ChrisMerriman.com

Recently this blog has started to get a lot more traffic from people interested in life in Kazakhstan again, though I have not really been writing a lot more about Astana. One thought I had is to create a list of taxi companies that might be of interest to families living in the capital. One of the problems you find is that many cars either have the seat belts in the back hidden away, with the drivers not always wanting to pull up the seats to retrieve the anchor mechanisms. Worse than that, some cars have actually had the seat belts cut out off them, as people complain they “get in the way”. So, since Anna has been in Astana, we have tried to keep a list of drivers that own cars with working seatbelts – there isn’t a lot of point in using car seats otherwise. Would such a compilation interest anyone?
It is of course a generalization, but I’ve also found that the drivers that care enough to ensure their rear seatbelts are in good working order, also seem to drive a little more safely. One of the people we use the most definitely amends his driving style when there are children in the car.

Tags: Astana, Kazakhstan

As previously suggested by a friend over here in Astana, and obviously moaned about by me most times I cross a road, the pedestrian crossings at traffic lights (that is to say those that have an automated timetable for when people can cross, as opposed to the newer variety, found away from crossroads, where you press a button) REALLY should be timed so that cars are NOT allowed to drive past at the same time as you cross. Granted, almost all the drivers do stop, or swerve to a different lane, but especially when icy conditions prevail, trying to cross a six lane road, knowing that cars could (literally) come spinning round the corner at any moment isn’t great.
Combine this with the fact that drivers waiting for their light to go green normally wait on top of the crossing that pedestrians use, and you can end up in some strange places at a four ways crossroad, just hoping you can get across in time. Obviously if Anna is with us, we pretty much don’t cross unless we have been waiting since before the green man is lit up, but other times, if it is just adults involved, you tend to cross when everyone else does, meaning some of the drivers turning right, whose lights have just turned red, are particularly impatient and want to get down the road quickly, before traffic from a different direction starts trying to cut them up, and effectively queue jump.

Tags: Astana, Kazakhstan

Getting back to the Kazakhstan issues that have jumped back into my consciousness since returning to Astana (and admittedly this one isn’t exactly a calamity for us, as we don’t own a car in this country), a friend of ours was pulled over last year whilst driving in a perfectly normal manner. The reason the policeman stopped (and attempted to fine) him? His car was too dirty. We’re not talking about number plates being obscured (I agree, no matter the state of the rest of the car, whenever practical the number plates should be readable) or even his headlights being dangerously muddy (so cars travelling in the opposite direction at night might not see him in time), no, it was the main body that was deemed to be a disgrace to the city.
I don’t know if there was a visiting dignitary who had a lot of disdain for cars that aren’t sparkling, but TBH, there are SO many more issues the police could focus on with motorists before even considering the cosmetic appearance of a car. More on those other issues in the days to come 🙂
Anyway, if you want to be taken seriously, and not have accusations of possible supplementary income sources levelled at your police force, I feel a muddy car should not be a reason to pull you over.

Tags: Astana, Kazakhstan