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May 23, 2004
Greetings From Kabul
Driving in Kabul is a real challenge. Those of us from the Boston or NYC area know what aggressive driving is all about, but truth be told, we have a lot to learn. The streets of Kabul are a chaotic dance for survival. Lanes are to be ignored when they do not work in your favor. Pedestrians do not rule. It's amazing that we haven't seen more accidents.
Yesterday as our driver Daoud and guide Najib took me and Ground Zero for Peace founder Megan Bartlett from appointment to appointment, we had an altercation. Fortunately it was at low speed, and except for hurt feelings, there were no injuries. We were hit by an ISAF vehicle as it pushed us aside. We have every reason to believe it was done on purpose.
Daoud was actually making his way to the side of the road to let the armored vehicle go by. Apparently he wasn't moving fast enough for the driver of the ISAF vehicle, because he kept moving slowly toward the car, until he hit the passenger's front door (this car has the steering wheel on the right side), and basically pushed us aside, and drove on. Megan said she made eye contact with a couple of the troops in the vehicle as the altercation happened. She thinks they were Canadians because of a flag she saw on the vehicle.
No one has insurance in Kabul. Daoud makes his living by driving people around in his car. He had to replace the passenger's side door. Megan and I will be visiting the U.S. embassy later today to complain.
Before I came to Afghanistan, I knew, of course that the whole 'hearts and minds' thing was a crock. But, as with anything else, seeing it first hand really makes a difference. We witnessed two prior occasions of excessively aggressive driving, one by U.S. troops in an SUV, and one by a UN official. Perhaps they have been warned against stopping their vehicles. Whatever the case, commiting acts that would be illegal in other countries--- driving someone off the road and leaving the scene of an accident-- is not acceptable behavior. Our host Wahid tells us it is commonplace in Kabul today. Is this how they plan to win hearts and minds in Afghanistan?
Posted by Joe Public at 04:23 PM | Comments (0)