The traffic situation during the summit that's being held here has really been a pain. They've closed off roads in all kinds of places and you have to plan your trip carefully to avoid getting stuck someplace. Was this the last day of this craziness? I hope so, because I've got a life to get on with.
More driving headaches are a bunch of new potholes in the main road that goes through Ain Zarah. Maybe I shouldn't call them potholes - they are more like trenches. And there are huge holes in the middle of the 'Khamsa Shwara' intersection. Someone suggested that it's turned into a roundabout. I don't know why they don't just fill in the holes. I guess they are waiting for a few people to get killed first.
In the Google Earth picture below you can see the brick place I drive past every day - see how the earth is red from the clay the bricks are made from? The huge trucks that load and unload the bricks are eroding away the sides of the already narrow Ain Zarah road there so that cars have to veer towards the middle of the road to avoid falling off the paved area - usually they veer into oncoming traffic. In the picture you can see a dark area alongside the road on the opposite side where the road is crumbling away. I know it doesn't look like much at first glance, but compare it's size to the cars on the road. The trucks are not just loaded with bricks - they are OVERloaded and dangerous. Once I witnessed a truck flip over when it tried to turn in. There were bricks everywhere and by some miracle no one got killed or hurt. One day if I have a few minutes extra I'm going to stop in at the brick place and have a word with them about it... they are the ones causing the problem in that part of the road, the least they can do is fill in the holes their trucks are creating - and make the road a little bit safer. Of course they will probably just look at me like I'm some kind of lunatic. Maybe I am... sigh..
This picture was taken about three and a half months ago. It must be very early in the morning because there is hardly any traffic in the picture. The road looks much worse now.
I was exhausted by the time I got home today. I'm looking forward to the weekend. I think I'm going to crawl into my bed and stay there.
Well all what i read is a little part of the whole dusty picture.. the bigger image!
ReplyDeleteAll people want to get to their destinations thinking that other people are barriers in the way..not thinking that those other people have lives to get on with as you said.. its almost car wrestling coz when i finally get to my office or home it pretty much feels like I've been walking the whole way.
I'm living on the hope that this mess will be fixed soon... or else !
Hello Mrs Teri, this is the first time i read your blog or any blog for that matter and i love it.
ReplyDeletei too drive by that meteor crater every day, i don't know if you know this but they actually fixed all the potholes in (3ien zara) road about four months ago and yet this one keeps growing, i do not know how big does have to be so they start fixing it.
However as i live in the "suburbs" (khallat elforjane) i tend to have more problems with dirt roads they are absolutely horrendous.
All the best B
unfortunatly !!
ReplyDeleteKhadija,
ReplyDeleteYou know I have lived in both Tripoli and Benghazi.
I understand what you say about a lack of warning signs and the many potholes but I agree with Ema above. Much of the driving problem is caused by the drivers as well as the roads!
Believe it or not the drivers are much worse in Benghazi. As for Tobruk, I was glad to leave the roads behind and the people are really nice (what makes them so different behind the wheel?)