Trying to cross the street in Moscow or Vladivostok is like performing a death-defying act. Ok, I may be exaggerating a smidge but it’s definitely not safe! The cars here just don’t stop for you. When in Vladivostok, I had to get used to dodging cars to get across the street (that’s what the locals do) which was why I was happy to see some crosswalks (unlabeled most of the time but they had a little light above the street that most people followed) in Irkutsk. Now though, I find myself in the biggest Russian city and drivers just don’t give a damn; pedestrians do not have right of way.
Denis was nice enough to give Louise and myself a lift to the train station tonight where she left today for Yekaterinburg and where I got myself a ticket to St. Petersburg for Saturday night. While on the road, I got a couple tidbits of info on the rules of the road here. For example, if 2 cars get into an accident the owner of the cheaper car is automatically at fault. Also, red lights and zebra crossings don’t mean anything to these drivers; neither do lanes it seems.
So, I guess it’s good I’ve only been in 1 car accident thus far on my trip. 