Cyprus-Forum.com

[PARAMED]

This says it all, I run a Professional Ambulance Service and have taken the resulting casualties to Hospital

This is a letter which was in The Cyprus Mail in Sept. 2006.

Sir,

I have now lived on the island for a few months but have yet to see a copy of the 'Cyprus Highway Code'.

However having observed the driving over this period, I believe I now understand the local 'Rules of the Road' and would seek to pass on my top ten tips to help new arrivals who will not be used to our ways.

1) Traffic emerging from side roads have full right of way to those on the main highway.
2) Likewise, traffic coming in the opposite direction and turning right in front of you have total priority.
3) If the vehicle in front of you is only just exceeding the speed limit you are entitled to overtake them, even on a blind bend. Do not be concerned about traffic coming towards you, it is their responsibility to take evasive action.
4) Always cut corners - you will be amazed how much fuel this saves over a year.
5) At junctions, "Stop" does not actually mean "Stop" – it’s just that "Give Way if you really, really have to" would not fit on the sign.
6) A 'Red Traffic Light' also does not mean "Stop" - You should edge forward for at least 10 metres ready to roar away the moment the lights change. That half second you save may be invaluable when you are older.
7) Please be aware that the intermittent flashing light found on each corner of your vehicle is strictly for ornamental purposes only. On no account should they be used to try and indicate direction of travel as this will only confuse other road users.
Parking in town and city centres is not always easy but fortunately there are some 'Free Parking Areas' – these are easily identified by the black and white 'zebra' style markings with zig-zag lines either side. Should these spaces be full (they usually are) then you must not park on the double yellow lines. Instead park on the pavement alongside. Do not worry about the pedestrians as they will have ample room to go around your car and into the road.
9) If you are a motorcyclist ensure you cover your hair with lots of Extra Strong Gel. This will give your head great protection and alleviate the need to wear one of those nasty, unattractive 'helmet' type hats.
10) Also a motorcyclist should remove any type of ‘silencer' from his bike. It is important that no one should be denied hearing the tuneful melody emitted by his souped up 50cc 'Hotbird'.
The only exception to the above "Rules" should, obviously, be taxi drivers. For as we all know they can do exactly as they like!
Happy Motoring!

[Oracle]

Erm ... "New to Cyprus" .... are you planning on staying long?

I think so. And don't get me wrong, Cyprus is great in most respects.

Why though is it the Cypriot way of driving to be a jerk though?

Well I hope you do stay long if you like Cyprus, but I don't think Cypriots drive like jerks ... Only jerks drive like jerks. And they occur with the same frequency everywhere.

Or, are you going to tell me Cypriots are ethnically jerkish? Because that is what it sounds like when someone makes out a particular common event to most cultures, is predominant in one culture ... and without evidence to back it up, apart from ONE experience that Miltiades has based his whole accusation upon ....

[New to Cyprus]

Well I hope you do stay long if you like Cyprus, but I don't think Cypriots drive like jerks ... Only jerks drive like jerks. And they occur with the same frequency everywhere.

Or, are you going to tell me Cypriots are ethnically jerkish? Because that is what it sounds like when someone makes out a particular common event to most cultures, is predominant in one culture ... and without evidence to back it up, apart from ONE experience that Miltiades has based his whole accusation upon ....

Well I haven't done a survey to see just how many drivers are jerks here.

And, I haven't driven in Greece, Italy, Egypt or India, all of which I hear are far worse. Still, it does seem to be worse than other EU countries I have been in.

[New to Cyprus]

Oh, and yes, I have more than one experience. Generally one every time I drive across Nicosia it seems like.

[miltiades]

if u don't like the way cypriots drive ur welcome to go back to where u came from !!!

Listen mate , I derive from Stroumbi the Great !!
The mode of transport in my village was the donkey , now that we have the car don't you think we ought to be more responsible and caring to other road users.
What is it with our people that dictates that any criticism of any aspect of life in Cyprus has to be met cynically and in my Stroumbiotiko brain rather stupidly.
So you can get in car drive along the promenade doing 80 miles an hour and you tell me if I don't like it to piss off. Grow up stupid , cars are meant to be driven not fucked up by bloody idiots.

