"Metal Death Box"

Today I had my first ride in a tuk tuk. Or, as a friend of mine calls them, "(a) metal death box." Aside from being the cheapest mode of transportation I've ever taken in my life (our ride was a little under $1), the tuk tuk has many other redeeming qualities. My favorite being that the tuk tuk driver is essentially the chameleon of transportation. In order to get you from A to B as quickly as possible, the tuk tuk driver will drive in accordance to motor, bicycle, motorcycle or pedestrian traffic laws. Driving in oncoming lanes in order to avoid red lights is also perfectly acceptable. Hence the term "metal death box."  You have to give these drivers credit for both their efficiency and resourcefulness in their ability to maneuver such crowded streets. And incongruence with all of this, halfway through the ride I looked over at my friend and said, "I actually feel really safe in this thing."