Romanian rules of driving conduct...

One of the most striking things about life in Romania, Bucharest especially, is the traffic. Simply put, long lines of traffic are everywhere. Here are a few 'must do' things if you drive in Bucharest:

1. Honk, honk, honk and honk. Even for no reason or for the slightest reason. Since there are very few road rage cases, honking seems to relieve the everpresent stress of driving in a big city. It's therapeutic. For example, if you come to a stop light and there is a car in front of you, as soon as the green light comes on honking is mandatory, regardless if only one microsecond has passed and if the other car is obviously starting to move.

2. Never follow the white road lines - they're uselessly cramping your style. When coming to a stop light, even if there are three lanes of traffic clearly marked, it is expected that you go between two of the cars and form a fourth line. Pretty soon, three lanes become six. Absolutely mandatory!

3. Turning left from the right-most lane is only a matter of stopping the traffic and cutting in front of the others. Or if the turning lane is a little long, just go to the top and form a second turning lane (even if you're turning on a one-lane narrow street). Also, there is no reason to go into the middle of the intersection to turn left, even if the other cars are doing so; just go at a 45 degree angle in a straight line to the top and avoid all of this nonsense about following the white lines. Remember: your job is to NOT stay within the lines!

Hope this short intro to Romanian driving will prepare you for your next visit to Romania!

- C