So
I FINALLY collected photographic proof of the crazy traffic here in India! The
driving was one of the first things I noticed when arriving in New Delhi last
month (along with the distinct "India smell" in the air, as we call
it on the program) and now even more so in Jaipur. To begin, imagine squishing
four cars (give or take a rickshaw) into a standard two-lane road...then add a
billion people's horns. Back home, horns are used only to avoid potentially
dangerous situations or when someone REALLY sucks at merging. Here, honking
isn't considered rude at all, it's even encouraged! When someone honks in
India, they're saying "hey friend, the road is so packed that you probably
can't see me out of your rearview, but I wanted to give you a heads up that I'm
about to push on through this half-lane!" For larger vehicles, it's
actually very helpful in order to keep tabs on the road. Most trucks will have
"Honk please" or "Horn please" painted on their bumper.
Obviously sometimes it gets excessive (I once had a rickshaw driver lay on his
horn for the entire 4km trip) but otherwise it's totally fine as long as I
don't have to EVER get behind the wheel!
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| HORN PLEASE bumper paint |
Side note: a lot of vehicles are very expressive, especially in
Jaipur, and feature painted designs or other decorations. Streamers and beads
are pretty common and I don't think I've ever seen a rickshaw without some kind
of artwork on the side or roof!
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