Join forces with Oracle , she will defend even Koprofagus just as long as they are G/C.
Well mate I'm a Cypriot and don't take lightly the fact that idiots can ruin or take a life because ekavlosan tche kamnoun tou magges !! Malakes

[bill cobbett]

My dear Milti, I really am disappointed that one of CF's greatest Cys should now turn his attention to another fine aspect of CY culture, smoking.

Let me put this to you and others; the net result of small but vociferous groups of people agitating for changes and bans in their particular little pet hate areas, taken as a whole, is the Political Correctness that many here would condemn. Live and let live or else we end up driving further along the Politically Correct Road.

What is it you and others compare Cys to Milti, the donkey, the stubborn CY donkey that's endured 2000 years of Foul Occupations because of their strong culure.

Do you really think you're going to change them? I don't think you should even try cos it's their country and we are as much foreigners there as any other ex-pats who seem to want to import their culture to CY and recreate Bexhill-on-Sea in CY.

[miltiades]

if u don't like the way cypriots drive ur welcome to go back to where u came from !!!

Listen mate , I derive from Stroumbi the Great !!
The mode of transport in my village was the donkey , now that we have the car don't you think we ought to be more responsible and caring to other road users.
What is it with our people that dictates that any criticism of any aspect of life in Cyprus has to be met cynically and in my Stroumbiotiko brain rather stupidly.
So you can get in car drive along the promenade doing 80 miles an hour and you tell me if I don't like it to piss off. Grow up stupid , cars are meant to be driven not fucked up by bloody idiots.

Join forces with Oracle , she will defend even Koprofagus just as long as they are G/C.
Well mate I'm a Cypriot and don't take lightly the fact that idiots can ruin or take a life because ekavlosan tche kamnoun tou magges !! Malakes

[miltiades]

My dear Milti, I really am disappointed that one of CF's greatest Cys should now turn his attention to another fine aspect of CY culture, smoking.

Let me put this to you and others; the net result of small but vociferous groups of people agitating for changes and bans in their particular little pet hate areas, taken as a whole, is the Political Correctness that many here would condemn. Live and let live or else we end up driving further along the Politically Correct Road.

What is it you and others compare Cys to Milti, the donkey, the stubborn CY donkey that's endured 2000 years of Foul Occupations because of their strong culure.

Do you really think you're going to change them? I don't think you should even try cos it's their country and we are as much foreigners there as any other ex-pats who seem to want to import their culture to CY and recreate Bexhill-on-Sea in CY.

Bill , we have moved on in Cyprus and progressed we are not like medieval stone age people but we are firmly into the 21st century.
Smoking is unhealthy not only for smokers but for those around them.Its a drug like all other drugs its hard to give up but to defend the practice as part of a nation's culture is absurd.
You can not possibly consider my dislike of this horrid drug as a " pet hate " Smoking and bad driving are both very uncultured activities , same with throwing trash onto the beach , the roads etc activities that need to be discouraged .

[bill cobbett]

My dear Milti (again). Let me tell you a true story from last Summer of some bad driving (and what some would say was some bad parenting on my part).

Others may have experienced something similar. This would certainly have been a common experience in days gone by. This happened in Milti country, wild west Paphos District up near the tip of the Akamas. Went up there in 4x4s across the Akamas (not up it from Paphos on that road built for the wimpish) on some really "nice" dirt/sand tracks. Had a brill day at a beach with a couple of Mrs C's cousins and much of the rest of the local village. On leaving at dusk, one of the cousins dumped all the children including our two in to the open back of his single cabin. I followed behind.

So a dozen children in the back of this car, tearing across these hairy dirt tracks and sand dunes, not the safest of driving, no seatbelts and no politically correct booster cushions etc etc.

Naturally the kids loved it. They were absolutely having a great time. I thought to myself "only in CY".

What do you think dear Milti? Bad driving? Bad parenting? Or do you look forward to the day when you might have a similar and for us Charlatan Londoners so unique, so enjoyable a CY experience with the grandchildren?

[JoJo]

The worst that I have ever seen in Cyprus is a young infant sleeping where the backseat of the car (top) meets the back windscreen. The top elevated bit. If that car were to be rammed fom behind, I would hate to think what would of happened to the poor child. What has happened to peoples common sense these days???