Lesson Two: Look Both Ways AND Listen.

Possibly the most dangerous thing I’ve encountered in India is the road transportation. The first rule of Indian driving is that there are no rules. I mean, I’m exaggerating but only kind of. In the time that I’ve spent here, I’ve not seen anyone enforcing road rules at all, which means that for actual driving purposes it’s as if no rules exist. When I say “look both ways” what I really mean is look right then left then right then left then right then left then right again before even stepping into the road. The best way to tackle crossing the street is to cross the first half and then deal with crossing the second half, even if there isn’t a median and you’re just chilling in the middle of the road. Crosswalks (they’re called “zebra crossings” here) don’t really matter. I’ve seen a few, but they don’t affect the way anyone drives. I’ve also never seen a stop sign. There are a few traffic lights in the big intersections of the city, but that’s it. Cars drive on the left side of the road, which is confusing enough for an American even before you take into account that the right side isn’t considered the “wrong side” but rather just the “other side.” Which is how I draw the conclusion that you have to be basically all seeing before you can cross the street. The sense of sound is also valuable in this endeavor because instead of using a blinker to signal when a car is turning, Indian drivers just like to honk their horns a bunch and the cars here play music when they are in reverse, similar to the way large trucks beep in America, but with an annoying ice cream truck type jingle. I would like to say that I’ve pretty much mastered the art of crossing the street in India during the daytime! Hooray for me! Unfortunately, as soon as the sun goes down endeavor becomes completely terrifying all over again.