Istanbul Today

[Subdivided]

In my line of work I travel a lot.  Often on the bike, even for business.  I am in Istanbul & Izmit for the next few days, unfortunatly not on the motorcycle.  Noteworthy though, was the drive from the Istanbul airport to Izmit - a madhouse on the freeway.  I have never seen such complete disregard for traffic rules.  This is one road I will need to avoid on the bike.  In fact, I had a driver - but nearly every car I saw today had damage to all four quarters.  The motorcycles were splitting lanes - but there were no lanes!  Sometimes cars and bikes shared the shoulder.  It was better after leaving the city behind, but still dangerous.

Sub

[LazyRider]

Turkey, like every country, has its riding/driving customs.  It does take a couple of days to pick these up and allow a rider to join in with the traffic flow.    Turkish drivers/riders are not homicidal or suicidal, they are just enthusiastic!   

India is far more of a challenge, due to the mix of road traffic, including many animals.

Any rider who commutes, in rush hour - with enthusiasm - into any large UK city, soon gets into the 'flow'.