Dangerous Driving Albania
Transportation costs in Albania are really cheap. Sadly, you get what you pay for when it comes to drivers. Albania is one of the few countries which honestly scared the crap out of me when we were driving.
There are a few travel options in Albania, but the two most popular are furgons and Buses.
I'm not sure which one of them is the most dangerous, but I'm going to tell you a couple of stories which I wish I could forget.
Furgon Baby Incident
We were barreling down the highway at around 120-140km/h when suddenly another crazy driver does something unexpected. The brakes are slammed on our furgon and everyone goes flying forward. There are seat belts, but only for the 8 passengers the vehicle is designed for, not the other 6 who are actually there. A baby on it's mothers lap is held tightly, but the sudden stop causes her to slam forward in to the seat in front of her, crushing the baby.
Drinking and Driving
Alcoholism seems to be quite rampant in some parts of Albania. More than a few occasions I've met people in the early morning hours drinking their face off. I've even partaken a few times, I'm not saying they are bad people, perhaps a little irresponsible though.
I was in a furgon zooming down the highway as they normally do, when suddenly the driver offers me a plastic bottle of moonshine ratki. I declined his offer and he was a little offended. "You must drink, only women don't drink," was the basic conversation. After the driver took a few swigs I though I would partake if for no other reason to make my potential death less painful as we barrel down the highway with a drunk at the wheel.
Speedy Buses and Cliffs
Buses are a great way to travel, you will make great time, assuming you make it there alive. Buses must get paid by the run and not by the hour because the drivers really push the limits of safety. They will pass other vehicles in unsafe environments, they will go around blind corners in the opposite lane. More than a few times I swear our wheel was half hanging over the edge of a high cliff. There is no guard rails to catch you or stop you from going to close to the edge, and sadly you can see more than a few buses who didn't make it by the rusted out remains down at the bottom of the ravines.
(Despite all my talk about transportation woes in Albania I thought it was an amazing country and I suggest you visit them!)
There are a few travel options in Albania, but the two most popular are furgons and Buses.
I'm not sure which one of them is the most dangerous, but I'm going to tell you a couple of stories which I wish I could forget.
Furgon Baby Incident
We were barreling down the highway at around 120-140km/h when suddenly another crazy driver does something unexpected. The brakes are slammed on our furgon and everyone goes flying forward. There are seat belts, but only for the 8 passengers the vehicle is designed for, not the other 6 who are actually there. A baby on it's mothers lap is held tightly, but the sudden stop causes her to slam forward in to the seat in front of her, crushing the baby.
Drinking and Driving
Alcoholism seems to be quite rampant in some parts of Albania. More than a few occasions I've met people in the early morning hours drinking their face off. I've even partaken a few times, I'm not saying they are bad people, perhaps a little irresponsible though.
I was in a furgon zooming down the highway as they normally do, when suddenly the driver offers me a plastic bottle of moonshine ratki. I declined his offer and he was a little offended. "You must drink, only women don't drink," was the basic conversation. After the driver took a few swigs I though I would partake if for no other reason to make my potential death less painful as we barrel down the highway with a drunk at the wheel.
Speedy Buses and Cliffs
Buses are a great way to travel, you will make great time, assuming you make it there alive. Buses must get paid by the run and not by the hour because the drivers really push the limits of safety. They will pass other vehicles in unsafe environments, they will go around blind corners in the opposite lane. More than a few times I swear our wheel was half hanging over the edge of a high cliff. There is no guard rails to catch you or stop you from going to close to the edge, and sadly you can see more than a few buses who didn't make it by the rusted out remains down at the bottom of the ravines.
Welcome to Albania! :)
(Despite all my talk about transportation woes in Albania I thought it was an amazing country and I suggest you visit them!)
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