Thursday 21 May 2009

Things I'd never done before moving to Turkey #1

Hitting a woman with my car ...and blaming her

Whilst driving through a busy market (a first in itself), I clipped a woman with my wing-mirror. The strange thing was my initial response. I (and everyone else in the car) immediately blamed her for not moving out the way. It was only until a few streets later when I felt pangs of guilt.

People, never forget, in complete contrast to the UK, here in Turkey the car is king and pedestrians have to give way.

7 comments:

taetrus said...

That is so right, being a Turkish in the US, I am not still used to drivers giving way to me.

Every time I stop before the road and driver stops also, so weird!!!

Peter said...

They're throwing themselves in the road, I tell you.

George Dearsley said...

Roundabouts are like Russian roulette in Turkey...you don't wait for a gap, you just go and hope and pray...if you don't the person behind you just leans on their horn!
www.georgedearsley.blogspot.com

Salty Miss Jill said...

Yes! I learned that the hard way my first day in Istanbul.

Irreverent Italy said...

Glad to know we are not alone...In Italy, even when they run you down in the crosswalk and drag you for miles, it'll still be your fault!
Glad you had a few guilt pangs, tho.
francesca maggi
burntbythetuscansun

Case said...

i'd say it's the same way in the philippines. pedestrians should walk predictably and at constant velocity through traffic.

the vehicle with the bigger momentum (usually the car or bike) has right of way.

Anonymous said...

I thought that I myself had written this story because in the second year of being in Turkey I did the very same thing. Whilst driving through a market area I too knocked a guy flying. He was walking on the road as was everyone else and I wasn't driving like a maniac but all the same the guy decided to jutt out in front of me. There's me thinking I would be in deep shit as he spun around from his left arm knock into a spiral his face grimmacing as he did so. I too was guilty but I was freaked out so I carried on. I checked my rear view mirror and he brushed his left arm down and continued on his way. I thought he would call the police because in my country they would probably be called for something very minor. I was surprised and I still am surprised on a regular basis why many Turks don't have a fear for the road where the car is king.