If you think you had a bad morning commute you should be thankful you don’t live in Kabul, Afghanistan. Aside from car bombs that go off even in the most secure neighborhoods you have to deal with a maze of roads that are crumbling and unkempt in some areas. The pot holes are so big they turn into little ponds after a modest rainfall. Despite hundreds of billions of dollars being pumped into Afghanistan to help rebuild the roads, they are a mess even in the capitol city. If the conditions weren’t bad enough they don’t have any working street lights to help control and navigate traffic. To its credit, the municipality of Kabul has deployed hundreds of traffic police throughout the city. They wear bright yellow jackets and stand at intersections and roundabouts, braving the elements armed only with little signs. Unfortunately drivers rarely pay attention to the traffic officer’s efforts. “Afghanistan is a new country” one citizen told me, saying that it will naturally take time for people to learn to obey traffic laws. On the subject of rules there really only seems to be one that matters: Whoever has the most guns and armed guards are typically allowed to go wherever they want. It’s a common sight when driving through Kabul to see bulletproof vehicles with drivers who know how to use their vehicle’s size and weight to their advantage. It all makes for a frustrating yet mesmerizing commute and proof that despite decades of war the city of Kabul moves along at its own pace.