we are regular visitors here and enjoy a beer at blue monkey on the boulevard. Usually have a walk along the sea and cross over by the bar b q stands. It's been noticeably busier and busier each visit, guess it's peak time as around 7pm. Last night we were really stuck up and timed it as a matter of interest. Took us 12 minutes to safely get over. Admiditly during our wait sever locals marched out with a hand raised and over they went, guess we are bit slow here. Wonder how the other expats handle this.
Well Bruce in the main we all have the same problem I guess to a degree but to just to add, Yes the Traffic is generally more just now and certainly around Rush Hour times and this seems to be getting Longer and Longer. One of the Reasons is The Road works in the Real Street/Cervantes Street Area on the Ongoing Relief Road Project and many Sewer repairs many Drivers will take the Boulevard Route to evade all this Bottle neck. Of course the Total lack of Traffic Management has never helped But........... Jack
You are far more patient than I am. You have to bully your way through traffic. The first person who shows the slightest bit of hesitation is the loser. Remember that the bigger the vehicle the less likely they are to stop or try to avoid your. Motorcycles and trikes will go around you (but always make eye contact with them so you know they see you), small cars will usually stop if you put your hand up, SUV's and trucks seem to be driven by a-holes that are always in a hurry and they don't like to give way to anyone.......and never walk in front of the yellow buses or anything bigger than those! (If you think about it it kinda makes sense, the larger the vehicle the harder it is for them to drive through town, which means they have been sitting in traffic longer than anyone. They have to bully their way through traffic to get where they are going, they also can't go around the people who are turning left from the right side of the lane, and likely have much more road rage and stress built up than the people driving smaller vehicles.)
Simply wave to the friendly tourist please to assist you. They are always walking the blvd looking to help foreigners and never standing in the shade. Then while crossing give a huge smile and wave to the locals driving and they will smile and stop for you.
Please keep one thing in mind when crossing a busy street or highway: it might be more dangerous for a car or truck to stop and wave you across than to keep going. If a vehicle stops suddenly anywhere, it is in grave danger of being rear ended, but even more so, and most of us have seen this happen or witnessed the aftermath, if a car or truck stops for a pedestrian, it is likely that following vehicles will speed around to the right, thus smashing into the person who thinks he or she is safe from the traffic.
It's kind of like playing chicken you see who flinches first when trying to cross the road. It's the same when driving here. If you wait for someone to stop and let you in/cross you will be waiting till hell freezes over! Just watch the locals and try to imitate them. The drivers will stop/slow to let you in/cross because if they get involved in any kind of accident here it will take many, many, many hours of dealing with the Traffic Management police, then of course if there is any kind of injury in the accident then all vehicles involved need to be impounded until the investigation is completed which could take weeks or months. So instead they let you through and generally stop for pedestrians... Note I said generally. Use common sense!
