that is just on  normal, everyday days. you can x 20 times on festival days….

 So I have learnt to drive ….. how should I put it…….   at full alert… like in a war zone …..   reckless traffic incoming at 10 o’clock…… activate  evasive measures …….   and drive with  your sixth sense……..  if you feel the guy or girl on the bicycle is gonna do something stupid soon ….. and most times he/she does ….you slow down or avoid the bugger like the plague . I do !

And one last fact…  drunk-driving between 5  to 11pm is becoming very much more common.

So next time you’re here, keep your eyes skinned for everything on wheels……or you’ll get run off the road by…….

 the Reckless Riders of Mandalay