Driving in Hong Kong - Molly's Perspective

Dave is an outstanding driver. He has made his way all over Hong Kong - even to places where more seasoned residents have said are "tough to drive." While Dave has had some harrowing experiences, he seems to like to drive here.

I, on the other hand, am slow to warm to the idea of driving. I do have a driver's license now - it is hard to believe this simple card gives me the right to get behind the wheel!

The driver's license came with a manual of all the rules of the road; 20 pages are dedicated just to the rules of being a pedestrian. Walking somewhere has never been so complicated!

In any case, I drove for the first time early on Sunday morning. The route was short - to Stanley Plaza - but it was a white knuckle ride for all of us. Being on the left-hand side of the road was bizarre. And, as a person with no spatial skills, it presented quite a challenge. I was convinced I was over the centerline, while Dave kept saying "you are getting really close on this side!!" Eeks!

Fortunately, I didn't encounter any large buses or major traffic at that early hour. These are some pics of what traffic can look like (I should note, that these are typical situations that do not result in accidents or road rage).

As you might imagine, drivers are rather aggressive. The traffic signals seem to support that behavior. In the U.S., traffic signals go from green to yellow to red. Everyone knows that the yellow means slow down (or, hurry up and get through the intersection). Here, signals go from green to red to yellow. The yellow light is a sort of "start your engines!" warning to get off to the races.

My first driving experience was successful - no dents in the car, no lasting nerve damage. Still, I think I'll stick with public transportation for a while!