Thursday, April 03, 2008  

Transportation in the Bahamas

So, I was recently in Nassau on vacation and couldn’t help to notice how crazy the Bahamians are when driving. Maybe it could be the fact that there are a lot of tourists around and are having trouble being on the left side or the road, or the fact that people are just all together crazy. Now, I’m not just talking about the normal citizen, but the cab drivers, bus drivers, and even some ferry drivers.

The sound of a horn is not so much like how we use it in the U.S. but more like just letting people know that you are suddenly going to pass them or to make people aware of your presence. No one seems to obey the speed limits and there doesn’t seem to be many rules, or just that no one cares to follow them. It is pretty hectic to say the least.

That is nothing compared to the people driving for a living where each fare is something to fight about apparently. I have watched cab drivers screaming at each other almost to the point of a physical tussle just to get a few extra people leaving the club. There is no organization to the cab system and they are all like annoying, aggressive sales people who actually approach you the minute you step out of the door.

The bus drivers on the other hand don’t like to stop much and actually don’t have bus stops. The way you get a bus in the Bahamas is by waving your hand and then jumping on while the driver slows down just enough, never coming to a complete stop.

The ferry crew will pack on as many people as possible, where you seem to almost be sitting on the person’s lap beside you. However, it is worth it once you start moving and you get a tour while transporting from one place to another.

All in all the experience with transportation in Nassau was pretty interesting as to see how different things are in only a 3 hour plane ride. If anyone has experienced the Bahamas driving or anywhere else, comment back and let me know.

posted by Tony B @ 7:24 AM 0 commentslinks to this post