crossing the street in India

Mumbai traffic

I was in India for a few weeks in 2010.  I kept a sort of journal most of the time, but have not done much with the material.  So I’ve dug out this entry about the madness of city traffic in India.  Plus a few pics I took whilst crossing the street in Mumbai, and foolishly trying to get somewhere in a Mumbai taxi cab.

crossing the street in India

The safest way to cross the street in India

is to shelter downstream of a cow

the onrushing traffic will miraculously part

flowing either side of the  sacred animal

and reforming into a single mad rush a few yards further on

leaving you and the beast intact

the only problem with this strategy

is that the cow may remain in the middle of the street for some hours

If you are in more of a hurry to reach the other side

the next best strategy is to find a grey haired old woman

who is going the same way as you

Indian drivers respect the elderly nearly as much as cows

so you will probably make it to the other  side

by keeping the old woman between you and the traffic

If you  become impatient, and decide to forsake the old woman

in a mad dash to the kerb

whatever you do, don’t look back

Mumbai taxi cabs