along the road…

things to remember…

…your horn is used to let others know you are there and will continue to proceed, therefore if there is an accident-the honkie is responsible for the unfortunate event…

…moto’s have there own lane(s) in traffice-that is, if there is a spot in which they can squeeze, that is their special lane…

…helmet straps are a fashion statement not a safety necessity…

…EVERYONE goes to work or school at 7:10 am-this includes travelers on bikes, motos, tuktuks, cars, vans, trucks, dump trucks, cyclos, passengers on bikes, not to mention the venders on wheels which equal a “pitstop” for breakfast…

…every intersection has a countdown to the light turning green-this just means when you hit 10, 9, 8: the motos start reving their engines and 7, 6, 5, 4: the motos take off into oncoming traffic, bobbing and weaving, dodging cars, joys and fun and lots of praying! think the start of a race or a bunch of horsing chomping at the bit ready to run…

…a crossing guard is just that-a guy that holds up a stop sign and walks you across the street-does traffic actually come to a halt? nope! but you’re more likely not to get hit if you have a “crossing guard” walking you…

…even if you are inside with the AC on-if the sun is shining, you will still going to sweat (TMI?)…

…street dogs-are there any other kind?! oh, and they all look pretty much the same from street to street-short brown hair, long straight tail with a little tweek at the end, and tall pointy ears-oh, not to mention the random “fru fru” white fluffy dog that is a bit mixed up and not sure exactly where it come from…

…walk across the street if you dare, no seriously, just cross with care…

…”tappers” are in abundance!-the parking attendant whose job it is to make sure you are able to park safishly along the street or in front of a building-they tap your car when you are in place-and when you are ready to leave-the tapper taps the back of the car and guides you back onto the road, often into oncoming traffic, and once you have safely made it onto the road the tapper expects a tip…

…even tho the steering wheel is often on the “correct” side of the car we drive on the “wrong” side of the road-however, if it is more convenient for you to drive on the “correct” side of the road, well other people do it-(shrug your shoulders, smile and just keep going)-not too sure oncoming traffic appreciates the random car attempting to drive upstream…

…nothing is “simple” or “normal” in Phnom Penh-it’s all an adventure!