If there is one word to describe the driving culture in India, there's no apt English equivalent word that comes to mind. In Hindi, it'd be घुसो (Push through is perhaps the closest meaning).
I'm so fed up with how people drive selfishly, just cutting other vehicles to get ahead. And then jamming junctions, just so that their vehicle can get out of the mess. Not realizing they just created one, and most likely, got trapped in it too!
And it's not like it's a freeway where you'll get an advantage (and mind you, even a freeway gives you just a 5-10 minute advantage of driving 10 miles above others).
So there's no real reason for not driving safe, defensive, but nobody does that. And like culture, it truly percolates. I find myself even falling for this.
Safe driving actually attracts blaring horns from other drivers, wanting to go about with their rash driving. Because they don't find you pushing ahead, doing the same.
Now go to a town, and see how driving happens there. People are more patient.
And well, even if you are in a downtown in any of the US cities, you know the rash driving I've described above.
So the real problem is not the people. The real problem is the lack of infrastructure. There is just wee little space on the two lane roads, to use after the encroachment and curb parking. People just get frustrated getting stuck, and fall for erratic driving which causes all the more problems.
I don't think anybody likes driving during commute hours. Yet they have to, because public transport infrastructure is not up to the mark or convenient. Although public transport is what makes sense, and should be viable for the levels of population here.
Yet, even though I have to commute from Sarjapur Road to Electronics City, I'll have to first walk to a bus stop for 5 minutes, then change 2-3 buses to reach work. Include waiting time, and I've taken double the duration I duration I would if driving. So why wouldn't I drive?
Though I'm all the time conscious what a cost to environment and efficiency it is, to be a single person driving in a car that can seat 4 comfortably. Each journey of 10-12km costs me Rs 65-75 (depending on the volatile petroleum price).
I'd happily pay 10% more if there were a bus that'd drop be to work.
But guess, that'll have to wait!
I'm so fed up with how people drive selfishly, just cutting other vehicles to get ahead. And then jamming junctions, just so that their vehicle can get out of the mess. Not realizing they just created one, and most likely, got trapped in it too!
And it's not like it's a freeway where you'll get an advantage (and mind you, even a freeway gives you just a 5-10 minute advantage of driving 10 miles above others).
So there's no real reason for not driving safe, defensive, but nobody does that. And like culture, it truly percolates. I find myself even falling for this.
Safe driving actually attracts blaring horns from other drivers, wanting to go about with their rash driving. Because they don't find you pushing ahead, doing the same.
Now go to a town, and see how driving happens there. People are more patient.
And well, even if you are in a downtown in any of the US cities, you know the rash driving I've described above.
So the real problem is not the people. The real problem is the lack of infrastructure. There is just wee little space on the two lane roads, to use after the encroachment and curb parking. People just get frustrated getting stuck, and fall for erratic driving which causes all the more problems.
I don't think anybody likes driving during commute hours. Yet they have to, because public transport infrastructure is not up to the mark or convenient. Although public transport is what makes sense, and should be viable for the levels of population here.
Yet, even though I have to commute from Sarjapur Road to Electronics City, I'll have to first walk to a bus stop for 5 minutes, then change 2-3 buses to reach work. Include waiting time, and I've taken double the duration I duration I would if driving. So why wouldn't I drive?
Though I'm all the time conscious what a cost to environment and efficiency it is, to be a single person driving in a car that can seat 4 comfortably. Each journey of 10-12km costs me Rs 65-75 (depending on the volatile petroleum price).
I'd happily pay 10% more if there were a bus that'd drop be to work.
But guess, that'll have to wait!
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