Crossing the Tophane tram station, I must look both ways four times. Look to the left and walk around a bus blocking the cross walk at the red light. A motorcyclist swerves around pedestrians. Look left at the tram station. A car speeds past on the rails. Stand in the island between the rails. Look to the right. A train arrives. Cross the rails. Look to the right. Stop for the cars and motorcyclists with the green light. Look both ways. Cross the street to the island. Stop again for taxis taking the side road. Phew, finally across.
My parents taught me to look both ways before crossing the street. Istanbul takes the rule to a new level of difficulty. I feel like I am in a video game. If I can walk through all of the moving and stopping traffic pieces, then I win. Look four, not two, ways before crossing the street, tracks, or crosswalk. Public buses stop in the middle of the crosswalks. Motorcyclists ride across crosswalks and sidewalks around pedestrians. Drivers drive on the tram rails without following the tram signals. Basically, expect vehicles everywhere they do not belong.