Driving in Kyrgyzstan

Typical Intersection in Bishkek

Driving in Kyrgyzstan is not for the faint of heart. There is a kind of organised chaos to it. Drivers generally seem unaware of their surroundings.

The organized chaos consists of three main actors:
1) overly aggressive taxi drivers ignoring virtually all rules of the road
2) brazen pedestrians darting in front of cars where there is no pedestrian crossing
3) lumbering minibuses impeding traffic in general

Taxi drivers are unpredictable, and aggressive. For instance, sudden lane changes without using turn signals, driving on the wrong side of the road and ignoring taffic lights are common occurences.

Pedestrians, often wearing dark colors at night, stand in the middle of the right hand lane, and attempt to cross streets. Pedestrian crossings are not clearly marked.

Minibuses serve as obstacles that make the flow of traffic difficult for others on the road. They will block one or more lanes to let passengers off or on, make unsafe lane and drive with little to no regard of other vehicles. I've seen more collisions with minibuses than any other kind of vehicle.

Winter plowing and sanding of city streets is rare, resulting in ice accumulation that makes driving even more hazardous. Winter tires are essential

Kyrgyz drivers in general are often undisciplined. Traveling at unsafe speeds, driving at night without lights, and drunk driving are seemingly normal.

In 2011 1,164 people died in road traffic accidents in the republic. source 

I believe that poor enforcement is the cause. There are fines for breaking the traffic laws but they are only partially effective. My Kyrgyz friends have told me that the only purpose of the traffic police is to collect bribes. They never pay fines because it's cheaper and saves time to bribe traffic police at the scene.

This kind of enforcement creates three categories of drivers:
1)  'untouchable caste.' 1/3 of drivers that are judges, prosecutors, police, intelligence officials, high-ranked bureaucrats, deputies and so on. They are unreachable by law and the police.
2) 'penalty payers' 1/3 of drivers that have money and are able to bribe traffic police.
3) 'reluctant compliant' 1/3 of drivers that are afraid to be punished and try to follow the rules

Until there is real traffic law enforcement the problems will continue.

TWD's Player of the Week (Week 11 2014)

Stephen Curry, GS PG, SG 

.500 FG%, 1.000 FT%, 21.0 PTS, 2.7 3PM, 4.3 REB, 10.3 AST, 3.3 STL, 0.0 BLK, 2.7 TO, 2.7 PF 

Curry is now in the rare air with the likes of LeBron James, which is probably why Curry’s jersey sales have risen to second in the NBA behind James. 

The renown shooter has found new ways to terrorize defenses and carry the Warriors. The multiplicity of ways in which he affects games is making him an MVP favorite despite not being quite as money as he normally is with his outside shot. 

Curry’s 3-point percentage may be down. But his game is up. 

The San Francisco Guard was on the verge of a 50/40/100 line last week with 53 percent of his looks from the fiel, drilling 39.7 percent of his deep tries and connected on 100 percent of his shots at the stripe. He tied his season-high of 15 dimes against the Pacers on Wednesday, adding his sixth 20-10 game of the season. Curry's in complete control of the NBA's highest-scoring offense and the Warriors have the best record in the league. 

The Charlotte native once deemed to be an overhyped shooter has become a well-rounded star. Most analysts and fans would have been fine if Curry just cut down his turnovers. 

He’s done that, getting his average down to 3.2 per game from 3.8 last season. It would be nice if Curry could eventually work into the twos, but his style of offensive production requires him to take risks, and the Golden State Warriors will surely take the bad with the overwhelming amount of good. 

But his growth isn’t just offensively. The strides Curry has made on defense are just unreal. 

He not just is holding his own. He has become a game changer. He has morphed from a defensive liability last season to one of the most impactful guards on that end of the court. He leads the NBA in steals largely because of his success sneaking up on big men and reading passing lanes. 

It’s been a long road to this point, but Curry’s name belongs among the elite. Others are better than him in specific areas. But when you’re naming the total packages in the league, you can’t do so without naming Curry.