Rules of the Road

You've all heard the stories, one of the charming idiosyncrasies of living in Tbilisi is the appalling driving displayed by the locals. You hear the jokes and wise cracks and think, "They're bad drivers, I get it, so are half the people on the Beltway." Oh, but you don't 'get it.' In an effort to broaden your cross cultural understanding we have compiled the following list of driving guidelines (because in Tbilisi, as in hashing, there are no rules.)

The Traffic Circle


Unlike the in US, where it is taken for granted that drivers approaching a traffic circle understand that they must yield the right of way to the traffic that is already in the circle, Georgian drivers approach traffic circles with a level of stammering discomfort similar to a guy at a party who reaches for the last beer only to brush the hand of the most beautiful girl in the room who is reaching for the same beer. The exchange goes something like this:

"Oh! I'm sorry, did you-"
"Oh, I didn't-"
"No, please. I can get-"
"No, no. It's not a prob-"
"I insist. Please, it's on me." (attempt at 'charming')
"Well, alright."

Now replace the beer with honking horns, the brushing hands with screeching tires, and the polite insistances with halting brakes and you have the dance that is the Georgian traffic circle. The exchange goes something like this:

"Is he gonna go or not?"
"Don't they know they have the right of way if they're in the circle?!"
"They're not going to move, just go."
"WAIT! WAIT! They're going!"
Hoooooonk, honk, honk.
"Freakin' Georgian drivers."

Lines Are for Beginners

One of the first things we noticed about drivers in Georgia is that no one seems to believe that the lines painted on the road are meant for them. Cars are constantly pulling out into on coming traffic to get around the rare driver who is not treating his commute to work like a drag race, only to squeeze back over the line an instant before what would surely be a fatal head on collision. What may appear to be a 2 lane road to the Western eye will be transformed to a 6 lane super highway by Georgian drivers. Silly girl, that's not a shoulder. It's a bus stop/parking space/passing lane.

The lack of attention paid to obvious traffic markings is not an original or rare complaint among Westerners here. A few weeks ago Seth and a couple other guys were joking about it over lunch and decided to ask a local "What gives?"

"The lines?" he asked. "Oh, those are just for beginners."

and that's no lie.



One Way, Schmun Way

How many times have you found yourself face-to-face with a one way street that is the only thing standing between you and your destination? "Damn!" you think, "If I could just get down that street!"


Well in Georgia, you can! Corporate monkeys sitting around their conference tables brainstorming solutions to the recent fall in profits could stand to take a page out of the Georgian Drivers Manual (excuse me, I just snorted Diet Coke out my nose at the thought of such a tome.) These people invented "thinking outside the box."

The street you need is one way in the opposite direction? No problem, simply make sure that your car is pointed in the correct direction and then throw it in reverse. Proceed to weave in and out of the oncoming traffic and feel free to honk at any inconsiderate drivers who wont get out of your way. I mean, after all, you're the one who has to drive looking backwards over your shoulder. Surely they can avoid you while looking straight ahead!

Do You Speak Horn?

In Tbilisi there are 4 forms of communication: Non-verbal, spoken, written and horn. Americans, listen up! We have been underutilizing that soft, squishy area in the center of our steering wheel for too long! Gone are the days when honking your horn meant "Hey watch it jack-ass!" or "Oh my God, oh my God, OH MY GOD I'M GOING TO DIE!" Leave it to the Georgian driver to once again open your eyes to new possibilities.

In Georgia, honking one's horn is merely a form of communication, with different honks conveying a veritable cornucopia of meanings. For example:

a short, non-aggressive honk = "I'm in your blind spot. Don't move, I'll pass you in a second."
a long, protracted blast with no break = "The light is about to turn green, why are we still sitting here? Go already! I'll pass you in a second."
2 short honks followed by a moderate blast = "Good morning Giorgi, my wife tells me that your wife is pregnant. Congratulations on your fertile seed! I'll pass you in a second."

We hope that these simple guidelines will enhance your future travels.