Road rage! Hmmmmmmmmmm… Do I have road rage? I read some dangerous statistics with regards to it. As I was headed back home today, I was quite sure that everybody in Hyderabad must grapple with it on a daily basis. Hyderabad road traffic (non)sense is hilarious. There basically is no sense. I got my driver’s license in Bangalore. We were made to learn not just how to manage and maneuver a car on road but also that we stick to our lane and blah blah. There basically was some semblance of discipline.
When my husband suggested that I drive here, I thought he needed help. God is really watching out for you if you get home everyday unscathed. I have seen people driving with their toddlers on the laps. And the one that really amuses me, overtaking at turnings. And mind you, at a signal the guy who at the far most left, mostly will head to the right! Then the horns go all blaring because the signal will turn red by the time the guy has done his thing.
In Hyderabad, I am sure anybody who has been here can vouch for it, is miserable when it comes to road sense. I think that when you go for your driver’s license test, you are told - This is your car and if you have decided your destination, Just go for it. Don’t bother about what comes in your way. Just honk, rant and rave, overtake from the left, graze and bash every vehicle that dares get in the way, jump signals, scare the living daylights out of those who are standing on the footpath. In fact, if it catches your fancy, drive on the footpath(only God knows where the footpath is).
Another thing is the horn. People even honk at signals here! Today, a monstrosity of a luxury bus was just blaring his musical horn all along. He must have nursed a desire to be a musician. Another guy kept honking continuously. I looked through the rear view mirror, half expecting a Merc. But it was a piddly bike. So u can imagine what the horn sounded like. There are some that sound like laughing babies, ducks and what not. I cannot imagine which idiot would pay money for stuff like that. I am pretty sure that I would not want my car to sound like a truck. No offence to those who enjoy it, I sorta kinda hate musical ring tones on mobiles too. I feel a phone should ring. Not sing. In fact most high end mobiles don’t even have the standard tring tring!
Having lived in Dubai, I cannot help but compare the traffic. Will mana Hyderabad ever get there? And the traffic cops! They deserve another blog altogether.
6 comments:
hahaha...can understand the pain :D
I just dont get the honking..ppl think they will honk and the vehicle in front will vanish wooosh..
"Then the horns go all blaring because the signal will turn red by the time the guy has done his thing."
LOL, LOL I can just picture what u meant:-D.
U knw, the exact reason why I failed my driving tests here is bcoz of these reasons u wrote. Imagine driving in a 'free for all' India for around 8 yrs & then trying to adjust to stuff like lane discipline & indicators in Dubai;-o.
Great Post!!!!!!!!!!!!
Infact here if anybody honks, almost everybody else wil turn & look who it is, making him feel like a worm...........its like bad manners to honk here;-o
The only time I heard all the cars in Dubai honking together was at 12AM 1st Jan 2000. That was something:-D.
i am reminded of a comedy strip by vivek in a tamil film. the dialogue goes like - we indians always put the left indicator, show the right hand sign but go straight in the signal.
my hubby says that driving in the mad roads of hyd is like riding the single wheel cycle in a circus - u jokers keep coming in the way, the animals march past u, the trapeze artists jump on u.
good fun reading it.
have been to HYD a couple of times and i know what you are talking about
So i think you wll now need to re-learn your driving skills for HYD :)
Uff! Can I do a copy-paste of this post ;)
Crossing the road here is the biggest challenged I hv ever had in my life :P
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