Traffic Watch

I was driving today and here's another of my self-exalted 'insights' into Singapore motorists:

If you're trying to filter left/right, putting on the signal just makes it harder for you to change lane. The car behind, seeing that you need to get into his/her lane, will rarely slow down. Instead the driver will SPEED up so that he wouldn't have to give way. "Get thee behind me", he thinks in his heart, and let whoever is behind be that loser who has to lose his place in the queue.

The way to change lanes is to move slowly and keep a lookout in the rear mirror for a chance to overtake. The moment it comes, quickly signal left/right and step on the gas at the same time, gaining your territory at lightning speed. This way, the driver cannot claim you didn't signal, and he gets a quick warning of your sudden intentions!

If this type of aggressive driving is too much for your frail heart, do what I do sometimes in heavy traffic.   Since you can't bulldoze your way, the alternative is to inch in bit by bit, edging into your desired lane slowly. Stop when the vehicle behind honks. It probably can't move past you already. Victory is yours!  It is likely that the driver behind will curse your grandmotherly driving skills, but because you're so slow and cute and gentle, he will be compelled to watch out for you! It's the "pretend you don't know what you're doing" technique.

If you're a biker, it's actually SAFER to be in between lanes than to take the middle of a lane, as the driving school teaches. Because bikes are SO small, we are virtually invisible to drivers, who will come as close as a meter behind before they realize you're actually there! And because there's so much space between you and the car in front, he thinks you're just a nuisance blocking his way to his destination. Besides, if a car abruptly stops, you get more braking distance between lanes. Usually there will be a clear road ahead to carry on with your journey while the rest of traffic halts to a stand-still.