Road or car repair shop?

The other day an Egyptian woman I work with was asking what happened to the people in this country. She was reminising about the days when young people would step aside to let their elders pass and so on. She says now they just push her out of their way very disrespectfully.

And there we have it. Respect! This is what's missing. All sense of respect is disappearing so quickly. Look at the way people drive. Nobody cares about anyone else on the road, let alone remembers that there are supposed to be something called traffic laws. People complain about the traffic all the time and even have fights over it. And yet, at the end of the day they seem to accept it as normal. Why should it be normal that someone is driving at you from the wrong direction on a one-way road? They might even be so bold as to honk at you and make YOU back up so they can get through. Why is this normal? Sometimes they just tell you something in Arabic that basically means "Sorry, I know I'm wrong, but just give me a chance this time." Why should I? Why should I be an accomplice to their crimes? Crimes that are causing ME to have to wait because THEY didn't want to take the U-turn in the first place. Why do I, the one who is following the traffic laws have to go out of my way to help them? And they REALLY wonder why I am such a party pooper (or actually why my husband is). Sometimes he stops the car in front of a car coming at him from the wrong direction on the highway and forces them to go around. This brings only mild feelings of satisfaction. The best thing in the world to me now is when I see the clamp put on a car that has parked where it shouldn't.

There is no respect for the law, and that is now translating into no respect for other people either. I feel like I'm on the edge of completely snapping sometimes, and I know where road rage can come from.

Sometimes, in my 2 hour commute home everyday I just can't count another second on my watch. You are stopped in traffic. Why? Because someone decided to use the middle of the road as a car repair shop. Their hood is open and they are so self-righteously innocent and 'feel sorry for me and my situation' in their attitude. (Who ever heard of pulling the car over to the side of the road? Why would I do that?) Then you can't pass the turtle car in front of you on the bridge because he's taking two lanes. You try to flash your lights at him. No response. You honk. Complete deaf ear. So you just fume silently to yourself. (Who knew that I was supposed to stick to the right lane if I'm slow?) Or at night you can't get through on Salah Salem, not because of too many cars on the road. No, it's because someone decided to do their wedding in the island in the middle of the road. And every single car has to stop and gawk. So you're stuck.

These things AREn't acceptable! Why does everyone take it so placidly? A man crosses the road without looking. Taxi slams on his breaks. Man either ignores the whole thing and continues his meandering pace. OR he actually stops in his tracks and starts insulting the taxi (who actually just saved his life).

What is this? Why the apathy? This is what allows this kind of driving to go on. This condones it. Because everyone accepts it so calmly. Maybe if a few more people cared, it wouldn't be so bad.