Traffic: How You Can Take Back The Power

There is something inherently evil about Nairobi traffic. The way we talk about it tells us how we percieve it. It is almost as if it is a malevolent being sent to destroy human hope. Sitting in traffic for hours makes us cranky, irascible and tired. We do not seem to be able to understand that traffic is not a single sentient being. It is, simply, other exhausted, frustrated drivers who like you just want to get home (or the bar- UP does not judge). We at UP suffer from the same symptoms every day, and we had a conversation about how to deal with the inescapable misery that is Nairobi’s never ending rush hour.

Do Some Research

Hee is the sad reality of modern society- we live in a 24 hour world, and this means that office hours have become, depending on how you see it, more flexible. When in the past the road morphed into a snarling, hooting smoking mass of metal at exactly 4 p.m and was back to calm by seven p.m on the Fridays that fell at the end of the month, today the story is different. You have people leaving the office late, others early. With social media and internet everywhere devices, you surely can do a spot of research to figure out the traffic hotspots in advance. As well, find alternate routes using your maps feature on your phone.

Carpool And Car Management

Carpool. It saves time and is also a great way to re-connect with friends on long commutes home.

A car is a status symbol in our society, ownership of one a mark of having ‘arrived’. This is all well and good, but if you own it, must you use it to drive the 600 metres to T-Mall to buy a loaf of bread? If you have colleagues or friends who generally work in the same vicinity as you, then how about saving on fuel costs and forming a carpool group to go to work. Traffic is caused by kinks in the chain and the back up these cause. If you reduce the nuber of cars on the road then surely it is a win win? As well, you don’t have to use your car on particularly congested days. Use a matatu, or walk.

Entertainent

Just ensure that your car does not need a NEMA permit to play any music.

It is 2015, and surely every car now has a working radio. We can try to avoid traffic all we want, but the reality is that you will run into it. Traffic is annoying, and there are a raft of stress factors when you are stuck in gridlock. Results from a recent scientific study show that music can reduce stress levels in the body to a manageable amount. Stress, in converse, has been pointed at as a major factor in the causes of road accidents. Being calm on the road is vital. With modern tech you can even watch movies and play video games in your car. Invest in these gadgets. They may save your life.