How to drive in India (2015)

How to drive in India (2015)
theforeignchallenge.com

Apparently, nobody seemed to regard this as particularly unusual.

Never get into an accident in India. First, if you driving a car mob will surround and harass you. Second, in case you get away from the mob, police will come and harass you. And things get worse if they perceive you as an outsider.

Here's an anecdote which happened with a friend:

While taking one of these mentioned u-turns and ensuring that he was honking constantly, a bike coming from the wrong side hit his car. A mob quickly formed and people started abusing him for being a reckless car driver. He makes it to the accident site with difficulty. There were two people riding the bike. Both had bruises. But the pillion rider was not wearing a helmet, something which is against the law in Bangalore.

He took both guys to the hospital. After X-rays and brain CT scan (for the pillion rider) it turns out the rider was fine with some minor bruising and gets first aid. But the pillion rider had a fracture. So, the bike rider's family started to threaten my friend. When he pointed out their mistakes - coming from wrong side and not wearing a helmet, they change their tactic and demand money instead.

Now, in India most of the time accident cases are settled on-spot with cash. Even the authorities, police etc, also force people to settle by paying cash to avoid work (and they take money from both parties too).

But the amount demanded by family is too high. "You are an IT guy" they tell my friend which is an euphemism for ultra-rich in Bangalore. My friend refuses to pay any money and asks for police to be called for due process.

Then these guys started shoving and verbally assaulting him. And because of the language barrier it is difficult for him to ask anyone nearby for help, not that anyone wanted to help.

So, he tells them to allow him to go home and get money. He went back and hired a lawyer to save himself. But, two weeks since, he still gets threatening calls. Police is not interested in the case and tells him to settle "amicably".

It's as much a window into Thai culture as it is a guide to driving and contains a few 'aha' insights for those who've ever been perplexed by some of the traffic etiquette in Asia.

> The most important factor that influences all Thai traffic behaviour is what I call a Thai driver’s ‘Range of Responsibility’. A Thai driver’s Range of Responsibility is what he (should) pay attention to in Thai-style, basically it's all that appears in his eyesight without turning his head.

> Because of the Range of Responsibility is a Thai driver's implicit leading principle, everything else depends on it. "You're in my sight so I adapt to you" is the practical solution that Thai traffic society has adopted.

> Hindering traffic flows is common....time isn’t as valuable as in Western societies, there is less of a hurry, there is no concept of opportunity costs, and you’re supposed to adapt and accomodate each other rather than claiming your rights.

> Cutting corners is a habit (or skill!) that Thai people have...the focus is not on doing things the correct way, but on getting your things done the easier way. Another way to understand this behaviour is to realize that it is the flow that goes before the rule...expecting others to stick to the rules doesn't work, you better watch the situation as it occurs and adapt.

> When you engage in Thai traffic, be prepared to take on a double work load: think for yourself but also think for others around you.

> Sometimes traffic doesn't flow through and just parks in the middle of the intersection. The U-turn is Thailand's response to that, it allows traffic to gently blend in with the current flow, in other words: it is the Thai alternative to let people interact more harmoniously and it is much more suitable to Thai culture than open or guarded intersections.