Down Empire Road, ZA Johannesburg summer 2005/ 2006

This video is quite pointless for all those who don't know the situation in Johannesburg. So don't bother watching nor commenting, even though this advice may come a little late.

Johannesburg is the most criminal city in the world. It's therefore also the most dangerous one, if you don't consider open warfare zones. I used to cycle every day to work which took about 25 minutes, one way. I didn't saw any people going by bike, as road rage, bike jacking, mugging and murder is a daily reality. I was mugged myself, though not while cycling. The medic that occupied my room before I came there was shot in the head while cycling.

In this video you can see me cycling down Empire road, one of the major roads of the inner city. As you can see, traffic is on the left. Cars generally won't give way or overtake, so one has to stay straight on the white line. Speed is everything, if you want to make it. If you start an argument with one of the car drivers, you might get shot immediately. Road rage is a widespread psychological disorder. Cycling at night and uphill is even more dangerous, as it is to choose minor roads. And don't forget to dodge the notorious minibus taxis, they are ill-equipped and the drivers' skills vary from strange to outstanding horrible.

The air is relatively thin (1700m above sea level), and with a bullet proof west, it's a sweaty thing in summer (26° average high). You should use all-rubber tires. A breakdown must be avoided. And you should always, always know where you are. If you end up in the wrong part of the city, you're likely to be killed.

ZA Southern South Africa Joburg Johannesburg Pretoria Gauteng cycling bike danger death killing mugging jacking assault Empire Road traffic inner city crime 2006 Soweto 2010 FIFA World Cup Melville Tsotsi M1 M2 Witwatersrand Hillbrow

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• ZA
• South
• Africa
• Joburg
• Johannesburg
• cycling
• bike
• danger
• death
• killing
• mugging
• jacking
• assault
• Empire
• Road
• traffic
• crime

[bugger316]

looks like a normal anywhere road to me.

[trakkaton]

Read the description.

[trakkaton]

@MrSabza007

Before you make assumptions, you actually have to be informed. No, I don't pray. No, there is no god. No, a lot of bad things happened in ZA, just like they always do. No, dead tourists don't get coverage, neitheir inside ZA nor outside. Not when they are murdered in ZA.

[MrSabza007]

@trakkaton Asshole, I am sure you prayed everyday that something bad should happen. Guess what, you lost out. Kwa kwa kwa Bitch!!

[sirArchitect]

this is an ex-south african that made this vid... you people are so pathetic

[trakkaton]

@spoorwegaltyd

I'd actually love to delve into the topic, researching all the statistics about how many people actually came, how much money was lost, how many visitors were mugged, raped or shot, were lost in some no-go-area or simply couldn't leave the hotel. How foreign visitors moved around with almost no existing official transportation system, and so on. Too bad I've got more urgent things to do...

[spoorwegaltyd]

@trakkaton were you proved wrong or what!?!

[MikeyTipunama]

Achterlijke mof.

[MikeyTipunama]

well said, lanceschindler.

[DubsWest]

South Africa will host the 2010 soccer world cup

[DubsWest]

Your being ignorant, South Africa will host the 2010 soccer world cup