When I first arrived in India, we took a short tour around Delhi and Old Delhi with some Woodstock tour guides. It was only a couple hours into our adventure for me to realize how things worked around here. I was leaping across traffic like Frogger. I reached the other side, turned and saw my companions got stuck halfway and were waiting at the median. In another second, motorbikes and scooters were swerving around me at full speed. It took me way too long to realize that I was standing in what appeared to be a bike lane, but was in fact, where Everyone drives. I probably looked like a patient who escaped from the nearest asylum as I turned every direction trying to find safety.
Which brings me to my point: I always feel like I'm about to get run over in Delhi. This feeling is not limited to cars, buses, riskshaws, or other vehicles, but it also includes people. There is something about a crowd of Indians that makes me feel like a stampede could break at any second, and I would be the only one who wasn't trained for the event.
A great example of the people stampeding is riding the Delhi metro during peak hours. Depending on the station and time, it is possible that there are guards that actually keep the people in neat lines and try to prevent previously mentioned threat of stampede. Other times, there are no guards, and it is every person for themselves. No one is spared. Old women will do nothing short of elbowing their way to the train. It's not one of those rushes that has no purpose however. It is possible that the train will get too full, and you won't fit. Put up your elbows.
As for the threat of moving vehicles as opposed to people, it's everywhere. I could be walking on a near deserted alley and hear the honking of a car blaring as it drives straight at me. I used to think they just did it for fun, to freak me out because I'm used to traffic lanes and stuff, but it seems like no one is spared. The sidewalk is hardly safe either. It's best just to hope and pray that what seems like the driving of a drunk 15-year-old due to the speed, swerving, and honking is actually a seasoned driver of the streets of Delhi.
Which brings me to my point: I always feel like I'm about to get run over in Delhi. This feeling is not limited to cars, buses, riskshaws, or other vehicles, but it also includes people. There is something about a crowd of Indians that makes me feel like a stampede could break at any second, and I would be the only one who wasn't trained for the event.
A great example of the people stampeding is riding the Delhi metro during peak hours. Depending on the station and time, it is possible that there are guards that actually keep the people in neat lines and try to prevent previously mentioned threat of stampede. Other times, there are no guards, and it is every person for themselves. No one is spared. Old women will do nothing short of elbowing their way to the train. It's not one of those rushes that has no purpose however. It is possible that the train will get too full, and you won't fit. Put up your elbows.
As for the threat of moving vehicles as opposed to people, it's everywhere. I could be walking on a near deserted alley and hear the honking of a car blaring as it drives straight at me. I used to think they just did it for fun, to freak me out because I'm used to traffic lanes and stuff, but it seems like no one is spared. The sidewalk is hardly safe either. It's best just to hope and pray that what seems like the driving of a drunk 15-year-old due to the speed, swerving, and honking is actually a seasoned driver of the streets of Delhi.
No comments:
Post a Comment