Driving in the IZ

Okay remember the IZ means International Zone which means there are many nationalities here. This also means there are some crazy driver here. I went out on my first foray into driving out here and it was a somewhat nervous experience.

The roads here are real asphalt roads but they show tremendous wear and tear from bombings, heavy artillery, and neglect. There are pot holes, huge gashes, cracks and monstrous speed bumps everywhere. So you have to be careful where and how you drive. You also have to be very careful approaching checkpoints. There is usually a large mounted machine gun pointed at you from across the street as you approach the Marine or other security personnel to gain access to wheever you are going, like where you live, or to the store (PX), or back to work; it's very unnerving.

So the way people drive is completely insane. Forget regular U.S. traffic laws. Those are only a guide. The most important thing is to drive defensively. There are no traffic cops in the IZ, even though thre are IZ Police....but as far as traffic goes, the only time the intervene is when their is a collision. So people drive really fast, reckless and rarely stop at stop signs much less unmarked intersections. They even travel the wrong way on divided streets and stop in the middle of the roads to pick up and drop off passengers. Like I said. INSANE!

But my first driving experience here went off without any problems. You just have to keep your cool and avoid potential hazards.