What's it like to drive in Turkey?
Answer
Driving in Turkey is not for the faint hearted, best only tried by the foolish or the suicidal. Though much improved in recent years, roads can still be perilous with frequent potholes, boulder-sized loose chippings and chassis-shattering unmarked concrete speed bumps. All these hazards, however, pale into insignificance when compared to the insane driving of many Turks. The Turkish driving test is not fit for purpose and this has led to decades of atrocious driving. Undisciplined and impatient drivers hurtle along at an alarming speed, overtake on blind bends, forget to indicate, ignore pedestrian crossings and sound their horns loudly and often. Seatbelts are rarely used and it’s not uncommon for drivers to have their mobile phone permanently jammed to their ears. The annual toll of death and disability on Turkish roads is terrifying. A near fatal car crash is dramatically and comically described in Jack Scott’s memoir, Perking the Pansies, Jack and Liam move to Turkey.Search result for 'driving' in Perking the Pansies
Chapter 1:
In the Beginning
26.
"... a fresh bottle of wine and a sulking waiter.
“It’s the job,” said Liam. “It’s driving me insane.” He took a fortifying swig of wine. “I told that bitch of a boss where to stick her profit margins. I’ve done it. I’ve quit.”
Liam had spent the last two years working for a ..."
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Chapter 17:
Clement’s Köy Erection
"...with Charlotte and Alan at a layby just outside Yalıkavak. Charlotte sped off along the scenic Torba road and headed inland for Selçuk. Liam tried to keep up in his automatic snail. The pot-holed, un-cambered highway was liberally puddled with oily water. Liam cursed the road, cursed Charlotte for driving so fast and cursed the hire company for the useless piece of over-sized junk. Once outside Yalıkavak’s environs, dense woods lined the winding route, and caramel-coloured rock filled the horizon. Liam had prepared a special music mix for the occasion, an eclectic fusion of show tunes, Turkopop and obscure ..."
