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Bangalore Traffic

ByConall Dempsey

Some time ago Bangalore was known as the Garden City.

While some parts of the city still cling to enough green that this nickname works in those areas, I am starting to think that the Traffic City might be a more appropriate moniker for the city as a whole.

The following video is NOT a video of Bangalore traffic at its worst. Such a video would just show a bunch of vehicles sitting still and would be quite boring. Today I am just going to share a thirty second video of traffic on a road by my apartment.  Just to give you an idea of the type of vehicular mix that occurs in Bangalore.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D2smWnlNQI&w=455&fmt=18&rel=0]

Nothing thrilling. Just a glimpse into my day-to-day life in Bangalore.

Just a glimpse into my day-to-day life right here.

4 Comments

  1. There seems to be a lot of honking and not a lot of reacting to any of the honking. Do people just honk from time to time to keep it interesting, or is there some value to the honking?

  2. conalldempsey says:

    @ Maire

    I thought the exact same thing on my arrival in India. Honking is really pervasive over here and seems to be the catch-all excuse for disobeying any and all traffic rules. I think that it has lost most of its effect though since someone is ALWAYS honking, the other drivers just ignore it. I think the streets of Chicago will seem quite silent when I return after living in Bangalore for a while.

  3. As always, I am going to use a tennis analogy for the honking in Bangalore (and other places I’ve visited throughout the years). in tennis, when you’ve got people moving around together, sometimes in a small space and in the same direction, a simple “Me” may be the equivalent to the “honk honk,” meaning “I’m here. I’ll take care of my responsibilities. You hold up your end.” It may not be meant as an action that needs a reaction. It may just be a heads up…As in Bangalore, a tennis partner is free to ignore any and all honking.

  4. conalldempsey says:

    @ Gay

    Very true. It does work well as a little heads up. Sure, the drivers ought to be looking around to ensure they are aware of the surroundings, but like in sports, sometimes your focus is taken away by the action and you just need a little reminder. Thanks for the comments!

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