My students have been talking a lot about driving in Greece. There are fewer signs and lights, and rules are routinely ignored. I was laughing on the bus ride home from the isthmus at 10pm on a Sunday night. There was a sign in Greek and English saying "Please do not drive on the shoulder" and right under it, people were vying for space behind the police car that was driving in the shoulder because it was even faster.
We are surprised by how much communication there is between drivers. And not just between drivers, but between pedestrians, shopkeepers, periptero owners and drivers! In our three day bus trip, our driver (who had no maps or GPS or even a smartphone) asked for directions probably 6 times. Once he was going down the wrong road (which wouldn't fit a bus further down) and a shop owner came running out and tapped on the window. He then stayed to help the bus back up and turn around. Drivers concentrate on driving it seems -- using lights frequently to communicate, aware of who is behind them so they quickly shift into the shoulder to let someone pass. They wave out the window to indicate their intentions. I can't capture any of this on my camera, but I have a few other driving-related pictures to show.
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| Police. Somehow a lot more than usual in our neighborhood. |
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| Traffic at camp pick-up time. No "carpool lines" here, but there are cars coming from four ways with only one side having a stop sign (that is routinely ignored). It is all done by negotiation, but it works! |
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| This cab actually just did a u-turn in this busy intersection! |
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