still week 1: The difficulties of getting from A to B

  As mentioned before, initially I spent most of my time in my apartment, which was partly because I got the impression in Amman that it is difficult, though not impossible, to get from A to B.

Let's consider the various options. I will then share my personal impression of why these are not recommended:

I) Car: Due to the hills and distances, it is convenient to drive a car. However, if I'm correctly informed, you can't easily drive a car without a Jordanian passport, you have to rent a car (that would be the first hurdle). Furthermore, the driving style of Jordanians is different from Germans, who stop at red lights even at night when no one else is around. The most important thing in a car is the horn, and the turn signal is used more often than I originally expected, and the motto is: drive wherever you fit. This means that as a passenger, I often get closer to other drivers than I would like. I prefer to have a minimum distance of about one meter to strangers - and preferably more in the car.

In this context, an interesting note: Amman is made up of circles. Starting with the first circle in the city center, they are numbered as you go west, up to the eighth circle. In addition, there is the Paris Circle, the Abdoun Circle, and many more. I don't know if these are actually multi-lane, but they are definitely driven on with multiple lanes (like almost every road), and some of them can be bypassed with underpasses or bridges.

II) Bus: There are buses, I have also seen some with the display of a line number. Apparently, people also know where they go - at least private individuals have taken the trouble to create an overview of the available bus lines on a website. However, no one has been able to tell me when they run, let alone how much they cost. So, they are not an option for me. Maybe one day I will have a crazy day and take the bus.

III) Taxi: In the absence of other public transport options (like underground or suburban trains), one must rely on taxis. In Germany, you tell the taxi driver the desired address, and if they are not familiar, they enter it into their navigation device. At least that is my experience so far. In Amman, you should know a landmark, a consulate, a circle, or something else familiar near the desired destination and guide the driver from there. You also cannot rely on the presence of seat belts. Additionally, you must make sure that the meter is turned on (although I have never had a problem with that in my previous rides). I have also heard horror stories about ripped-off tourists or drunken drivers.

IIIa) Uber: Uber is probably the safest and best option. However, no one has been able to tell me for sure whether it is legal. An indication that it is in a gray area is that in regular taxis, women sit in the back (something that personally doesn't bother me because I find it strange in Germany to sit next to the taxi driver), but in Uber, women also sit next to the driver (so it is not obvious to outsiders that someone is being chauffeured). The advantage of this system is that both the pickup location and the destination are shown in the app - but sometimes you still have to guide the drivers, especially when they are talking on the phone and not looking at the navigation display. But I have had drivers who at least insisted on wearing a seat belt. Additionally, I have provided my credit card information in the app, so a fixed price is set before the ride starts, so I cannot be ripped off. In addition, mostly very new cars are used (I have also heard that the vehicle must not be older than a few years), so I have even had the pleasure of riding in a hybrid vehicle more than once.

IV) Bicycle: Hahahahaha. I don't think I have seen anyone on a bicycle here. It's almost suicidal.

V) So let's get to the last option: on foot. I have rarely experienced a city as unfriendly to pedestrians as this one. Point 1: On the sidewalks, if they exist at all, there are trees in some places. No, it's not just some shrubs from the side protruding onto the sidewalk, there are trees and bushes planted right in the middle of the sidewalk (at least in residential areas). I suspect that the sidewalk belongs to the property here: the more well-kept the house, the more opulent the sidewalk planting. Point 2: Curbs up to 30 cm high. Which suggests again that the sidewalk is part of the respective property; in front of some houses, there are ramps; some other homeowners just wanted the sidewalk to be at the same level as their property - the fact that the road is half a meter lower was ignored during construction. Point 3: Nonexistent pedestrian crossings or they are ignored. I am proud to report that I have successfully crossed four-lane roads multiple times. I have also seen pedestrian traffic lights, but have not seen anyone who adheres to them when they are red (Author's note: I have been stopped by the police in Germany at night in drizzling rain for crossing the street when the light was red and had to pay 5 euros.).

But I have heard that a driver here faces hefty penalties if they hit a pedestrian, so you just have to confidently walk across the road. Since a friend back home (greetings to Chris!) has already diagnosed being run over by a car as the most likely cause of death for me, I have no problems here either. I get honked at, but as mentioned before: the horn is the driver's favorite gadget.

Conclusion: Getting around is mostly strange and adapted to the surroundings. When walking, you jump more than you walk (either avoiding honking cars or climbing curbs). In addition, you have a very paranoid-looking and not very back-friendly walking style because you either wait for a taxi and walk in the direction you need until a taxi appears on the horizon behind you, or often walk on the road and watch out not to get hit (at least that's how I am currently adjusted). Riding in a car or taxi sometimes means fearing for your life (even with the best option "Uber"). And buses and bicycles are avoided. At least I avoid them for myself. But so far, I have always reached my destination. And I survived it too.

Finally, it should be noted that this entry sounds a bit like an advertisement for Uber, but within Amman (!), it is the best option for me personally (!), although I also cover relatively long distances on foot.

Maybe someone has noticed: With this blog entry, I have completely abandoned my plan to connect experiences with what I have read. I continue to read the book mentioned, but I can't really link it meaningfully to the content of this article.