...Cape town in the wet...
Published by SilverSabre on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 8:00 AM
I love Cape town. It is the most awesome, metropolitan, laid back place I have experienced. The people are (generally) great. The city is beautiful. The natural surroundings breath taking.
But something happens to cape town when the skies open. The generally well meaning people are transformed. The water seemingly permeating their pleasant personalities and, sloshing around their cranial cavities, causes vastly slowed response times, excessive muscle response in their right feet, and a phobia for anything vaguely puddle shaped.
My loathing of cape town drivers-in-the-wet started when I first got to this city. Driving to work from the Sea Point apartment was always a joy. It's a beautiful drive and in 10 minutes you're at your desk. But alas it was raining.
The Land Rover Defender in the lane next to me Suddenly realized that it was bearing down (very quickly) on a ..
Puddle!!!
Oh No!!
In order to prevent the inevitable melting that would undoubtedly happen to the 18 inch Off-road tyres should they happen to be subjected to contact with said puddle...the Defender swerved.
And braked.
Into half of my lane.
I uttered a few loving but short words under my breath while attempting to stop my car, and at the same time stop my car from aquaplaning.
This morning, on the way to work, I was happily cruising down the fast lane, with a completely clear road ahead of me. Luckily for me the considerate Jetta driver in the middle lane realized that it was dangerous for me to be driving that way...what if there was a puddle!? So he/she/it pulled sharply in front of me and proceeded to drive at 80.
Again I uttered a few loving but short words.
Again while attempting to slow my car down.
Again while attempting not to aquaplane.
Thank you Jetta driver. I don't know what I would have done if there was a puddle. You're my savior!
That's just two of Very many.
Capetownians! What is wrong with you people! Are you made of a porous substance? Are your nerve endings water soluble?? Are you genetically predisposed to being susceptible to hypnosis by soothing water noises?
Please! We need to know!
We Can Help You!!
I hadn't noticed the aversion for puddles but undoubtedly Cape Town traffic grinds to even-more-of-a-halt in the wet weather.
Sad for a city with such wet winters!
I felt the need to post a comment - my first on this blog after lurking for so long...., if not to defend my fellow Townie for the bad driving habit in wet weather, then just to let you know that after 2 weeks away I am very glad to be back home (albeit to a cold and wet city - which actualloy is my favourite kind of Cape Town weather...), after fearing for my life on the roads in the capital of one of your fellow bloggers country... And come to think of it, it was not even raining...
L ;)
Yeah, bad drivers are numerous in NYC as well. I don't think they necessarily avoid puddles here, they just cut in front of you at traffic stops and on highways because everybody else destination is more important than yours.