By Mal Keenan
Zambia is slowly building a small middle class. Very slowly.
And with a middle class comes more Zambian drivers.
Imagine a whole lot of 16 year old drivers on the road…that’s kind of
how it looks and feels. Some driving fast. Some driving slow.
Accidents.
Bumper to bumper.
Traffic jams.
Horns honking.
And the cars are changing, too.
Back home in Crystal Lake, my sons and I play the game “Slug Bug” when we
see a Volkswagen bug driving by, and I think I need to get that game going
here in Lusaka as there have been so many “Slug Bugs” passing by.
Slug Bug Green.
Slug Bug Blue.
As I read this description, visions of sitting in the back seat with Kalan fly through my head. Because as you describe the 16 year olds driving, I’m thinking about that mixed with the foreigners driving on the wrong side of the road and using the windshield wipers as a turn signal. I’m praying for everyone’s safety!
When I used to go to Tijuana on mission trips, the driving was like that, only the preferred vehicle seemed to be old station wagons. “Grocery getters” as my sister called them back in the day. At least they didn’t encourage punches!
Stasia, I was thinking the same thing – and hearing Kalan sing, “Stuck in the middle with you!”