Just grin and bear it

For the past five weeks, I’ve been braving peak hour traffic on Beyers Naudé Drive to drop my daughter off at work in Randburg.

And for the past five weeks I’ve been grinding my teeth, biting my tongue and taking deep breaths in order not to get involved in a road rage incident. My fellow commuters on that specific road, and I am sure other roads as well, will understand when I say only one word – taxis.

As I am watching their drivers’ total disregard for other motorists and the rules of the road, I keep on wondering where the heck the JMPD is when you need them. If they were around, more visible, maybe there would be some kind of order on the roads, because as it is, chaos does not even come close to describing what I’m seeing.

Jumping red traffic lights, pushing cars off the road for a little head-start, driving on the pavement to skip the endless rows of cars, the list goes on and on. To make matters worse, some motorists seem to feel “if they can do it, so can I”, because not just taxis are breaking every single rule out there, other motorists are following suit.

Anyway, getting back to where the heck the JMPD is, it dawned on me that no matter how visible and ‘around’ they may be, the powers that be have already lost the ability to contain the crowds. The situation is not going to change – being abused on the road is how it is going to be.

Last week, for the first time in five weeks, I actually observed a JMPD vehicle following the taxis who were driving on the side of the road, trying to miss the masses of cars queuing at a red traffic light. They pulled over to the side, had a few laughs with one of the taxi drivers, pulled over one or two cars for some reason, and drove on. All the while, turning a blind eye to the unruliness happening all around them.

Motorists have only have one choice – grit your teeth, bite your tongue and take deep breaths. JMPD does not, cannot not and will not be able to restore law and order.

Until next week, take care of one another.