Rules & Regulations

I'm not known for being a real rules & regulations kind of guy, but walking and driving around here has given me a whole new appreciation for a number of things, most notably OSHA.

The uneven pavement, low-hanging wires and lack of lighting is just the start of it. It definitely keeps us on our toes when we walk around camp, particularly at night. I imagine it's even worse outside the wire, because at least on camp there are no piles of garbage or open sewers to dodge. Surprisingly, there are relatively few injuries, so maybe good lighting and smooth sidewalks are overrated.

The few times I've been in a vehicle outside the camp, I'm amazed at how people drive around here. The lanes aren't clearly marked, so the roads might have two "lanes" of traffic heading in one direction and one in the other, then suddenly the situation is reversed and now two or three rows of cars are coming towards us as we merge into a single lane. Fortunately the cars are creeping along at low speed, so it's not as scary as it sounds. The bicycles and donkey carts help keep the speed down too.

And then there are the pedestrians - with no crosswalks to be found and the slow pace of the vehicles, people pretty much cross the street wherever they want to. Old people, kids, women behind veils, all walking into traffic. I've never thought jaywalking was a big deal or a serious offence, but after seeing how things go over here, I'm now a big fan of jaywalking laws.

Then there's the complete lack of environmental protections. The water isn't potable, the air is horribly polluted, the sidewalks are full of trash, the sewer system... well, there isn't really one. We've got a sewage treatment facility here on our camp (not far from my dorm - yay!) but it's a bit of a rarity here in Kabul. And then there are the knock-off surge protectors that we're not supposed to buy or use, 'cause they tend to catch fire.

So the next time you hear people complain about government regulations, just take a deep breath of clean air, drink some tap water, cross the street safely and notice all the hazards you don't have to worry about. Go ahead, plug something into a surge protector without a second thought. Then write a thank you note to OSHA.