VIP convoys that thunder along the crumbling spurs of bridges that criss-cross the lagoon often hire traffic police to ride shotgun and clear the way for them.
The city's "go slows" are such a feature of life that entire street markets spring up daily to supply every conceivable need of those stuck in the traffic jam, from the latest bootlegged movies to religious self-help books.
Gangs of street children lay sand traps in unpaved areas and then charge stranded motorists to be dug out.
Motorcycle taxis that swarm all over the city use the same air horns as big trucks to scare people out of the way.
Most Lagos residents are not intimidated easily, though.
Taxi drivers often abandon their fares to berate armed traffic police, who can then respond by letting down the tyres of offenders to stop them from driving off or trying to run them over.
So most drivers - knowing that those with money will be able to side-step the law - dismiss the psychiatric evaluations as just another layer of bureaucracy they have to contend with. Traffic police often solicit bribes from passing cars by asking drivers for "something for the weekend".
Motorists who want to contest the fine and trip to the psychiatrist could face an increased penalty of nearly $2000 and still have to do the psychiatric assessment anyway, officials say.
The message is straightforward: if you violate one-way rules, "you should have your head examined", Lagos state ministry of transportation official Sina Thorpe told the Wall Street Journal.
The latest effort against motorists who decide to drive against the traffic is part of an on-again, off-again effort by state Governor Babatunde Fashola to spruce up the chaotic and vibrant city.
But it's a risky job - the Governor's office revealed this year that 57 street sweepers have been crushed to death by people driving dangerously.
- Independent
