Driving in DF

At last, I've done something here that I promised I'd never do: DRIVE!! There might be worse places to drive than Mexico City, but driving here seemed like my personal hell. There are serious safety laws not being followed, lane markers not being used, random cars stopped in the middle of traffic, red light runners, and drivers criss-crossing through traffic like Super Mario Kart. In fact, in the worst case of road rage I've ever witnessed came straight from some Demolition Derby competition with two cars engaged in a deliberate ramming of their vehicles. That scene pretty much squashed any desire I had to drive.

But, after one too many no-show and "you look foreign, I shall rip you off" taxistas, I decided to drive myself to work. Since the typical rules of defensive driving don't apply -- following a safe distance, using your signal, stopping at red lights -- I first had to relearn how to drive. Over the weekend, I got in the car, practiced the route, cut a few people off, swerved between lanes, and stopped using my signal (actually, I'm still in the process of unlearning that good habit :)) It was basically a route overview to work and figuring out which lanes were safe, i.e. which lanes wouldn't suddenly end. FYI, you can never go wrong with the middle lane.

So, here I am, having completed two roundtrips to work and back, and I feel so empowered! I still love the convenience of public transportation, but I am loving even more this new and reliable way to get to work. And, I conquered a dreaded fear, and it just wasn't as bad as my mind had made it out to be.