Beep Beep
Hi there,
On the first day of our vacation around North India, the driver said something that I will never forget, "You need three things to drive in India: good breaks, a good horn, and good luck."
Mr. Pintu so perfectly captured all that I knew to be true about driving in India.This post is admittedly long overdue, but just writing it stresses me out. This entry might seem like an exaggeration for those of you who have not visited incredible India, but I promise that is absolutely 100% accurate.
Good Breaks
India is a country of over a billion people. Not to mention the cows, dogs, cats, and other creatures that are free to roam around. No only do you have to watch (or listen, but more on that later) for other vehicles, but you have to be prepared for literally anything to just pop in front of your car. That being said, we do not travel more than a few meters without slamming on the breaks. Do you know the notion in the U.S. that we have about gently breaking to save the breaks? Not the case here at all. When there is traffic (always) cars, buses, bikes, and rickshaws will honk and honk (again, more on that later) until you edge a few meters forward and then stop immediately to avoid hitting the car or bus or person in front of you. Oftentimes we break a bit too late and end up "touching the cars" as my cab driver says. You will not see a car here without a dent or scratch, that's just how it goes. I never thought I would say that the jolt of a car breaking brought me joy, but it means I am saved yet again from an accident.A good horn
Ah, the horn. Anyone who has been to India is familiar with the sound. Each and every vehicle is equipped with a loud, piercing horn. Some trucks take so much pride in their vehicles that they personalize their horns to be songs. You might think that it is odd to go to the length of customizing a horn. We only use the horn in the U.S. if we are about to hit another car or are in a fit of road rage. In India, though, the horn plays the role of the rear view mirror, the side mirrors, the blinkers, and the eyeballs. Most trucks say "Horn OK Please" on the back to remind you to use the horn. When you hear a beep beep in India it means "Hey, I'm right here." It is used when you are driving alongside any car because drivers do not look when they move around on the road. That means that my commute is full of an orchestra of honking. Horns are used so frequently here (whenever the car is in motion) that they are replaced almost annually. That's right: a horn is a standard thing to replace here in India. It's like getting your oil changed. It will be a huge adjustment to go back to driving the U.S. without the constant beeping. Maybe I'll start the trend!Good luck
The number of times that I have thought to myself, "This is how I go" as a bus barreled towards my cab on the way to or from work is more than I am comfortable with. When you combine a billion people with monsoons, dirt roads, and lots and lots of rickshaws, it can get hairy. I have never been a good passenger, but India has changed me. I now realize that there are certain things that you cannot control while driving. In India, certain things means anything but the car that you are in.
If you're ever in India please understand that driving will not be a relaxing experience, but a terrifying one that you will tell stories about later. Buckle-up (that is, of course, if the car has seat belts) and enjoy the ride.
Cheers,
B
P.S. here is a hilarious blog post (with a few bad words) about driving in India that made me laugh and provides some more details http://jalopnik.com/a-guide-to-driving-in-india-without-dying-262254628
P.P.S. if you watch the first few minutes of this video, I think you'll get the gist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLUm3Q-7iZA
We approached this cow going at least 50KM per hour
On my commute home
Sharing the road
Just another day in Mumbai