How to cross an Indian Road

tantraman · Sep 24th, 2007, 03:52

I will never forget my first day in India, I was sleep deprived and had walked accross the street from the Oberai hotel to the Gate of India in Mumbai, as I went to walk back, I looked the wrong way, and stepped into the street. A speeding car missed me by an inch as I lept back to the curb. My trip was almost over before it began.

Nick-H · Sep 24th, 2007, 11:03

Being a Brit, that always happened to me in other European countries. Those silent Dutch bikes were always running me down

capt_mahajan · Sep 24th, 2007, 11:09

Walking in Seattle, a lady in a car got angry with me because she had stopped for me to cross the road, (and I had stopped too, since by my Indian logic the smaller guy is wary of the larger... in this case the larger car, not the larger lady

)

She frowned and muttered something and waved me across.

Those Americans are crazy.

Nick-H · Sep 24th, 2007, 11:25

They stop their cars for pedestrians?

Now that really is crazy!

biswajit_27 · Oct 22nd, 2007, 16:21

On my first trip to US, the car stopped to allow me to pass. I simply couldn't understand why someone would do something like that, so I waited, and ... the car waited, the car driver didn't show any signs of moving forward, and it dawned on my mind that maybe he wants me to cross the road....ahhhh...I was positively laughing at that. Sometimes, that kinda behaviour seems so lame...lol.

In my town I increase my speed to check whether the pedestrian has arthritis.

snowcrab · Oct 22nd, 2007, 17:18

Makes me crazy, because then you have to find out if the guy in the next lane is going to stop or not.

Prashant.M · Oct 23rd, 2007, 14:54

Same stalemate, in Japan, but with a bus. It took us a minute to realize that the bus is waiting for us to cross. In India one never argues with the bus. He is the king of the road. Although if he crosses the line then he has to abdicate in a hurry

.

midlifetravel · Oct 28th, 2007, 21:23

There's an excelelnt video with a native doing it on the link in my sig!

Hawa · Nov 2nd, 2007, 18:48

Find an elderly person and shadow them across - a form of Darwininsm - they are survivors!

Lord Average · Nov 2nd, 2007, 19:23

There is a clip on youtube of a guy crossing a horrendously busy Indian road. He's holding the camcorder and you get it all from his perspective - its one of the scariest things I have ever seen.
I just cant remember the title or have the URL, does anyone know the one I mean because it would fit this tread perfectly?

Lord Average · Nov 2nd, 2007, 20:22

Found the clip

search under "crossing the road"

<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Y9DLlMMXhKg&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Y9DLlMMXhKg&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

crajguru · Nov 2nd, 2007, 22:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by iwanttogoback

i found crossing the road in india seriously exhilarating, often we would be laughing when we made it to the other side.

One thing about being in India is that you learn to cherish the small victories - crossing the road intact, getting home through that 3-hour monsoon traffic jam, getting to the front of the line after a long wait ...

MrsC_772 · Feb 29th, 2008, 22:48

Crossing the road strikes me as another example of "it shouldn't work, you can't explain how it works, but somehow it just does" - which could be said, I suspect, about much in India (the delivery of tiffins in Mumbai perhaps being the classic example).

I found that cycle rickshaws and auto-rickshaws (tuk-tuks) were generally slower than the other traffic, so that their approach in the nearest lane would open up an opportunity to make a first move into their road.

Inch across vehicle width by vehicle width: one tiny victory at a time.

Safety in numbers - I like the previous poster's suggestion about crossing with an older person. A tourist is one thing, but to run over a couple of stout matrons who could be the driver's mum or granny, as well as the tourist, maybe not!

Walking back to my hotel in Jaipur after dinner, the "horn please" school of driving started to make sense. I actually found it reassuring to hear the horn of vehicles approaching from behind, rather than have them simply whizz past me, while walking along the edge of the road (given the haphazard nature of the Indian pavement).

Nick-H · Feb 29th, 2008, 23:36

This is one common technique for turning right onto a busy road when driving. Similar techniques can be adopted by pedestrians, but it is more dangerous.

Drive slowly out into the traffic, which is coming from your right. It will not stop, but will continue to drive in front of you. If it is not prevented by oncoming traffic from your left, this will continue, until a driver chooses to drive behind you, instead of in front, and others hopefuly follow. You maythen complete your right turn.

Oh! I'd so much rather drive on busy roads than walk!

NeeliAankhen · Mar 1st, 2008, 00:18

This is a great topic.

I just got back from my first trip to India. And - THE thing I found hardest-most exhausting-most upsetting -- was street crossing. I even took some very short rickshaw rides and paid the person some irrational amount of rs in order to avoid this.

I did best with the find/join a pack of other people technique, just as described - get self on downstream edge of the group and follow them.

I am someone who in fact stopped driving myself many years ago because I know my instincts just aren't very good for this kind of thing.

I was much better, relatively speaking, with the crowds on the streets and even with the touts/pests, I can say no without getting sentimental etc. But this was totally adrenalizing to me in a way I don't like.

