D.W. I Don't Know!

If I die in Rwanda it won’t be because of lions, tigers, bears, oh my! I am as safe from the beasts of the Jungle as I will ever be. Even though I have been in areas that had high amounts of Cobras, I am sure that I will be safe from them. Even as I walk home alone on many nights, I feel as safe as a seven year old on a McDonalds Playground. If I am hurt or killed here, I am positive the only cause will be a hit and run by a car.
The drivers here are ridiculous. Rush hour traffic in Houston, Texas is like a herd of kittens compared to the morning traffic of Butare, Rwanda. There aren’t very many cars on the road, very few actually, but the cars drive like mad! They weave in and out of each other at fast speeds dodging bicycles, goats, motorbikes, other cars, and me. I always think that I am going to get hit but never do.
Crosswalks are just suggestions in Rwanda. They mean nothing. I advise against them. A crosswalk gives a person a false sense of security like:
“Oh, this is a crosswalk. I bet it’s safe to walk here. Oh, look at that nice little building across the (WHAAAM)!” then hit by a fast moving European block of steel on cheap rubber wheels.
If I had to choose, I would take my chances in the jungle. Things are much safer their. Most animals don’t move at 90KPH. Animals rarely attack, and if they do, people will usually help you. If you are hit by a car, I don’t think they will help.

Rwandan logic says that if a person is hit by a car, it is the person’s fault. Why? Because people have eyes...cars don’t. That is what I was told.
My reply: Cars are made of thousands of pounds of metal and fiberglass....people aren’t. Their answer: “You’re right. Cars don’t have feelings, so you better get out of their way!
And that is what I try to do every day. I have been lucky so far.

Another funny fact is that there are speeding laws in Rwanda. This is not funny, but the method for enforcing the law is quite funny. What happens is that there is a man in a police officer uniform just over a hill or around a curve. These men are Highway Patrol, and they hide like Highway Patrol in the States. The only difference is that these men don’t have cars or radar guns. Their method of speed detection is sound. The instrument used to detect the speed: The Human Ear. The police officer’s ear detects the speed.
Many Rwandans have been pulled over and told, “It sounded like you were going too fast!”
Can you believe it... “Sounded Like!” That is a little odd. If I were to buy a car in Rwanda, I would just buy silent tires. Sound is the only source of speed detection.
Also, because the officers don’t have cars, I wondered how they could stop someone who was speeding.
The answer: They shoot at them!
It’s hard enough to explain to an officer in Texas that you are on your way to an important event and can’t be late. Try explaining it to a bullet! I think that I would just slow down while in Rwanda.

Big military trucks drive at night down curvy, mountainous roads with no headlights. People pass on these curves and only honk their horn. (Which is as good as breaking in Rwanda!) Bicyclers are run off the road, people dive out of the way, and many goats never make it out alive.
We did hit a goat while riding in a Taxi a few days ago. He made good Rwandan Brochette for a local family...

I know that we have some drinking and driving problems in America, but it’s nothing like this. These people are down right dangerous...sober! Everyone Pray that I make it back safe. It is too bad that there are no seatbelts for the pedestrians!