India - Transportation

Transportation throughout India was indeed a challenge.  We were blessed to have luxurious bus service everywhere we went but it was not without its moments.  On our first business visit while dressed for success, we ventured into the city to the EcoScience Park for a visit with MicroLand.  Our journey was not without excitement.  The traffic of India is not something you can envision driving down our own landscaped expressways and clearly laid out road systems.  This is a country exceeding one billion people with a median age of 24 years old.  Just as done by their former British rulers, Indians drive on the left hand side of the road.  Most roads are narrow and the cacophony of horns is overwhelming.  There is a horn blast for getting a slower vehicle out of your way or for letting oncoming traffic know that you are passing on the right.  While we were travelling to MicroLand the left hand lane was obstructed with a rare piece of some type of construction vehicle.  Vehicles, cars, busses, bicycles, auto rickshaws, etcetera were all trying to get around and to continue on their journey.  In a flash a city bus came by and knocked off the driver’s left hand mirror from our bus.  The driver stopped, put the bus into park and took the keys with him as he ran after the offending bus.  It appeared that as the city bus stopped to hear the complaint that the two drivers may come to blows.  Instead, our driver entered the bus which continued down the roadway!!!  We sat stupefied unsure of what to do next.  After a lengthy period of time the driver returned saying that he settled with the city bus driver for ten rupees (approx. $4.50) for the damage and we continued on our way to the happiness of all of the traffic stalled behind us.  Auto insurance is essential in India (says Auto Mobile India, internet January 21, 2011) and there were many billboards advertising this service.     

To give us an additional lesson on day to day life in India, the two professors took us to the train station where tickets were purchased for us, handed out and we boarded the train for a short ride to the bazaar.  It was explained that there was an upcoming holiday which required new clothing so everyone was shopping this particular Saturday afternoon.  Entering and exiting the train was done in a rhythm that did not allow for error.  The throng of thousands banded together and moved.  The same precision was necessary to get from one end of the market to the other.  Stopping for a transaction was out of the question since the study group would have been lost in the masses.  Similarly we returned to our hotel by city bus with so little space people were standing on the stairs leaning out of the bus.