Decoding the Culture of Driving

Our dogs inspecting our recently purchased Toyota Raum.

Musafiri is my mechanic.  Over the years that I have been here he has become more than that.  Not so much a friend as a sort of cultural liason.  In Burundi there are no formal relationships.  Try as one might, no one will allow you to remain at a professional distance.  Relationship is the canvas upon which every interaction here is painted and there is no distinction made between a business and a personal one. 

Musafiri has been giving me insights into decoding the culture of driving here.  It began several years ago when I wanted to replace our  1994 Prado (4X4) with a newer car.   I began looking around at different models of landcruisers and other vehicles I was shown, primarily looking for a good value, and when I asked him to evaluate them he would tell me their condition, but would also ask me odd questions about my interest in such a vehicle.  Sometimes he would just shake his head and say in his French that betrays a preference for Swahili:  “Monsieur Paul.  Pourquoi est-ce-que tu veux un vehicule comme ca.  Ce n’est pas un vehicule pour un missionaire.”  I realized he had very clear ideas about what I should be driving.  I was not working for the UN or EU so I should not be looking at a certain type of vehicle in his opinion, and he seemed to feel it was important that my car give cues to my social status, and not confuse anyone.    The question of price was never a prime consideration to him it seemed.   As a missionary or pastor I should be looking for something more modest, or at least older.   When I told him we had a large team that needed transport he told me he would find a vehicle that was suited for me and eventually picked the 2006 Fortuner which I did buy.  (It is interesting to note as well that Musafiri is Muslim and still felt he had a responsibility to tell me the kind of cars that missionaries and pastors should drive.)

When we decided to get a more fuel efficient second car this last month I consulted him and he suggested the Raum which he considered to be suitable--not too ‘feminine’ but something Rebecca could drive as well.  I had asked about the Carina and he shook his head vigorously against it and said that was a car for women and ‘commercants.’   He poo-pooed the Vitz as well which he considered entirely too ‘feminine’ and weak for driving up country.  I did eventually settle on his advice and have been happy with both cars he has recommended.

What I do notice when driving is how differently I am treated when driving the two vehicles on the road.  When I drive the Fortuner I find people make way, do not butt in front of me as quickly, the police do not stop me, and I can usually get through an intersection with no stop signs almost as soon as I arrive by simply edging slowly into the oncoming traffic.

In the Raum I am like a second class citizen.  Prado’s and landcruisers pull up behind me and honk me out of the way, even if I am stopping to make a turn.  I have to wait a long time to enter into moving traffic, and there is not right-of-way for me in that car until all have past.

I have come to realize that the sociology of driving here is a good reflection of culture that is a product of traditional African with an overlay of French culture.   Both of these cultures project strong hierarchical social relations which are defined by but extend well beyond the boundaries of ones profession.

Since, as I mentioned above, there is no distinction between formal and informal social relations, if I am say a Bishop in my church,  I am a Bishop everywhere I go.  The same is true of other roles of high social status.  The entitlements I have in one of these roles are assumed to extend to all areas of life.   If I am a boss in my job, I am your boss in the street even if you don’t know me and don’t work in my organization.  As a boss I have the right of way in all circumstances.

As one friend put it, there is no presumed equality here among ‘citizens’.  Everyone is either above or below you and the only relevant question when meeting someone is to figure out which.

Don’t get me wrong, I do know that there are clear deliniations of social class in the cars we drive in North America.  A BMW or maybe even a Hummer certainly represents some degree of wealth or success.  The difference is that the nice car does not entitle one to ignore traffic signals, or to pass cars in a line waiting to turn and pull to the front.  Every driver is subject to the same laws at home and it would be unbelievably obnoxious for someone to presume otherwise.

Not so in Burundi.  If you are grand chef in your work, you are a grand chef on the road.

To be able to display and also decode social cues of status is something every Burundian is practiced at, but a foreigner, especially from an anti-hierarchical  culture like the US can be completely flummoxed and may perhaps appear boorish.

Having the right car, as Musafiri was trying to show me is important to send the right social cues.  Missionaries do not drive large new landcruisers or Prados used by large donors like the European Union or USAID.  Commercants and women drive small cars.   A head of a church should have a car that reflects his social status.

