On the Streets of Amman

Seems like everyone is constantly complaining about the traffic jam in Amman these days! Yes, I admit, it is crazy… it is a nightmare when you want to go home from university at 1:00 PM, not only is it a mission-impossible to catch a cab or find foot space on a bus, but more nerve-wrecking when you see the endless queues of cars on the roads, moving one inch at a time! Everyone is so grumpy, everyone behind a wheel becomes terribly quick-tempered… and since it's psychologically harmful to lock up feelings and allow it to turn into pent-up anger, everyone either honks it all out or exercises their vocal chords and creative vocab.

Having said that – I must also admit that this entire talk about traffic is over-consumed!! Yes Amman's population is growing, yes the number of cars on the streets is increasing disproportionally, yes we need a much better public transportation system to solve the issue… but you know what, while it's here, we might as well learn to deal with it - less unpleasantly ;)

Yesterday I was stuck in traffic in Shmeisani at 13:45! For those of you who know Shmeisani, you can imagine what kind of traffic we're talking about… and I started getting fidgety and restless, looking at my watch every minute and trying to figure out ways to fly over the cars or at least find the nearest exit to a street less jammed! Every clear path I found eventually found its end at a bottle neck… the trip that would normally take 10 minutes took 45!! While sitting there, stuck in a line of cars at a traffic light so far from me that I couldn't see it, I realized something… I'm going to be late anyways, so what the heck! I might as well enjoy the ride. The weather was perfect (a beautiful fresh breeze most suitable for walking or running), I rolled down the windows, Mood was playing some of my favorite songs, and I tried to just breathe slowly, and smile :) I figured I can just use this time to relax instead of wear myself out with tension… You could sense everyone fuming in the cars next to you, you could sense the adjacent driver (and the one behind you, and the one in front) staring, because that is what Jordanians do at traffic lights (and everywhere on the streets for that matter) they stare… you can feel bugged and annoyed all you want, it's not going to change anything! Relax. You can even read a magazine while waiting for some movement to take place!

Next time you're stuck in traffic – remember: Hakuna Matata ;p ok ok forgive the cliche, but seriously now, smile ;) just smile… and kick back! And in cases of important appointments and urgency, just start your journey 30 minutes earlier than you think you should. Come on, let's change the general façade of Jordanians on the street; the grumpy, cranky, frowning lot! Do you think you can do it?