On the Road in Northern India, October 2012
Transportation in India is fully optimized. Almost every conceivable mode of transportation is utilized, everywhere. Roads are used for transportation of goods and people in whatever conveyance seems appropriate.
Cow herders in Rajasthan move their herds between summer and winter pastures along highway 84 (the main road between Delhi and Jaipur), mostly on the shoulder, but sometimes in the left ("slow") lane. There are oxcarts in busy roundabouts in New Delhi. Cows are everywhere - in big cities, in small towns, in the countryside; on main roads, in narrow ancient streets, in stairways leading to homes. In Europe, bike racers refer to median dividers, speed bumps, cross walks as "road furniture"; cows are the "road furniture" of India. It is not uncommon to see a group of cows dividing the direction of travel by laying about in the middle of the road, or marking the edges of the road by moseying along along the shoulder, or simply crossing from one side to the other ("Why did the cow cross the road?" ... "To make the truck blow its horn.").
Indian cities are ancient, and so are many city streets. The Chandi Chowk bazaar of Old Delhi, between the Red Fort and the Jama Masjid, was one of the celebrated wonders of the ancient world. The area retains this heritage in New Delhi; it is a vibrant market area, its narrow ancient streets still crowded with shoppers and merchants. It is certainly no place for a tour bus, but walking, pushcarts, rickshaws, donkeys are just fine.
Rights of way are not clear with this diversity traffic. Every truck encourages the vehicle behind to "Blow Horn", or more poetically to "Horn Please". So, you may hear the occasional toot of a horn. At times, it seems as if it is the horn that makes the vehicle move. Our always helpful tour leader provided the following rough guide to Indian horn etiquette:
Cars: Short blasts (urgent) indicate supremacy, i.e. in clearing dogs, rickshaws and pedestrians from path. Long blasts (desperate) denote supplication, i.e. to oncoming trucks "I am going too fast to stop, so unless you slow down we shall both die," In extreme cases, this may be accompanied by flashing of headlights (frantic).You might expect a lot of aggravation and hostility given all the congestion and honking, but altercations are rare. There are 1.2 billion people in India, and getting along seems to be a priority. People behave good-naturedly about delays and congestion. The cow crossing the road, is not on a personal mission to disrupt your day. It is simply crossing the road,
Single blast (casual): "I have seen someone of of India's 1.2 billion whom I recognize", "There is a bird in the road which at this speed could go through my windscreen", or "I have not blown my horn for several minutes."
Trucks an buses: All horn signals have the same meaning, "I have an all-up weight of approximately 12.5 tons and have no intention of stopping, even if I could". This signal my be emphasized by the use of headlamps.
10th incarnation of Shiva was an articulated tanker.
1 comment:
Nicely said, sir, though, being an Indian, I could make out the somewhat diplomatic tone of this article. Personally, I cannot stand the traffic and infrastructure in India (no pun intended), especially given that I have to drive for miles (or kilometres) within cities here (I have also driven in villages but what that experience is is best left to the imagination). I wrote an article once, analysing India, but because it was sarcastic, reflected my personal feelings, and I was in no mood to be labelled anti-nationalistic, I never published it anywhere. Still, I am not aware of anyone who is more pleased than me if things here take a turn for the better. How long was your trip? To really understand and live the Indian experience, whether for better or for worse, you need to go through life here for at least a year, and, of course, to try out the various modes of transportation, especially the trains.
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