Near Death Experiences

New-South-Welshman · Jan 15th, 2007, 09:19

When in India, a lot of things I guess can go wrong for the local or traveller, whether getting bitten by a snake, or almost being hit by a bus.

I was almost caught in a stampede of buffalo when I first visited India with my father back in 1993.

How close have you guys been to death while travelling around this country?

Sama · Jan 15th, 2007, 09:51

I was almost flattened by a bus on my first trip, and on my second trip, the bus driver to Kodai was driving so fast when he hit a turn, I literally felt the wheels come up from the road (on my side) for about 3 seconds. The woman next to me flew out of her seat but I caught her sari and pulled her back down.

Amazingly, I was rather equanimous during both incidents -- maybe because a jyotish told me I have 30 more years.....

Nick-H · Jan 15th, 2007, 11:16

Nearly being flattened by a bus is part of daily Indian life!

Unfortunately the daughter of a friend of ours was flattened by a bus last week, and is still unconscious in hospital. The bus drivers here seem determined to keep the population in check.

...and maybe it costs less in fuel to drive around corners on two wheels instead of four! Or something!

A buffalo stampede --- now that's something different!

Sama · Jan 15th, 2007, 11:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick-H

Nearly being flattened by a bus is part of daily Indian life!

maybe so, but dead is dead. my husband probably would not have been consoled by the fact that it's a part of daily Indian life.

jyotirmoy · Jan 15th, 2007, 11:28

Try crossing the road at Ultadanga crossing in Kolkata.

just_an_old_boy · Jan 15th, 2007, 11:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyotirmoy

Try crossing the road at Ultadanga crossing in Kolkata.

Why? Don't you use the overhead footbridge there (near the HSBC ATM)?

I beleive the footbridge should have been constructed along with the railway overbridge. The pedestarian congestion is due to location of the Auto/Taxi stand located at the foot of station.

PeakXV · Jan 15th, 2007, 11:49

Our Indian partner almost fell into the bear pit at Van Vihar Safari park in Bhopal. He was actually becoming a little annoying by continuely suggesting I get a better picture of the Himalyan Brown Bear. You see there was a hole in the fence that you crawl through and thus get "slightly" closer to the pit. I was just respecting the signs and overall world zoo etiquette ... when he suddenly grabbed my camera and crawled through the hole himself. It was all going fine until he tripped on some loose brush/debris, lost his balance and started stumbling towards the pit's rim. He grabbed onto a tree limb at the very last moment and stopped his downward spiral. The funny thing was that those bears were so old and senile that they probably wouldn't even have noticed that he had fallen in .... but the depth of the pit was about 20 feet and he certainly would've done some damage to himself. We easily rescued him without any harm .... but I still get a good chuckle out of the event's memory.

capt_mahajan · Jan 15th, 2007, 12:00

Not in India, so no details here, but last February I had a near death experience for four days, a thousand miles south east of Newfoundland.

Really scary.

Nick-H · Jan 15th, 2007, 12:15

But Peak... was the camera ok?

a thousand miles south east of Newfoundland. Checking Google Earth. Wish you'd given the lat/long!

PeakXV · Jan 15th, 2007, 12:24

The Camera was still clicking ... and so was his knees.

Geesuz Capt. that about puts you in the Bermuda Triangle.

... so don't even think of coming up here to the North Atlantic - where a little ship called the Titantic disappeared once upon a time ..

manojb · Jan 15th, 2007, 12:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick-H

Nearly being flattened by a bus is part of daily Indian life!

Unfortunately the daughter of a friend of ours was flattened by a bus last week, and is still unconscious in hospital. The bus drivers here seem determined to keep the population in check.

The Lorry Owners' Association in Kerala recently went on strike against a regulation mandating the installation of speed governors in lorries. In a statement, the president of the Association said that being killed in road accidents is a natural occurrence and helps keep the population in check. I am not kidding!!!

Nick-H · Jan 15th, 2007, 12:43

That's the most astounding thing I've read in weeks

robotvoice · Jan 15th, 2007, 13:10

Like war, it makes for good population control

**^$%!!! Did I say that out loud!

julesa · Jan 15th, 2007, 13:45

the drive from siliguri to darjeeling was interesting for us. overtaking around corners using the horn to warn oncoming drivers and hoping they'll reciprocate shows a lot of faith.

sudheer poppa · Jan 15th, 2007, 15:15

Sunday (yesterday) early morning returning from last nights office party, an out of control car was heading straight at me at about 80kmph. About four meters from me, it hit a huge post and debris was flying all around me with entire front crash guard just missing me. It ended up about 100 meters away on a church wall. Looked straight out of a hollywood thriller. Boy it was scary. Everyone in the car were knocked unconsious, and completly mangled up.

Later it turned out that two police vans were chasing them and hence it was a police chase, but if it was not for the post.. I would have been history. Though quick death is a boon by itself, I need to live for long..