Generally mzungu’s drive 4X4s because they are rich.  But even among 4X4s there is a pecking order that must be respected—generally newer is better, missionaries should not have something newer than about 2000 apparently.

King of the Road

I asked Musafiri about the pecking order and he said the Double cab white  HI Lux pick-ups are at the top of the heap--driven only by ‘les Grand Chefs” of the ruling party.  The large white landcruisers are in the same category and tend to be the preferred mode of transport for foreign diplomats and heads of large NGOs.  I have noticed the Presidential caravan now sports 8 brand new Mercedes Benz’ but was until recently a line of white land cruisers.  For him, all roads are closed at least 15 minutes before he even whizzes buy and cars must wait on the side of the road until he is well past. 

So on the road, one is expected to be aware of and maintain the decorum of the hierarchy.  Smaller less important cars must make way for bigger cars because people of higher social rank are driving them.  Taxis are at the bottom the barrel in this but seem to be a law unto themselves.  They do pay dearly though, as police will stop them at every check point to exact a small bribe to allow them to continue operating their vehicles which often seem to be held together by little more than chicken wire.

Bicycles and motorcycles are not even considered have any rights whatsoever and can be cut off without any warning by any 4 wheeled vehicle.

I am learning to go between the two vehicles and drive according to the rank I project,.  Admittedly my Burundian colleagues seem a bit perplexed that I would have two cars that send such contradictory social cues.  I think most would say I should have been driving a Rav4 as my second car, not the Raum.

It is interesting in this context to ask the question:  What car would Jesus drive here?”  I would say that many Burundian Christians and especially pastors would aspire to drive the Hi Lux, but Jesus would probably choose a bicycle and would probably be a friend of the much maligned taxi drivers.

I have been happy to drive the more fuel efficient car any demotion in status not withstanding because of the ongoing fuel shortage.  I am not sure how much longer this will go on.

I do have an update and some news about the financial crisis that seems to have gripped the country until last week. Actually on Tuesday the Burundian franc regained about 30% of its value in one morning.

The change was so rapid that I suspected some kind of currency speculation, but when talking to some friends I did find out that the rise was due to, as I expected, a severe shortage of foreign currency in the country, but then the World Bank provided an block grant of several million dollars on Tuesday and brought the currency value back down vis-à-vis the dollar.

The value is still not great to the dollar but at least it is not outrageous and continuing to rise uncontrollably.  Apparently our timing for buying the car was perfect as the day we bought it was the day when the value of the dollar was at its strongest.

Despite massive currency fluctuations, the week was fairly normal for us as a family, with the kids in school every day and us following a fairly regular schedule of activities.  The weekend provided a number of social opportunities which began Friday afternoon with a Birthday party for Oren and David's friend Micah Johnson's 5th Birthday.  (Jessie and Joy's son).  Oren and David went over to their house with a number of other friends from the missionary community here.  

We went and visited Stephen and Laura  on Saturday afternoon.  He is the political attaché for the UN mission here and she is an MPH who does consultancies.  They have 3 kids in the Ecole Belge. The two boys are older and play soccer with Oren in the after-school league and their daughter takes my ballet class.  Oren and David play very well with her and like to visit their house.  They have a nice place with lots of legos and a swimming pool!

It is always interesting to talk to them and he often has helpful insights about the political landscape of the region. 

We had dinner with Tim and Jeanette that same day so it was quite full socially. 

Sunday was church where I continue to more and more to help out with Sunday School (mainly to keep David in his classroom.)  The two Anglophone class average about 27 kids each so they are quite large and need several adults to supervise.

In the evening we had a potluck with our small group at the house of Natasha, one of our members.  She is Burundian but had lived many years as a refugee outside of the country (mainly Canada).  It was a very nice gathering and we were all there at once.  With the kids we hardly look like a ‘small group’ as you can see in the picture.  Currently we are Americans, Kenyans, Ethiopians, Burundians, and South African/Australians.  (We lost our Canadian couple last year—miss you Scott and Danica).   It is a very international group and that is one of the things I really love about meeting with them. 

Our 'not-so small' cell group

We got home at a reasonable hour and put the kids to bed.  Rebecca is currently reading Oren The Secret Garden, which he seems to like.