the streets of india

i went to india some time last month to attend a friend's wedding in bangalore and did a little side trip to delhi, agra and jaipur to see some famous tourist spots. of course the taj mahal was the highlight of the trip, and there were a few nice structures that we marveled at along the way.

however, i have to say that my most favorite part of the trip was being on the road. before going there, my indian friends and colleagues have endlessly told me about how people back home drive like mad and i was so excited to experience first hand how crazy it really is. i'm not expecting too much though, since i am able to brave the streets of manila and think that it would be pretty much the same - maddening traffic, people crossing the streets, honking and screaming and drivers who look in despair. it wasn't until we actually got on the road that i realized how insane it really was.

bumper to bumper

the kings of the road

  

just to give you an idea of it - people actually close the side mirrors in order for them to squeeze into that tiny little space on the road. an indian couple that we met even told us that there are some people who don't even use the rear-view mirror! they can also go from full stop to 60km in about a minute and come to another halt the next. blowing of horns seems to be a practice as well, which is very understandable given the fact that some people don't like using mirrors. it is the driver's responsibility to let the other know that he is there. even pedestrians can be very stubborn in crossing the road despite the zooming vehicles in front of them.

blow horn please

the honking never ends

i have observed though that despite the intense action on the road, people seem to be so used to it that they take it casually. unlike back home, people constantly sigh and moan and blurt obscenities due to the traffic stress. there were even some unfortunate incidents of road rage where anger was what get people injured, instead of being ran over. but in india, some people actually even seem to enjoy their day, despite the 40 degree temperature and constant noise and the never ending shift between gas and brake.

photo? much obliged

no space inside? no problem

so now i ask myself, can i drive in india? no, because they're crazy. but am i any better on the road? no, because i'm crazy.