Jan 15th, 2007, 09:19	#1
New-South-Welshman Drunk Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Sydney, NSW Posts: 1,395	Near Death Experiences When in India, a lot of things I guess can go wrong for the local or traveller, whether getting bitten by a snake, or almost being hit by a bus. I was almost caught in a stampede of buffalo when I first visited India with my father back in 1993. How close have you guys been to death while travelling around this country? __________________ Mr. Burns "Non-violence never solved anything!"

Jan 15th, 2007, 09:51	#2
Sama a pain in the asana Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: the India inside my heart Posts: 5,434	I was almost flattened by a bus on my first trip, and on my second trip, the bus driver to Kodai was driving so fast when he hit a turn, I literally felt the wheels come up from the road (on my side) for about 3 seconds. The woman next to me flew out of her seat but I caught her sari and pulled her back down. Amazingly, I was rather equanimous during both incidents -- maybe because a jyotish told me I have 30 more years..... __________________ *My India, 2005-2008* BE THE REVOLUTION

Jan 15th, 2007, 11:16	#3
Nick-H Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 27,692	Nearly being flattened by a bus is part of daily Indian life! Unfortunately the daughter of a friend of ours was flattened by a bus last week, and is still unconscious in hospital. The bus drivers here seem determined to keep the population in check. ...and maybe it costs less in fuel to drive around corners on two wheels instead of four! Or something! A buffalo stampede --- now that's something different! __________________ . Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

Jan 15th, 2007, 11:49	#7
PeakXV Naan.tering Nabob Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Abode of Glooscap Posts: 4,333	Our Indian partner almost fell into the bear pit at Van Vihar Safari park in Bhopal. He was actually becoming a little annoying by continuely suggesting I get a better picture of the Himalyan Brown Bear. You see there was a hole in the fence that you crawl through and thus get "slightly" closer to the pit. I was just respecting the signs and overall world zoo etiquette ... when he suddenly grabbed my camera and crawled through the hole himself. It was all going fine until he tripped on some loose brush/debris, lost his balance and started stumbling towards the pit's rim. He grabbed onto a tree limb at the very last moment and stopped his downward spiral. The funny thing was that those bears were so old and senile that they probably wouldn't even have noticed that he had fallen in .... but the depth of the pit was about 20 feet and he certainly would've done some damage to himself. We easily rescued him without any harm .... but I still get a good chuckle out of the event's memory. __________________ We shall not cease from exploration and at the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started ...and know the place for the first time. T.S. Eliot Don't go to India ~ Pre-trip Warnings & Misconceptions?

Jan 15th, 2007, 15:15	#15
sudheer poppa Senior brick in the wall Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Pole Posts: 1,475	Sunday (yesterday) early morning returning from last nights office party, an out of control car was heading straight at me at about 80kmph. About four meters from me, it hit a huge post and debris was flying all around me with entire front crash guard just missing me. It ended up about 100 meters away on a church wall. Looked straight out of a hollywood thriller. Boy it was scary. Everyone in the car were knocked unconsious, and completly mangled up. Later it turned out that two police vans were chasing them and hence it was a police chase, but if it was not for the post.. I would have been history. Though quick death is a boon by itself, I need to live for long.. __________________ We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools - MLK Pic Page 1 Pic Page 2 When my life changed over a week

Jan 15th, 2007, 11:28	#5
jyotirmoy Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: India Posts: 4,659	Try crossing the road at Ultadanga crossing in Kolkata.

Jan 15th, 2007, 12:00	#8
capt_mahajan (in charge of navel affairs) Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: India Posts: 10,509	Not in India, so no details here, but last February I had a near death experience for four days, a thousand miles south east of Newfoundland. Really scary.

Jan 15th, 2007, 12:15	#9
Nick-H Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 27,692	But Peak... was the camera ok? a thousand miles south east of Newfoundland. Checking Google Earth. Wish you'd given the lat/long!

Jan 15th, 2007, 12:24	#10
PeakXV Naan.tering Nabob Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Abode of Glooscap Posts: 4,333	The Camera was still clicking ... and so was his knees. Geesuz Capt. that about puts you in the Bermuda Triangle. ... so don't even think of coming up here to the North Atlantic - where a little ship called the Titantic disappeared once upon a time ..

Jan 15th, 2007, 12:43	#12
Nick-H Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 27,692	That's the most astounding thing I've read in weeks

Jan 15th, 2007, 13:10	#13
robotvoice mikeaholic Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: california Posts: 1,171	Like war, it makes for good population control **^$%!!! Did I say that out loud!

Jan 15th, 2007, 13:45	#14
julesa Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: melbourne australia Posts: 297	the drive from siliguri to darjeeling was interesting for us. overtaking around corners using the horn to warn oncoming drivers and hoping they'll reciprocate shows a lot of faith.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Near Death in New Delhi	unclelach	Health and Well Being in India	2	Dec 23rd, 2005 11:40
a drama of death	sadhuji	Humour - It Only Happens in India	1	Oct 21st, 2005 14:10
death of the joke	sadhuji	India Travel News and Commentary	0	May 26th, 2005 14:32
death of distance	janetdawson	Electronics in India	0	Sep 13th, 2004 12:19

User Name		Remember Me?
Password