I'm not sure what the traffic situation is like in the rest of the country at the moment - but Jo'burg has gone a little crazy at the moment!

The Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project has a lot to do with it I guess - every little bit of Freeway in the province is being refinished, widened or expanded. Every off ramp is being changed and well - we hope for the best. Although I'm not entirely convinced that having to pay tolls on my way to work is going to make me want to take the freeway (backroads are going to get busier) or high occupancy vehicle lanes (I drive a two seater convertible - how does that play into high occupancy vehicles - when I drive with my partner to work - we're at maximum capacity!)

Anyways, yes - the sitting in traffic every day does start to get to you. It's summer now and sitting in the heat of the day, waiting in traffic to get to work doesn't really make you want to move does it? What really gets me is those people who think they are more important than anyone else?! Seriosuly - the rest of us got in the queue to take the William Nicol turn off 2km's back - what makes you think you can just jump in at the last minute? Really?

What I was completely shocked by the other day though was seeing taxi's driving up the sealed off lanes (the ones under construction - sand paths really thus far). Taxi's speeding past the other traffic beyond the concrete barriers. Then they snuck back on when the lanes closed - squeezed through the three lanes of traffic which wasn't moving, and joined the next under construction cordoned off lanes and sped off down the road. I was surprised no one else joined them - although I imagine it won't take long for the habit to kick in!

Where is the respect? Growing up I guess I always sat in my fathers car and watched him driving. Watched my mom. They stuck to the rules. Maybe they sped occasionally - but they respected other drivers. They stuck to the rules. That's how I drive now! There are others like me - but what about the rest of the people on the roads?

What the hell are these people doing? Are traffic rules no longer applicable? Do traffic cops still have any authority? Do they still do anything to people who break the rules?