Sri Lankan drivers are excellent fun. They beep horns if they wanna overtake or if someone gets in the way. They slam brakes hard, drive really close and quite happily stop oncoming traffic in order to turn right. Its a me-first driving culture. Anyone used to giving way on the roads won't be able to get anywhere! In fact, drivers have to be so alert and have eyes everywhere that it is said that if you come from Sri Lanka you can drive anywhere in the world. But with virtually non-existant driving conventions I'd think twice before overtaking one!
No one seems to take offense at the apparent rudeness of forcing someone to stop so that you can get ahead of them. Does this reveal something about Sri Lankan culture and ettiquette? Maybe the rest of these entries will help to discover that.
Tip of the year: watch out for mobile speed guns! In a country where traffic lights illuminate just a few junctions in the capital you wouldn't have thought that anyone bothered with speed cameras. But don't be deceived. Think of a lovely mud hut village in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by forests for miles, with horse and cart, oxen, pedal bikes etc and up pops a policeman with a speed gun. I'm not joking! But at just over 瞿1 a fine (200 rupes), you can afford to forget this tip!
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