4 ms·

Indian driving is like ant colony, but it's humans.

by alex_smart 5y ago

masklinn 5y ago
Way my colleagues told me, circulation is such a mess there’s no way you can check all around you (plus what’s that going to change, defensive driving in bumper-to-bumper traffic means complete paralysis) so the only things you look at are in front, and the people following have to be ready. Needless to say I opted out of driving, crossing roads is as far as I took the challenge of directly interacting with indian circulation.
- alex_smart 5y ago
  >Way my colleagues told me, circulation is such a mess there’s no way you can check all around you It's not so much that you can't, but that most people don't and with no driver education and no enforcement of traffic rules, you are stuck in a shitty nash equilibrium. I learnt driving in Canada, and I have tried to continue the same driving habits in India - because that is the only way I feel safe while driving. I simply can not change lanes without checking the rear-view mirrors and a shoulder-check because I am utterly terrified of what could happen if I don't. At the same time, I am also completely aware about how 99.9% of drivers on the road are operating. So, I have to be cautious that any car could try to nose their way into the road in front of me even when I have right-of-way because that's just how things work here. It is stressful and horrible.
  - oblio 5y ago
    It's probably going to change as they get more cars, more highways and better driver educations. It's probably going to take decades.
    - alex_smart 5y ago
      No change is automatic. Why will it change just because there are more cars and more highways? And where is the push for better driver education? There is none.
      - oblio 5y ago
        It comes naturally as you start wanting to move faster and get better cars. You can't go 130kmph honking your way through mopeds and rickshaws.

4 ms·

Indian driving is like ant colony, but it's humans.

by alex_smart 5y ago

Indian driving is like ant colony, but it's humans.

masklinn 5y ago
Way my colleagues told me, circulation is such a mess there’s no way you can check all around you (plus what’s that going to change, defensive driving in bumper-to-bumper traffic means complete paralysis) so the only things you look at are in front, and the people following have to be ready. Needless to say I opted out of driving, crossing roads is as far as I took the challenge of directly interacting with indian circulation.
- alex_smart 5y ago
  >Way my colleagues told me, circulation is such a mess there’s no way you can check all around you It's not so much that you can't, but that most people don't and with no driver education and no enforcement of traffic rules, you are stuck in a shitty nash equilibrium. I learnt driving in Canada, and I have tried to continue the same driving habits in India - because that is the only way I feel safe while driving. I simply can not change lanes without checking the rear-view mirrors and a shoulder-check because I am utterly terrified of what could happen if I don't. At the same time, I am also completely aware about how 99.9% of drivers on the road are operating. So, I have to be cautious that any car could try to nose their way into the road in front of me even when I have right-of-way because that's just how things work here. It is stressful and horrible.
  - oblio 5y ago
    It's probably going to change as they get more cars, more highways and better driver educations. It's probably going to take decades.
    - alex_smart 5y ago
      No change is automatic. Why will it change just because there are more cars and more highways? And where is the push for better driver education? There is none.
      - oblio 5y ago
        It comes naturally as you start wanting to move faster and get better cars. You can't go 130kmph honking your way through mopeds and rickshaws.