I heard yesterday that a UN police officer of African extraction overtook on the wrong side of the road and wiped out a cyclist on the other side of the road.
Being a cyclist who has lifted the middle digit to UN police drivers more times than I have had cereal for breakfast, it makes me mad. Some of these UN police drivers (and some UN drivers in general) should not be driving on Dili roads. It is a joke that some of these morons are behind the wheel.
Several times I have been cycling correctly on the left side of the road near the kerb and been confronted with UN vehicles overtaking and heading straight for me. Do they elect to hold back ? No. Do they slow down ? No. They press on with hand on horn, expecting me to clear off. I usually see this stuff well ahead and have my digit prepared for insertion upwards and on the odd occasion, let off a string of invective.
On one occasion, the response was the raising of a middle digit out the drivers window by the driver. Touchee.
I must recall the incident where a UN driver admitted that he never drove a car back at home (possibly no licence) but was handed a vehicle on arrival here. He had to get someone else to back-up the vehicle when he got himself and the vehicles around him into a jam.
For me, UN driving remains a joke and it is up to them to clean up their act. If you came from a country called “UN”, you would be embarrassed. Will we read about this incident in any UN report ? Probably not. The carpet must be getting pretty lumpy by now.
Excellent post. And then there was the incident two weeks ago when a UN driver was turning right into Tiger fuels, against the traffic. The UN driver stalled the vehicle, blocked the flow of traffic both ways, got out and started shouting at the other drivers who were sounding their horns at him. A Timorese lady friend of mine calmed him down, got in the car and drove it into the garage for him. He was trying to pull away in 5th gear!
Someone told me I get too agitated by the driving in a place that is not known as a 1st world country. One even said that the police here are saints on the road compared to other places.
But this is meant to be the UN who have offered to guide this place upwards towards 1st world level. I guess we just have to lower the bar again.
Well, I admit the pills are anti-biotics but no Fos, the problem is above the waist.
One of these days one of them will hit a child and find him/herself surrounded by an angry mob…. then perhaps we’ll see a change. As all local characters know, it’s hard enough getting around on the roads even with experience of local “conditions” – and this arrogant driving style is simply idiotic under these circumstances. They should drive at local taxi speed – after all, what’s the rush? Enjoy the view.