Driving in Dhaka is a bit of a dilemma. While we looked for a car we had a hard time deciding between getting the biggest SUV possible – intimidating – and getting something small enough to squeeze through the crowd.
We live in the posh area of town, Baridhara. Yet, two blocks off the street could be a dirt road. Numerous times even on a paved street you can't find any resemblance of concrete. So we decided we needed an SUV. After all, MIGHT IS RIGHT on the Dhaka streets!
Traffic is a major issue. Roads built for two lanes most of the times accommodate four. I can't logically explain how, but I see it all the times. Passing on a two-lane road doesn't mean waiting until no one is coming, it just means getting all the vehicles to fit side-by-side.
We live in the posh area of town, Baridhara. Yet, two blocks off the street could be a dirt road. Numerous times even on a paved street you can't find any resemblance of concrete. So we decided we needed an SUV. After all, MIGHT IS RIGHT on the Dhaka streets!
Traffic is a major issue. Roads built for two lanes most of the times accommodate four. I can't logically explain how, but I see it all the times. Passing on a two-lane road doesn't mean waiting until no one is coming, it just means getting all the vehicles to fit side-by-side.
Traffic is pretty much a given. People you talk to measure distances in both with- and without-traffic times: “It takes 10 minutes to get there without traffic; about an hour and a half with.”
So, there a number of implications for car buying. First, almost everyone who has a car also hires a driver. This seemed strange to me, after all I am buying a car to drive it. After talking to people, we were convinced that the reduced stress and lower blood pressure are worth paying a driver to do it for you. So we’re hiring a driver. This means that when buying a car, you should take a close look and see how comfy you feel in the back-seat not in front.
The second implication of the traffic is that all the cars have massive metal bumpers. They’re like big metal cages, both front and back. In the fender-benders they may save you some paint. But most off all, they are there to demand RESPECT!
So how do you actually buy a car in Bangladesh? Well, you can buy from another diplomat who is leaving or you look to Japan – thousands of used cars, relatively inexpensive, and they also drive on the left side. It is a little weird even for me (who I am diagnosed online shopaholic) that you can actually buy used cars online, just like shopping on Amazon. You go online, look at the pictures, ire them 15 thousand and you get a car on the boat. Unlike Amazon, you don’t get free shipping, but in our case, the Embassy would have picked up the tab.
We went the first route, found a car from a diplomat leaving post. Here’s the car we picked! Not too big, but still big enough to get some respect on the mean streets of Dhaka!
So, there a number of implications for car buying. First, almost everyone who has a car also hires a driver. This seemed strange to me, after all I am buying a car to drive it. After talking to people, we were convinced that the reduced stress and lower blood pressure are worth paying a driver to do it for you. So we’re hiring a driver. This means that when buying a car, you should take a close look and see how comfy you feel in the back-seat not in front.
The second implication of the traffic is that all the cars have massive metal bumpers. They’re like big metal cages, both front and back. In the fender-benders they may save you some paint. But most off all, they are there to demand RESPECT!
So how do you actually buy a car in Bangladesh? Well, you can buy from another diplomat who is leaving or you look to Japan – thousands of used cars, relatively inexpensive, and they also drive on the left side. It is a little weird even for me (who I am diagnosed online shopaholic) that you can actually buy used cars online, just like shopping on Amazon. You go online, look at the pictures, ire them 15 thousand and you get a car on the boat. Unlike Amazon, you don’t get free shipping, but in our case, the Embassy would have picked up the tab.
We went the first route, found a car from a diplomat leaving post. Here’s the car we picked! Not too big, but still big enough to get some respect on the mean streets of Dhaka!
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