Graphic Traffic

Just like its weather, the folks in Bangalore are quite pleasant. They have a big smile and are mostly helpful - quite well mannered as such.

Now, put this polite, well-meaning Bangalorite on the driver's seat and he will transform into a Bang-galore-rite. When on wheels, all of them share a common trait - no regard whatsoever for life, even their own!

No helmets around. No concept of 'lanes'. A vehicle will overtake you from the right; then even before it has finished overtaking, it will sharply swerve left to turn into a perpendicular lane. At a four-way intersection where there is no signal, you will find a vehicle taking a left jammed between four vehicles heeded towards Delhi, Mumbai, Kokatta and Chennai. A traffic cop at an intersection looks away for a while and a sneaky mobike driver just dashes across the road, avoiding incoming traffic.

The only 'best practice' that I find is in how the signals operate. As usual, a signal goes from Green to Orange to Red. What is different here is that even while turning green, the same sequence if followed - Red to Orange to Green. I think the extra Orange step that warns motorists that Green is coming up, is a welcome addition.

Overall, I will famously say - I used to think the traffic in Mumbai is the worst. Then I saw Bangalore.