a rickshaw/auto-rickshaw/tuk-tuk. Many have shrines for Krishna, Buddha, Ganesh
or another deity above the center mounted steering column (handles, not a wheel)
Adding to pedestrian difficulties for non-British visitors, of course, is the fact that they drive on the left side of the road. You have to remember to look the "wrong way." And in smaller towns, or late at night, red-lights are really more a suggestion than a command to stop. On our first night, coming into Bombay at 3 AM from the airport, our driver probably blazed through thirty or forty red lights
It takes a while to get your pedestrian legs here. Once you understand how they drive, you learn when to walk, and how to walk. By the end of our two+ weeks, we are easily able to navigate even the most insane intersections and crossroads. Here are examples from YouTube of traffic in India. This was fairly typical. And by the end, we could jump right in there and make our way to the other side.
I can't tell where this video clip is from, but it's fairly typical, except in our travels, we would generally see less cars and trucks and far more auto-rickshaws. And, as I said, in the end, we could jump right in there and cross the street. Let me say here too, that I absolutely love the auto-rickshaws, as noisy, smelly and harrowing as they can be. They are extremely cheap--we could pile three or four of us in one and go across town for less than a dollar.
If you are going to go around a truck, they want you to honk so they can pull aside, or be prepared--because they never know when an auto-rickshaw or pedestrian may cut in front of them or triangulate both of you. Honking is encouraged, and it works amazingly well. In all the extremely traffic-snarled cities we've seen--especially Bombay, Aurangabad, and Pune, we never saw an accident.
It's not that surprising, really. I also never saw an Indian angry (I compare this to my commute to work, where it's a rare day when someone isn't angry, or exhibiting road-rage). I'm sure they do get angry, but in general, it's not part of their DNA. Somehow this crazy stew of vehicles and foot warriors cooperate, despite all the confliciting inputs. Even when I saw close calls, the drivers would often just smile. and wobble their heads (more on this later--I want to write an entire post on the head wobble), and one of them would back up or swing around the other. One contributing factor to the amazing harmony on the roads, streets, paths, and expressways, is that no one drives particularly fast. Of course, scooters and auto-rickshaws in general can't, which helps a great deal. And the comparatively small number of cards helps too. There were a fair number of cars in both Pune, and Bombay, but in most places it's the smaller vehicles that rule the roost. In Udaipur, for example, with 550,000 people, there were virtually no cars or trucks at all, except for the occasional taxi, or delivery truck.
I am really going to miss this place and the people of India (we head out tonight for a 28 hour journey back via Seoul, Korea...Claire and Colin, lucky dogs, are staying two more months).
One of the things I've enjoyed most about India is watching people drive--trucks/lorries, scooters, cars, bicycles, and most of all, auto-rickshaws. You witness the most insane traffic situations and traffic jams, but the one thing you never see is people getting angry. Yes, the horns are constantly honking, but never in anger. People honk to let you know they're coming around you, or cutting across you, or just letting you know they are there. In fact almost every truck and lorry in India has a sign emblazoned on the back, something like "Please Honk," or, "Horn Please!" Let me say I don't want to drive here at all; it's far more fun as a strictly spectator sport. I was tempted, however. But this was nothing like driving in Turkey.
Adding to pedestrian difficulties for non-British visitors, of course, is the fact that they drive on the left side of the road. You have to remember to look the "wrong way." And in smaller towns, or late at night, red-lights are really more a suggestion than a command to stop. On our first night, coming into Bombay at 3 AM from the airport, our driver probably blazed through thirty or forty red lights
It takes a while to get your pedestrian legs here. Once you understand how they drive, you learn when to walk, and how to walk. By the end of our two+ weeks, we are easily able to navigate even the most insane intersections and crossroads. Here are examples from YouTube of traffic in India. This was fairly typical. And by the end, we could jump right in there and make our way to the other side.
I can't tell where this video clip is from, but it's fairly typical, except in our travels, we would generally see less cars and trucks and far more auto-rickshaws. And, as I said, in the end, we could jump right in there and cross the street. Let me say here too, that I absolutely love the auto-rickshaws, as noisy, smelly and harrowing as they can be. They are extremely cheap--we could pile three or four of us in one and go across town for less than a dollar.
If you are going to go around a truck, they want you to honk so they can pull aside, or be prepared--because they never know when an auto-rickshaw or pedestrian may cut in front of them or triangulate both of you. Honking is encouraged, and it works amazingly well. In all the extremely traffic-snarled cities we've seen--especially Bombay, Aurangabad, and Pune, we never saw an accident.
It's not that surprising, really. I also never saw an Indian angry (I compare this to my commute to work, where it's a rare day when someone isn't angry, or exhibiting road-rage). I'm sure they do get angry, but in general, it's not part of their DNA. Somehow this crazy stew of vehicles and foot warriors cooperate, despite all the confliciting inputs. Even when I saw close calls, the drivers would often just smile. and wobble their heads (more on this later--I want to write an entire post on the head wobble), and one of them would back up or swing around the other. One contributing factor to the amazing harmony on the roads, streets, paths, and expressways, is that no one drives particularly fast. Of course, scooters and auto-rickshaws in general can't, which helps a great deal. And the comparatively small number of cards helps too. There were a fair number of cars in both Pune, and Bombay, but in most places it's the smaller vehicles that rule the roost. In Udaipur, for example, with 550,000 people, there were virtually no cars or trucks at all, except for the occasional taxi, or delivery truck.
I am really going to miss this place and the people of India (we head out tonight for a 28 hour journey back via Seoul, Korea...Claire and Colin, lucky dogs, are staying two more months).
--o0o---
I have been trying to teach Todd in the ways of the head wobble for 10 years now... he's hopeless. Yes. No. Maybe. And, most often, "No problem".
ReplyDeleteSomehow this heartens me; I am one of those regularly-disgusted drivers and have resorted to driving five miles below the speed limit at all times just to ensure I can react in time to the rampant asininity you see on the roads here. It's good to know there are places that still thrive on respect and a certain interconnected flow.
ReplyDeleteReally painted a gorgeous word-world in this post, Jack. Love it!
Thank you Teresa! I have done this Seattle-->Kirkland/Bothell/Redmond commute for about 20 years (with a break for a couple blessed years working in pioneer square). About eight years ago, I achieved unity--it's all skookum!--with the sitch by a) adopting the philosophy that it's OK if YOU want to die & accepting that that small minority of people's propensities in that direction require eternal and paranoid vigilance; b) you have to laugh about what you see on the road and inwardly smirk at your fabulous ability to avoid danger. I had a car slide off the road, and tilt up on its side as it failed to make the curve from I-5 to I-405 at Swamp Creek (I know I've made that curve going at least 70). As a shower of sparks flew from the underside of the car & I went around on the shoulder. The other car eventually slid several hundred feet on its side, plowing, finally into a slow moving pickup. The first guy out of the car was still holding a can of beer in his hand; and c) you can never, ever, underestimate how pathetically just how brain-damaged your fellow homo sapien actually is. I'm usually a glass half-full guy, but on the road--and I give myself special dispensation just this once--everyone else is out to kill you, and you can't ever forget that as you negotiate your moves and countermoves, keeping a generous cushion in all directions and never ever ever letting yourself get boxed in, where evasive action is not possible.
ReplyDeleteHira - Did you, or do Ex-Pats/immigrants ever become proficient in the wobble? I wanted to! I am amazed I didn't know of this before I went there. I probably saw my first wobble before I left the airport in Bombay our first day there...
ReplyDeleteIt means everything!