Oxymoron

The Ethiopians are very progressive with some of their laws. For instance it is illegal to talk on the phone while driving. So you see a lot of people pulled over on the side of the road to answer a call. In the States, we have been trying to pass this law for a long time. Way to go Ethiopia.

Here is the thing though, while you cannot talk on your cell phone while driving you can do the following: Stand in the back of a pick up truck, cling to the back of a full truck, Stick half your body out of the window to tell pedestrians where the bus/taxi is going, take your cows/goats/sheep for a walk down the busiest street in Addis Ababa, cram 70 people in a bus built for 20, drive 4 cars side by side in a 2 lane road, stand up on a small rickety cart pulled by a donkey down the major 2 lane highway, sit on top of a 6 foot high pile of hay/sticks/grass on the same rickety car on the same busy highway, (you may also sleep on this hay or stand on the back of the cart holding on to the hay for support). I think you can probably guess that I have yet to see a car seat.

But, do not worry, not one of these people is talking on his/her cell phone!