Driving me mad

Another thing that has not changed for the better, if not worse, is Kathmandu’s road traffic. There were less than 200,000 automobiles in all of Bagmati in 2002, today just the number of two-wheelers in Kathmandu has reached 1.2 million. But rash drivers in a rush are also to blame, not just the increasing number of cars and motorcycles.

Excerpt from a relatable Under My Hat satire multiple choice quiz published 20 years ago this week on issue #149 13-19 June 2003:

The best procedure for taking a vehicle from a parked stationery position into the traffic flow is to:

a. Swing out into the lane without looking behind to see if any other vehicle is approaching, especially if you are a bus.

b. If there are school kids waiting to cross the zebra, accelerate so you can beat them to it.

c. Look into the rearview mirror and wait for a safe gap in traffic to move into lane, even if it means waiting till the next bandh.

d. Only for Safa Tempos: "Stop, don't look, and go,go go!"

The fastest way for a motorcyclist to go from Point A to Point B is to:

a. Overtake slowpokes by cutting into the opposite lane, avoiding multiple head-on collisions by the skin of your teeth.

b. Driving on the wrong side of the road is allowed in Nepal and the answer 'a' (above) is legal under the Geneva Convention.

c. If oncoming lane is occupied by traffic, overtake slowpoke cars from the left by cleverly employing the blind spot where they least expect you to be.

d. Stay behind vehicle in front of you and adjust speed depending on traffic conditions.

From archive material of Nepali Times of the past 20 years, site search: www.nepalitimes.com