After being in India for more than two months and observing the "rules of the road" in three different cities, I have developed an excellent business proposition. All automobiles sold in India should be manufactured so that upon starting the engine the horn is activated and continuously sounds unless the center of the steering wheel is pressed which would stop the horn from going off, but only until the driver's hand is lifted. It would simply be a more efficient system for this country!
I keep thinking about how exhausting it must be to have to constantly be pressing the horn while driving. Oh and let me clarify, it's not just that people enjoy playing along in the street orchestra, comprised of the many variations of the beep. (I've noticed there seems to be a direct relationship between the size of the vehicle and the noise it produces. The auto rickshaws though, are in a family of their own, each having a very unique sound that can occasionally be mistaken for a dying cow. I should mention that cows are lucky enough not to need horns because they are just about the only thing on the road people stop, or at lease swerve for.) Drivers are actually just following direction when sounding their horn. You see, every truck I have seen in India has the words, Honk Ok Please, Blow Horn Ok or Please Horn, written in huge letters on the back. I'm not sure if it's because the mirrors (if the truck has them) are not adequate in eliminating blind spots or for some other reason, but I'm pretty sure it is for safety purposes and not to just liven things up while sitting in traffic.
What I find to be even more unbelievable, and impressive, than the quantity of honking that goes on in this country, is the reaction people have to it. Maybe it's just because I spent the month before coming to India driving to work in New York City everyday, but I continue to be utterly awed everytime I'm on a road here. Not only is the constant honking normal and even requested, but in my experience it does not elicit any hostility or aggression from other drivers, bikers or pedestrians.
Let me try to explain. I was in a cab one afternoon and after about ten minutes of not moving an inch, (up to nine is considered fairly typical for Mumbai traffic, but ten is where the line is drawn) I poked my head out the window to see what the hold up was. Just ahead of us there had been an accident and both cars were now blocking the road. By this point, I think drivers in the vicinity had reached complete boredom because it almost sounded as if they were attempting to play little tunes with their horns. As we inched closer, I could no longer even see the damaged cars because of the growing crowd surrounding them. Anyone walking past (or drivers who were tired of playing their horn) came over to take a look and discuss the afternoon drama with the person standing next to them. From inside my cab, I observed the bazaar scene, stopped obsessing about being late to work and simply laughed. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought that no one sitting in the traffic jam had anywhere to be and therefore could sit back and relax until things started moving again.
I admit I'm still slightly irritated by the magnitude of honking and general mayhem you face when venturing out onto the roads, and have needlessly over reacted as a result, but I'm also realizing how much I have to learn from the drivers of this country. From time to time it makes the experience of being on the road, dare I say, refreshing.
Let me try to explain. I was in a cab one afternoon and after about ten minutes of not moving an inch, (up to nine is considered fairly typical for Mumbai traffic, but ten is where the line is drawn) I poked my head out the window to see what the hold up was. Just ahead of us there had been an accident and both cars were now blocking the road. By this point, I think drivers in the vicinity had reached complete boredom because it almost sounded as if they were attempting to play little tunes with their horns. As we inched closer, I could no longer even see the damaged cars because of the growing crowd surrounding them. Anyone walking past (or drivers who were tired of playing their horn) came over to take a look and discuss the afternoon drama with the person standing next to them. From inside my cab, I observed the bazaar scene, stopped obsessing about being late to work and simply laughed. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought that no one sitting in the traffic jam had anywhere to be and therefore could sit back and relax until things started moving again.
I admit I'm still slightly irritated by the magnitude of honking and general mayhem you face when venturing out onto the roads, and have needlessly over reacted as a result, but I'm also realizing how much I have to learn from the drivers of this country. From time to time it makes the experience of being on the road, dare I say, refreshing.
