Cabbies on Khat

On those occasions when we’re granted off-base liberty, our only real option to get to downtown Djibouti (The capital and largest city in the nation of Djibouti is also called “Djibouti.” At times this can be confusing, but it’s easy to remember.) is to take a taxi. Just off the base is a parking lot where dozens of green and white cabs congregate, waiting to take American service members to bars, restaurants and shopping locations around the city.

Before I continue, let me tell you that driving in Djibouti is a bit of an adventure under the best of circumstances. I have passed the driver safety course here at Camp Lemonier. I am authorized to drive off base and have done so several times now. The roads are in very poor condition and have a lot of huge, crater-like potholes. There are no rules of the road in this country. There are lines painted on the roads and there are traffic signs, but they are strictly decorative. They have absolutely no meaning to drivers here. People have no problems driving in the wrong lane, passing under dangerous circumstances, speeding, running stop signs, etc. Most vehicles are pretty banged up and are often overloaded with people and possessions. (The photograph accompanying this entry will give you some idea.) From what I can tell, drivers here have absolutely no training. It’s not uncommon to see some hair-raising stuff, like these top-heavy vehicles coming directly at you from the other direction three abreast.

Drivers here are nuts.

Add to all of this the fact that you not only have to drive defensively against other drivers, but then throw in an assortment pedestrians, two-wheeled vehicles, goats, dogs and camels that need to be dodged and you have all the makings of a very wild ride.

(I’ve been wondering how many American tax dollars go toward compensating African owners for their goats, camels and other livestock that we’ve turned into road pizza.)

Hopefully, you now understand that driving in Djibouti is hazardous at best. Although, I don’t think I can really convey to you how bad it is within the space of this blog. Driving in Manhattan is a walk in the park by comparison.

Now back to the taxis.

I have taken exactly two cab rides since I’ve been here. One ride into town for dinner and some sightseeing and one ride back.

Leaving the base, the exterior of the cab had numerous dents, but was painted a bright, glossy green and white. (Evidently the outward appearance of these vehicles is pretty important. There’s a drought going on here and even though people in the Horn of Africa are dying of starvation and thirst, I’ve still seen guys out using precious water to wash their taxis.) The inside of the taxi was dirty and worn. Although people in Djibouti (generally) drive on the right side of the road, like we do in America, in this car the drivers side was located on the right, like it would be in Europe.

This taxi also did not have any seatbelts.

The cab driver drove like a maniac; speeding, weaving in and out of traffic, honking his horn, dodging stray goats.

It wasn’t until I went to pay him the fare of 1000 Djiboutian Francs (about six bucks) that I noticed the driver was chewing on a big green gob of cud.

Which brings me to the subject of khat (pronounced, “cot”).

Khat is a plant that is grown in East Africa. The leaves are chewed like tobacco to achieve a state of euphoria and stimulation. While it isn’t legal in a lot of countries, it is legal here in Djibouti and it’s extremely popular, especially among males. Those addicted to khat typically spend 50% - 60% of their annual income on this crap.

By the way, the average per capita income in Djibouti is US $840.

Early every afternoon, like clockwork, a plane arrives in Djibouti from Ethiopia, I believe, with the day’s supply of khat. I’ve heard it said that this flight is the only thing you can count on to be on time in this country. The drug is then sold at places like “Khat Corner”, a big distribution point in Djibouti not far from Camp Lemonier.

By mid-afternoon it seems like the whole country is high, including the cab drivers.

So add drug use (and not just the cabbies) to an already dangerous mix of unskilled drivers, poor road conditions, poorly maintained vehicles, no traffic rules and the occasional random goat and you have a recipe for disaster.

I don’t know for certain that khat was a factor in the accident that put one of my soldiers in the hospital (see previous post). I didn’t see the accident report and I don’t know who was at fault, the cab driver or the bus driver. If I had to bet money, however, I would bet that khat was a factor, just because its use is so widespread.

One cab ride was enough to tell me that the taxis here are dangerous. People are still going to use them to go on liberty, though. I can’t stop it. However, I’ve made it a point to repeatedly warn my people, and anybody else who will listen, not to get into a taxi where the driver appears to be chewing khat (or if they feel that it’s unsafe for ANY reason.)

Would YOU get into a cab where the driver is smoking a joint or swigging out of a bottle of whiskey?

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I’ve been extremely busy since I’ve been here in Djibouti and I don’t get to post to this blog as often as I’d like, so please be patient. I’m getting backed up on stories (which, for security reasons, I post well after the fact), including a helicopter mission to one of our ships at sea and the day I met General John Abizaid, the Commander of United States Central Command.
I’ve got the pictures to prove it too!

Keep checking back.