She who hesitates is lost

The old adage says, "She who hesitates is lost."  When it comes to walking, biking, moto'ing, or just getting around in Cambodia lost can be best translated as smooshed.  This does not mean one should go jumping in front of moving vehicles.  That would not be advisable in any country.  This means one must move with determination and purpose while simultaneously observing everything going on, in every direction, at all times.  Though, it is safest to make the bold assumption that what is going on behind you is not your responsibility but that of those going on behind you...  Unless, you are coming to an intersection and people may be turning left or right to run you over...  Additionally, contrary to USA-logic, it is really wisest to walk with the flow of traffic (very few people walk and it confuses them even more if you are walking on the left side of the road, I will refrain from right or wrong side here...).

Cambodia traffic was explained to me in this way: Imagine you have two lanes of traffic - one heading in each direction.  Now, between where the street and sidewalk wold be in the US context, add another lane of traffic on both sides heading in the opposite direction as the traffic on that side of the street.  Why?  You may ask.  Oh, you have so much to learn.  This is my explanation of the above concept...

Let's look at some pictures:
Traffic A:

 

Looks nice you may say, what is crazy Karen talking about.  Well, this is a street in my mother country.  Not here.

 

This is the average street I encounter daily.  So, you may be quick to judge and say, "Those folks need to learn to drive."  Slow-down you Californians, New Yorkers, and DC-ites, we say the same about you. ;)  There is really great logic here.  If you want to go from street A to Street B (turn-offs indicated on this to scale rendering of an actual street), you simply take a sharp left and stay on the left side until street B when you take another left.  Why in the world would you cross a lane of traffic just to cross back?  Or, same story for C and D.  Furthermore, if you are turning off C and want to go to A, your best bet is to turn from C and than sneak through a gap between cars (like the first two arrows heading to your right).  Think of it as a suicide lane... ish... literally :)  Oh, and the purple circles are pedestrians.  Any sidewalks that exist here, almost exclusively, are used for small shops to set out their wares.

Think you've got this down?  Let me walk you through an intersection (if only I was a game designer, I would totally make this into a video game for you to play... I'd call it Cambodi Crush.. I'm sure facebook fiends everywhere would soon be obsessed).

 

Ok, so intersections have cars... And, probably no stop signs or street lights.  Though, some do have one of those two things.  Folks respect them about as much as I do on a bicycle, as long as nothing bigger is going to hit you, it is a kind yield request.  Also, I took the lines off the roads.  Who has lines on their roads anyway?  Aren't people smart enough to figure out how not to hit things without following the dotted line?

 

Now, add some motos, tuktuks, and bicycles.  They are all the same color because they function in a similar way just at slightly different speeds.  Also, this is a very unpopulated street (not the norm) but I didn't want to overwhelm you (and drawing lots of little yellow lines in paint was not the best use of my time).  So, you could handle this, right?

 

Add a sprinkling of pedestrians.  Remember, folks don't really walk and who knows which was they are heading.

 

Whew. Exhale.  That is looking more like it (Blue is a moto heading the 'counter-US' way, green is a car heading the 'counter-US' way).  So, person "1" on a moto needs to turn left, sees an opening about a block before entering this picture so moves to the left and sneaks in front of on coming traffic to complete the turn - whew.  Person "2," same deal-io.  Biker "3" wants to go left so takes advantage of the gap between cars and heads over.  The traffic heading to your right provides a nice screen.  "4" cuts over to the left early and banks a hard left, probably going between the oncoming pedestrian and moto and will continue straight until there is a gap to cut right.  "6" is a car and will follow the same ideas as "4" but must move more slowly as that sharp turn is tough.  "5" wants to go left but didn't get over soon enough, should have pulled a "1," so will make an elongated U-turn as soon as their is a gap and then go right.  Still following?

 

 Insert the golden star who would like to get to the golden hexagon.  It is go time. First, take advantage of the motos heading down the road blocking the moto number "3," or was that a bike...  Then, use all the traffic heading toward your right as a barrier from the traffic heading up-screen (cars are the best shield, then tuktuks, then motos, then bikes, than other humans - especially large ones, pregnant ones, or those with children).  At the end of this pass, it is best to let the traffic going 'counter-US' to pass to your right, as they are in that secret inside lane.

The key to this last series of maneuvers was not to hesitate.  As I learned in China, if you walk at a consistent pace, you are predictable and 99% of the time traffic will maneuver around you.  Let's not talk about the 1%... That gets enough attention anyway.  Along with 47%, which is about the amount of time you will see this few shenanigans on the road.  At the end of this maneuver, the traffic heading in the same direction as the walker probably would have passed, creating (you got this) A GAP!

 

Notice how all the cars/motos have progressed.  "1" and "5" are now heading in the "US-Correct" direction.  "2" and "3" will no doubt be watching to the right for a gap.  "4" and "6" are taking advantage of the gap to cut over to the right side of the road (right being directional, not 'correct').  And, that little gold star sees a gap (using the cars and motos heading up screen as protection) she walks at a consistent pace up screen and then cuts right to the magical hexagon of success!

The End.    

Here you can see a video of my favorite intersection on the way to school.  Traffic comes from five ways, and, this clip makes it look far more chaotic than reality...