On my daily morning walk, my head in the clouds, I was crossing the street. As in many places in Capital nowadays, the pedestrian traffic lights didn’t work. I looked up : red light for the cars, so green to me. I started crossing the street and when I was at 3/4th, just in front of the 2nd car, the light switched to orange. Orange, in Argentina, means “GO! Whatever obstacle is in front of you!” so the cars started driving. I looked at the driver in terror. Hasn’t she -yes it was a she- seen me? Obviously she had. We were looking eye to eye. She was driving, I was walking. I had only 3 steps to go until safety. She seemed to be in a hurry. Me, I just wanted to be safe. She seemed to be expecting that I would just vanish into the air. In the end, just in time, she pushed the break. Back on the sidewalk my heart was pumping. Jack Sparrow would say that this day will go into history as the day I ‘almost’ got run over by a car. How amazingly fast one gets used to a country’s traffic. In just a few weeks I had gotten used to being able to cross the street in relative safeness, even if the lights turn red on your way, but now, in less then 3 seconds, I am used to Buenos Aires traffic again. Never lose sight of the cars.
Yes. I’m back. Nevertheless, it feels good to be back.
The Feel Good Way 
2 responses to “Orange Traffic Lights”
That’s what happens when women drive LOL
No, just a joke.
In Microcentro I see that a lot on both sides. Many times I see pedestrians crossing in red light and right in front of vehicles coming without care so maybe drivers think pedestrians are like pigeons that can skip cars anyway.
Buenos Aires me mata!
I totally understand how you feel! I arrived in Buenos Aires one month ago and I’m still trying to get used to this crazy traffic … we moved from South Africa where traffic is very good, organized and CALM … compared to here!
Everytime I have to leave the apartment in Puerto Madero to go to the northern suburbs (where we are looking for a house) I sit in the car (passenger side), totally frozen … my hand is constantly on the dashboard and my right foot tends to “brake” every 5 meters or less! It’s madness … and to my amazement the numbers of accident isn’t so high … there are loads of load braking sounds all over … but drivers tend to just swerve in and out of cars … zigzagging along as if it’s the most normal thing in life!
I honestly hope to get used to it quickly as I will eventually have to drive my kids to school soon … can’t even think of what it’s like to cross a busy street … madness !!!
Keep well … a bientot !