The Drive

Driving around Pune, as with most populated Indian cities, takes some getting used to, even if you are just the passenger. We fortunately did not have to drive ourselves. I think they must have some extreme driving school to teach the folks to survive driving the roads here. Coming from the US, the traffic here in Pune could be considered insane. There are cars, trucks, many, many motorcycles, mopeds, rickshaws, bicycles, cows, camels, goats, dogs and pedestrians on the road. There are so many, complete anarchy appears to have taken over the roads. Regular traffic laws do not seem to apply. Yes, most of the time, the drivers stay on the left side of the road, but that rule is broken sometimes too. Stopping at a red light is more of a guideline then a rule or law, unless of course a police officer is manning the intersections. The rule at most intersections is get across whenever you can without hitting anything, honk if you have to. Honking the horn seems to be critical to driving around here; it is as if every driver knows where all of the other vehicles are by the location of their last beep. Sometimes we get out of the car, thankful that we made it across town alive. I imagne that there must be a tremendous number of fatalities on these crazy Indian roads.

Anyway, below are some pictures I took from the car on the way to the BMC India office.


This is the road right outside of our hotel


more of the same; this road is very deserted


Gulshan and John enjoying the ride


Another relatively deserted road