Driving Chaos

A quick word about driving/traveling here: traffic control and enforcement are almost non-existent in Argentina, and portenos (citizens of Buenos Aires) are renowned worldwide for the cavalier bravado with which they navigate traffic, and all in a grand, concerted effort toward complete disregard for any conceivable driving law or etiquette.  Chalk it up to a cultural thing or whatever, but this would not fly in the U.S.  (Despite all this, I’ve heard from fellow travelers that Lima, Peru is many, many times worse…..you know I can’t wait).

Of course, our bus ride down to MdP only reinforced my thoughts on driving here. The bus driver also seemed to view lanes, road signs, speed limits, and passing etiquette as guidelines rather than rules.  At one point, the bus passed a car that deliberately moved to the shoulder to allow to pass in the right lane even though the left lane was completely open. He also made a point of driving down the middle of the road ignoring the need to stay in lanes.  I saw police cars off to the side of the road every few miles, but no one was pulled over or given any type of citation.  The bus driver waved to the police and they waved backed as he bolted by at 30 or 40 kph over the speed limit.

I’ve seen so many guys almost get crunched on bicycles that it gives me goosebumps.

Here in Mardel, most intersections have no stoplights of stop signs and all streets are one way. Traffic threads itself through the intersections at sometimes greater than 30mph, and I seen (at least what seemed to me) so many “almost” accidents that would’ve been complete catastrophes.  I assume that having grown up this way, Argentines know how to drive like this, but it looks ridiculously dangerous to me.

Even cyclists cruise thru intersections without braking and without looking for cross traffic; I’ve seen so many guys almost get crunched on bicycles that it gives me goosebumps.

Well, nothing to do but hold my breathe each time I cross the street…