The Vanguard of Progress

For many years, Istanbul has been the vanguard of progress in transportation development. Our set of traffic rules and regulations have no equal. Foreigners who visit our city are often overwhelmed by their complexity. They simply don't realize what they are missing.

Take America, for example. Most citizens spend much of their driving time waiting at red lights. This is very inconvenient and often means people arrive late for important appointments or meetings. Here in Istanbul, however, the drivers understand how pressing your personal schedule may be, so running a red light is simply not an issue: Just do it!

Furthermore, American drivers are much less personal with one another than those in Istanbul. The lines of communication are open on the streets and drivers are free to display how they feel to others. I have made so many new acquaintances who have sided with me in a roadside argument over a wreck. It's wonderful.

Even better is the sheer excitement of maneuvering a vehicle on the streets of this city. The traffic keeps you constantly on your toes; we wouldn't have it any other way. A unique benefit of this is increased safety. I have never heard of a single incident where a driver fell asleep at the wheel. In America, however, dozens perish every year because the traffic is not stimulating enough. We have adequately solved this problem with our elite system which saves many lives.

Finally, a sense of community pride is indirectly heightened by the traffic situation. What better way is there to gather as a neighborhood than congregating in the street and discussing opinions of the latest fender-bender? Also, people in America are often completely ignorant of the fascinating, unexpected areas right around them. On any given day I take a new back street to avoid the inevitable traffic jam. Not only does this add variety to my day, but I'm also able to discover the dark, smelly alleys of my community - which in America would be passed unnoticed.

Driving in Istanbul has never been and never will be boring. I've never seen any reason to dislike what ignorant foreigners coin as the "traffic problem." Who can truly say they wish to trade our beautiful symphony of horns for the dull roar of consistent American traffic?