Sep 24th, 2007, 11:03	#47
Nick-H Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 22,935	Being a Brit, that always happened to me in other European countries. Those silent Dutch bikes were always running me down __________________ . IndiaMike Mod Team (The Grumpy One)

Sep 24th, 2007, 11:09	#48
capt_mahajan Reproof of life Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: India Posts: 7,714	Walking in Seattle, a lady in a car got angry with me because she had stopped for me to cross the road, (and I had stopped too, since by my Indian logic the smaller guy is wary of the larger... in this case the larger car, not the larger lady ) She frowned and muttered something and waved me across. Those Americans are crazy. __________________ . The cynic must remember that he is a spy (Epitectus) Indiamike moderating team :- Odd mod out

Oct 22nd, 2007, 16:21	#50
biswajit_27 Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Delhi Posts: 60	Me too ;-) On my first trip to US, the car stopped to allow me to pass. I simply couldn't understand why someone would do something like that, so I waited, and ... the car waited, the car driver didn't show any signs of moving forward, and it dawned on my mind that maybe he wants me to cross the road....ahhhh...I was positively laughing at that. Sometimes, that kinda behaviour seems so lame...lol. In my town I increase my speed to check whether the pedestrian has arthritis.

Oct 22nd, 2007, 17:18	#51
snowcrab Maha Guru Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Alberta, Can Posts: 987	Makes me crazy, because then you have to find out if the guy in the next lane is going to stop or not. __________________ http://indibliss.blogspot.com/

Oct 23rd, 2007, 14:54	#52
Prashant.M Maha Guru Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 762	Same stalemate, in Japan, but with a bus. It took us a minute to realize that the bus is waiting for us to cross. In India one never argues with the bus. He is the king of the road. Although if he crosses the line then he has to abdicate in a hurry . __________________ Happiness is just a thought away

Sep 24th, 2007, 03:52	#46
tantraman Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Orlando Posts: 21	I will never forget my first day in India, I was sleep deprived and had walked accross the street from the Oberai hotel to the Gate of India in Mumbai, as I went to walk back, I looked the wrong way, and stepped into the street. A speeding car missed me by an inch as I lept back to the curb. My trip was almost over before it began.

Sep 24th, 2007, 11:25	#49
Nick-H Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 22,935	They stop their cars for pedestrians? Now that really is crazy!

Oct 28th, 2007, 21:23	#53
midlifetravel Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Perth, Australia Posts: 15	There's an excelelnt video with a native doing it on the link in my sig! __________________ Lis Packing Tips

Nov 2nd, 2007, 18:48	#54
Hawa Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Edinburgh Posts: 9	Find an elderly person and shadow them across - a form of Darwininsm - they are survivors!

Nov 2nd, 2007, 19:23	#55
Lord Average Giant Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Glastonbury Posts: 91	There is a clip on youtube of a guy crossing a horrendously busy Indian road. He's holding the camcorder and you get it all from his perspective - its one of the scariest things I have ever seen. I just cant remember the title or have the URL, does anyone know the one I mean because it would fit this tread perfectly? __________________ Live your life. Be Free

Nov 2nd, 2007, 20:22	#56
Lord Average Giant Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Glastonbury Posts: 91	Found the clip search under "crossing the road" <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Y9DLlMMXhKg&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Y9DLlMMXhKg&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

Feb 29th, 2008, 22:48	#58
MrsC_772 Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: England Posts: 58	How to cross an Indian road Crossing the road strikes me as another example of "it shouldn't work, you can't explain how it works, but somehow it just does" - which could be said, I suspect, about much in India (the delivery of tiffins in Mumbai perhaps being the classic example). I found that cycle rickshaws and auto-rickshaws (tuk-tuks) were generally slower than the other traffic, so that their approach in the nearest lane would open up an opportunity to make a first move into their road. Inch across vehicle width by vehicle width: one tiny victory at a time. Safety in numbers - I like the previous poster's suggestion about crossing with an older person. A tourist is one thing, but to run over a couple of stout matrons who could be the driver's mum or granny, as well as the tourist, maybe not! Walking back to my hotel in Jaipur after dinner, the "horn please" school of driving started to make sense. I actually found it reassuring to hear the horn of vehicles approaching from behind, rather than have them simply whizz past me, while walking along the edge of the road (given the haphazard nature of the Indian pavement).

Feb 29th, 2008, 23:36	#59
Nick-H Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 22,935	This is one common technique for turning right onto a busy road when driving. Similar techniques can be adopted by pedestrians, but it is more dangerous. Drive slowly out into the traffic, which is coming from your right. It will not stop, but will continue to drive in front of you. If it is not prevented by oncoming traffic from your left, this will continue, until a driver chooses to drive behind you, instead of in front, and others hopefuly follow. You maythen complete your right turn. Oh! I'd so much rather drive on busy roads than walk!

Mar 1st, 2008, 00:18	#60
NeeliAankhen Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: New York, NY USA Posts: 268	This is a great topic. I just got back from my first trip to India. And - THE thing I found hardest-most exhausting-most upsetting -- was street crossing. I even took some very short rickshaw rides and paid the person some irrational amount of rs in order to avoid this. I did best with the find/join a pack of other people technique, just as described - get self on downstream edge of the group and follow them. I am someone who in fact stopped driving myself many years ago because I know my instincts just aren't very good for this kind of thing. I was much better, relatively speaking, with the crowds on the streets and even with the touts/pests, I can say no without getting sentimental etc. But this was totally adrenalizing to me in a way I don't like.

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

User Name		Remember Me?
Password

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
cross cultural relationships	hey_namaste	Chai and Chat	167	Oct 17th, 2005 17:21
Best way to cross to Nepal?	kukurruku	Crossing the Border	2	Aug 28th, 2004 05:07
Share the road to Indian Himalayas in July?	tuareg	India Travel Partners	27	Aug 27th, 2004 07:08
Cross-Country by Train?	liquidpremium	Indian Railways	6	Apr 23rd, 2004 07:37