11 Lessons I have learned from driving in Nairobi
There is a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line - Oscar Levant
Photo: Matatu not being limited by rules like ‘this is an on-ramp’
Driving in Nairobi is not for the faint-hearted. However, if you grab the bull by the horns, you can successfully navigate Nairobi streets and even learn a few things along the way.
Lesson 1: You are only limited by your imagination
In Kenya, pretty much anything goes. If you can imagine it, you can do it. Similarly in life, don't limit what you can do. Sometimes big ideas can end up happening if circumstances align. Don't give up on your dreams.
It might be genius, or it might be insanity, but you will never know if you don’t try.
Lesson 2: An apology and a smile will get you far
Sometimes mistakes happen. Be humble. A sincere apology and empathetic smile will help smooth matters over and leave both of you with a better day.
Lesson 3: Be kind
You never know who is in the other car. One time I was focused on making sure no one cut in front of me in traffic, sticking as close as I could to the bumper of the car in front of me. When I looked up at the occupants of the car I was blocking, to my eternal shame, it turned out it to be my parents.
Lesson 4: Don’t fight with bullies
Matatus are public transport vehicles that have a reputation for wild driving. They are often high on drugs and drive exceedingly aggressively. Don't fight with them. Let them do their thing. They have nothing to lose, they don't own their vehicles and if they have an accident they just run away. This actually happened to me when I was a passenger and the driver stopped the matatu in the middle of a highway and legged it, leaving a very confused set of passengers.
Move on and don’t let them disturb your peace.
Lesson 5: Keep calm whatever happens
Sometimes people do idiotic things, endangering your life, and those of others. Sometimes they might cut you off, overtaking dangerously and threaten a head-on accident with you, actually hit your car, and who knows what else.
Getting angry, losing your cool, or trying to revenge will just make matters worse. Whatever strategy you use, just try to keep your cool. It will work out best for everyone.
Lesson 6: You need to experiment to learn the best routes
Every day and every route has its pros and cons. The only way to find out is to try different ones. And inevitably, some of those attempts will be failures resulting in getting lost or being stuck in traffic for hours. But in the long run, it’s worth it.
In life too, we need to fail in order to succeed. The only way we learn is by trying different things and benefiting from those failures. The lesson is that we should deliberately seek out these failures, because in the long term that is how we grow, learn and ultimately succeed.
Lesson 7: If you want to be on time, leave earlier instead of trying to drive faster
Driving fast does not really help you get there in time. At best it might make you a few minutes less late, at worst you will be in an accident, hurt someone, or arrive angry and stressed. To say nothing of spoiling the days of the people that you cut off or drove recklessly around.
Just leave earlier. Plan ahead. Give yourself a bit of extra time and resources to work around unforeseen circumstances.
Lesson 8: When you drive too close to the driver in front of you, you can’t see the big picture
When you tailgate a driver, you can only see the back of his car. You can’t see the road situation up ahead. If there is a stopped truck ahead, you won’t see it until the last second when the car you are following suddenly changes lanes. (This actually happened to me.) Give yourself healthy space between you and the car up front.
Taking the time to plan ahead, and think about long-term goals and situation pays off in the long run.
Lesson 9: When it’s raining, just slow down
It’s a bit incomprehensible when conditions become so bad and people keep driving at the same pace as when things are perfect. Adjust your speed and space to the car in front of you to the conditions.
In life, the situation keeps changing. What worked in one situation may not work in another. Be flexible, and think about what needs to change when our situation changes.
Lesson 10: If you have an old slow car, it’s cool.
There are lots of old and slow cars on Nairobi roads (including mine!) Don’t hoot at them or get annoyed when you get stuck behind one. They get you there just as well as the new shiny ones, and cost you much less to do so.
Lesson 11: When you get stuck in traffic, enjoy the sideshows
It happens often in Nairobi, usually thanks to impatient matatus. Total traffic jam with no movement for hours on end. When this happens there is nothing you can do but enjoy the entertainment that is life on the side of the road. Street food, vendors, acrobats, other vehicles: there is no end to the free entertainment.
Life sometimes throws up situations we didn’t plan for. Instead of moping, make the best of it by enjoying what you can while you are in it.