I’m talking about traffic.

Hello!

After a week spent in Makhachkala, in the interval between flights and airports, we walked along the old streets of Moscow , along the embankments inside the Garden Ring. And marvel at the silence. The fact that you can talk to each other, although a dense stream of cars is passing by.

No squealing of brakes, no signals, no howling of black, rather chewed-up cars, with almost no clearance between the bottom and the asphalt …

Well, here’s what it is: they stand calmly at a traffic light on a red one, no one presses the horn, no one rips from a place with slipping and smoke! Boring things! Here, let’s go … Look, all the turns are shown when changing lanes. Yearning…

Although here, here! Black car, tinted «round», briskly rides! It rebuilds from row to row without “turn signals”, honks: asks to let them through … Yeah, let them through … Again: fa! F! Thanks and move on. He beeps again, but they don’t let him in… Squeal of brakes, again a signal — this time indignant. And the black car still squeezes between the rows … It drives closer, and through the glass we see a young, cheerful, bearded face. Resident of Makhachkala, don’t go to the fortuneteller!

I have not seen such movement as in Makhachkala anywhere. Brownian motion. There are just too many cars! The rules themselves are the drivers themselves. Everyone is constantly beeping. It feels like everyone here knows Morse code very well and communicates with it on the roads, masterfully performing on the horns. Everyone’s driving style is daring, sharp. But I wouldn’t say that it’s really aggressive, but some kind of … hooligan, or something …

Makhachkala. The traffic is very dense… Photo by the author. 2021 Makhachkala. The traffic is very dense… Photo by the author. 2021

The driver of the excursion bus told us about the red light of the traffic light, laughing: “Listen, here in Makhachkala they say this: red is for me, green is common!” Well, it’s a joke, of course. But in every joke there is a share of a joke … «Turn signals» ignore almost everyone. Even police car drivers.

Pedestrians are also impressed. They cross busy streets whenever and wherever they please. They spit on traffic lights. They act like they have nine lives and everything is complete.

Well, of course, from time to time, with such a “fun” movement, someone will “kiss” with someone. The taxi driver who drove us from the airport said that in Makhachkala a car is not considered a bat if it has a replaced door or, for example, a fender. Replaced right? — Replaced! Everything, what questions, the car is NOT broken!

OOPS! And so it happens … an accident on Mirzabekov Street. Photo of the author. OOPS! And so it happens … an accident on Mirzabekov Street. Photo of the author.

Have you heard: “The higher the mountains, the lower the Priors? Yes, there is…

Sometimes on trips we rent a car to drive around the neighborhood. We didn’t even think of that here! You probably need to live in Makhachkala for more than one month to adapt to this movement, to understand its logic and principles (if they exist at all). Professional drivers are well aware that the traffic in their city is special and visitors are categorically not advised to rent a car. They say it’s also because companies often don’t have insurance. Well, it happens: the policy is, as it were. In fact, there is no insurance…

Makhachkala. Karaman. Car washes and car services — at every step. Black understated «Priors» are still in trend. Photo of the author. Makhachkala. Karaman. Car washes and car services — at every step. Black understated «Priors» are still in trend. Photo of the author.

We met on an excursion with a Moscow married couple. They arrived in Dagestan by car. They say that by the time they got to their guest house in Makhachkala, gray hair was added. We parked the car for a week and moved only on foot, by taxi or sightseeing buses.

There are not so many girls behind the wheel, but they come across. Many drive as boldly as the men.

Routes are a different story. In one of them they saw a sign: “We will stop wherever you want, just speak louder!” And indeed, they stop! Often in the middle of the road.

Why is this … a peculiar movement in Makhachkala, I asked our guide on one of the excursions. The man explained that this was due, rather, not to the peculiarities of the southern temperament, but simply to the fact that a driver’s license is traditionally and still almost openly sold and bought. And the local police look at violations through their fingers. Or through banknotes. Everything is simple!

In general, in Dagestan, the attitude towards cars is reverent. I have never seen so many car washes and car repair shops anywhere.

The Makhachkala movement is a separate city attraction.

Health to all and good mood, regardless of the weather!