Tuktuk

I am normally a pretty safe person, particularly when it comes to driving.  I am the type of person that feels uncomfortable backing out of the driveway without my seat belt on and I have mentioned on here more than once how much I miss the girls' carseats!  I don't like it when people drive over the speed limit (particularly at night), I feel uncomfortable at the very sight of a loved one on a motorcycle or ATV and the use of bicycles without helmets gives me a sinking feeling in my stomach.  Living here is a bit of a stretch for my safety conscious self!

That being said, I love tuktuks.  Who wouldn't?? They fly around the narrowest of streets with as much reckless abandon as possible on three small wheels.  With the seemingly mandatory Arabic music blaring they swerve between taxis, donkey carts, trucks and pedestrians, often close enough to touch the garments of the latter. They are decorated to the taste of the driver, of course, and bring a whole new level to the word 'tacky'.  One should not be surprised at the decorating skill though particularly considering that most of the drivers are under the age of 17!

 Last week we went to visit a friend who recently had a baby (baby girl #6!!)  and took a tuktuk much like the one pictured here (I am kicking myself for not getting a picture of us in the one we actually took).  We squeezed in four adults and and five kids.

One of the kids was, of course, our 12 year old driver......