Gentleman

What is up with KL drivers?

Where did they learn how to drive? Seriously they drive as if the roads don't have lines and park all over the place. And I mean all over the place. The worst are obviously those who just park on the roads itself. Yes they just park their bloody cars on the sides of main streets, which causes jams for everyone else. At times, I am tempted to take out a coin from my wallet and scratch their cars to my hearts content. Perhaps that will teach them a lesson.

The road culture here, if one can call it that, is survival of the aggresive-est. Cars don't line up and wait their turn, they drive all the way to the front and cut in. They change lanes without signalling early or even at all, and just poke their heads in, forcing people to give way.

Just last week, this bad behaviour was featured on the front page of the New Straits Times. Several statistics were shown, a whopping 320,000 accidents occur last year, causing 6200 fatalities. Driving schools were blamed who in turn blamed the government for their outdated driving course.

Corruption of course plays a role as well. One of my friends from KL actually failed her driving exam, but bribed her way to get her license. And it seems to be the norm not just here, but all over the country. However in Miri, many of my friends failed their driving exams the first time round and willingly repeated it, paying the full exam fees again each time until they passed.

Anyways, let me show you a classic example of KL driver mentality.

Earlier today I went out for lunch with Jerome and his cousin (who's name sounds like "cou-sin" lol pun intended sorry) at Bangsar shopping centre. We entered the basement looking for a parking spot. After circling around once we spotted someone reversing out and waited. Now I cbf drawing a diagram but suffice to say all the roads were one-way and we were clearly on the right lane. Opposite us (use your imagination) there was a car who signalled and was going to drive AGAINST the traffic to get into that space.

The driver was menacingly trying to claim the space even though she would block traffic in her selfish pursuit for a parking space. Now there were 3 security guards on duty and they all were waving and telling her to go the other way. Jerome immediately stuffed his fat car in (which didn't work, had to manoeuver a bit to fit it in- security guards helped him).

When we got out, the other car had driven round and pulled up beside us. The driver, a young woman glared at Jerome and said: "I've never seen such a gentleman before." Then she drove off.

Say it with me.

Biiiiiiiiiiiiiiitch.