Don't trust zebras

So, one thing I want to tell you _ don’t trust zebras! Well, you know, I’m not talking about zebras as animals. There are other zebras, too. Those zebras are called those wide white horizontal lines that you can find on the streets where usually cars move around. Those are zebras. And, please, always remember not to trust those zebras in Tbilisi. Or in Georgia! Because you may end up dead. Just great, yeah?

While in other countries everyone stops and waits for pedestrian to cross that zebra, you should not anticipate that to happen in Georgia. Perhaps, some drivers will stop and wait for you, but that’s just one case in a million.

People take and pass the exam and get their driver’s licenses, and one of the questions there you’ll find a question about zebras, whether or not a driver should stop and let pedestrians walk across the zebra and then start the car and go. People pass the exam, but they forget this rule, that a driver is obliged to stop in front of zebra if pedestrians are walking on that. Well, there are lights, of course, indicating whether a pedestrian should walk there or not, but if the light is green, then drivers should let pedestrians walk their way.

Georgians don’t do that. They don’t stop. It’s like riding a bike. I remember when Tom took us on an excursion throughout the city of Cambridge, he told us be beware the bikes, because they don’t stop, like ever, and if you don’t see them, you may end up pretty badly injured or something like that. He told us he had experienced that and so to trust him and beware the bicycles.

Now, you see, Georgians use to look on both sides while crossing the streets and they look on both sides even if they are on a one-sided road, and they look on both sides when they walk on side-walks and if they are in yards, etc. It’s kind of a habit to look on both sides when you are out.

When you see a green light in front of you that tells you that you may go and cross the street, and there is a zebra in front of you on that place, of course, you can not just go and cross the street! So, what does that mean _ you may ask. Well, I’ll tell you about that. In fact, when you have a green light to go, you must still look on both sides and be sure that no one is coming towards you and you are safe to cross the road. If you are not sure, there maybe is someone, who has just started his car and is rushing towards your way. Then you’ll definitely be run over or something and, even if they tell you, that it was not your fault _ you were on a zebra and your light was green and you could go and cross the street _ the victim is still you and you’ll have to waste your time and nerves being in a hospital, getting some treatment and even if that person pays for your treatment or whatever, it still is not worth your health. Because, as you know, health is the main thing in your life. And if you didn’t know that, now you will know, because there is nothing more important, than your health condition. When you are healthy, you can do many things. You can take care of other people, you are able to work, provide yourself and your family or whoever, earn money, be happier and healthier and stuff like that.

When you are crossing a zebra in Georgia, not a single driver tries to stop his car and let you walk that zebra. No! They just want to drive wherever they are going to. And if you are walking on a zebra on a pedestrian’s green light and someone drives towards it and you won’t run so that to get out of his way, he will just get his head out of the car’s window and star shouting at you and things like that and it’s pretty awful, you know, trust me, I’ve been there. This is just ridiculous. That’s my road and my time “to shine” and just let me, just leave me alone for some time and then you can go wherever you want! That is so annoying that it really gets on your nerves.

When I was in the Netherlands, it was really a shock for me, that just when I was near a zebra, all the cars would stop so that I could walk on that zebra and cross the road. I was so shocked that the first time when that happened, I stood there, waiting for that car to go, so I could cross the street after it. Well, then I realized that it was waiting for me to cross the road and, so, I crossed it. And in Georgia, if someone doesn’t shout at you at that time and if they even slower their cars and let you cross the road, people even thank them, or just let them know that they are thankful with a hands’ movement and stuff like that, when, in fact, there is nothing to be thankful of. That’s a law to stop your car there near the zebra when the pedestrians have a green light and when they are crossing the street.

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