Comments on Indian Traffic by Mike (My Manager in US)

Recently my Manager from United States office visited India office for a month and I would like to share some of the magic moments we shared in India.

Me and my team mate went to Mumbai to receive this great personality from the Chatrapati Shivaji Airport and when we were waiting for him outside the gate my team mate said how is Mike going to look so that he could recognize him, as I know him well and seen him for couple of months in US office I asked him how are you expecting him?

My team mate was expecting that Mike would be wearing a suite or a jeans with a formal shirt etc. I know that how he is going to look when he come out. He came out with a thin T-Shirt and Shorts as I told my mate earlier.

After initial introductions we started our journey from Mumbai to Pune, as he noticed the surroundings of Mumbai airport while landing he told could guess how India is going look like. But still it was a big surprise for him as he never expected the kind of traffic he could see just out side the airport and the same way it was till end of Mumbai.

He told me in the cab that he already visited 5 continents of the world and most of the countries in even in Asia like Malaysia, Japan, and Singapore etc as his girl friend belongs to Japan, but no where he saw the traffic like this.

He was very much afraid of when somebody (Bike or Car) came very close to our cab in any of the traffic signals. Our driver enjoyed this episode very well. Driver used to ask us many questions as he was unable to understand Mike’s accent.

Finally, we reached Pune some time around 2’o clock. He was hungry and want to have food but he wanted to have a shower before he want to have food. So we took him to our company guest house. After that we had to take him for lunch on my Bike as we all only has Bikes but no cars.

Then he almost started shouting when I was driving in my slowest speed 40 kmph. First of all he was unable to sit on my bike as he has no practice of sitting on bike and he used to for car. Then he was straight away exposed to sun and it was 36º C on that day again the traffic was same.

In this Drive he asked me a interesting questions as below.

Q. Since how many years you are driving your Bike?

A. I am driving from last 6 years on Pune roads.

Q. How many accidents you met with?

A. I didn’t have any major accidents so far in my driving.

You know what was his conclusion, It doesn’t mean you are the best driver…You are lucky enough in this traffic you didn’t met with accidents. He added that nobody is a perfect driver but even if I send the perfect driver in this traffic where nobody follow the traffic rules he could met with accident.

So, how many of you are lucky and didn’t have any accidents?

Is it necessary to think about this now? As educated and working professional are you following the traffic rules?

Just think about it …… this is how India right now…….