Driving IN Bucharest is even more terrifying than driving in Romania in general. More potholes, many more cars -- none of them any slower than on the country roads -- and secret codes that no foreigner can understand. Forget skyboarding or base jumping. Driving a Bucharest traffic circle is the adrenaline surge thrill adventure of modern times.
Everybody goes fast, and lane markings are... suggestions, at best. Everybody swerves around potholes, so you have to be constantly alert for random-seeming high-G maneuvers by the other drivers.
The only rule that Bucharest drivers consistently follow is the one about stopping for zebra crossings. This would be a lot more admirable if the zebra crossings weren't in such weird places. They tend to be right in the middle of the busiest roads. Possibly this made sense under Communism, when nobody had cars, but today it's a recipe for disaster. You're doing 70 km/hr down the street, and then, wham, the guy in front of you brakes at full power.
Did I mention that most of the zebras haven't been repainted since the Ceausescus got on that helicopter? And that the signs for them are often conveniently tucked away behind a tree? Local drivers know where they are anyhow; the poor foreigner must be constantly, knuckle-clenchingly, alert.
Bucharest is now ringed by half a dozen big suburban mega-stores -- Selgros, Metro, Carrefour, Praktiker. (For our American readers: these are the European equivalents to Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Home Depot, and the like.) I'm visiting them one by one, in my protracted and probably Quixotic quest for a dryer that will fit in our pantry. (More on this later, perhaps). So tomorrow I will drive up to Selgros, very carefully...
Posted by claudia at August 25, 2003 07:41 PMHi Claudia,
I've driven in places-other-than-home and I hate ALL of them. I don't even like GERMANY, and the people are SANE there. Italy is awful, China is crazy, England is backwards, and the people who have cars in the Carribean use the horn in lieu of turn signals, steering, brakes -- even headlights.
Good luck.
Posted by: Pouncer at September 3, 2003 08:07 PMHi!
I love your website and the stories about Romania.
It is true.. driving in Romania.. and mostly in Bucharest it is good for adrenaline :) The best time is when some official cars want to cross the Bucharest's center very fast so.. police allows you to cross on red lights and drive fast so give way to the official cars.. it did happend to me several times.. and I loved it.
By the way.. if you drive with 70 km/hr in Bucharest.. you might get a fee.. because the speed limit is 50 ;)
Have fun!
Anca & Misha