I started fresh in the morning for work. As I put the songs of Arth (an old Hindi movie’s songs) in the music system, Jagjit Singh crooned ‘tum itna jo muskura rahe ho, kya gam kai jisko chupa rahe ho’ (very difficult to translate this one in English, so I let it go). I hummed along (and I am very bad at it, totally off key) thinking within no time I will reach my workplace. How mistaken I was! For 28 out of 30 days of a month, I usually get a smooth ride (by Indian conditions) to work but for the two other days, it can be hell. Today was one of those days and I am glad I had my camera with me.
What happens is this, that at a place we people have to take a turn right and the traffic from the right try to go the other way. There are huge call centre and software office’s contract buses trying to go and come out and at times they stand in front of each-other. Then people start trying to go from the wrong side and within no time it is a gridlock.
Two cars were trying to take a right and the Temo guy entered from the wrong side, and no one can go anywhere! I was sitting behind the white car, clicking my camera and trying to pass time and thinking of another Hindi song, ‘dam le le ghadi bhar, musafir jayega kahan?’
The bus and the motorcycle guy both were on the wrong side. The guy in grey Santo finally started getting angry and twisted his wheels to block the motorcycle guy. I try to stay cool by switching on the AC for a short while, but then switch it off, after all how much petrol can I burn, sitting in this gridlock? By now I am getting late for the office but no one really bothers you here, and I anyway rarely get late, so no major hassle for me.
The cap (of the traffic cop)that we all are waiting for is finally visible. From nowhere this guy in uniform materializes and it raises our hope that finally things will start moving.
The guy in the bule shirt pleaded with the traffic police to get him out of the jam first, but the cop said he had to wait just for a while, there was a big bus obstructing his side and it will take some time to sort it out. The guy immdeiately started explaining furiously something in his cell phone. But after a short while, with the help of this angel cop, I could finally take the turn and reach my office within five minutes.
PS. The picture from another place!
We were in traffic jams similar to this once or twice and frankly, I was impressed that people stayed as calm as they did and that they got sorted out relatively quickly. If something like that happened here, I’m not sure everyone would get out alive.
Lily, I sat in this one for 50 minutes! If this is not the usual scene, I can imagine people panicking. But for us it is almost a part of our daily lives.
Mridula , i absolutely love and immensly enjoy reading your blogs. Thankfully iam in noida , so less traffic jams here . but I’ve seen it getting really ugly with people ready to fight at the drop of hat. I hope to be a regular to your blogs.Nice job indeed
Vj, thanks a lot for your kind words, I too have stayed in Noida a few years back and traffic situation definitely is better there. But I used to hate my job with a passion there!
Ha ha, this looks like total chaos but believe me, things can get just as bad here in the U.S. even though the gridlock may look more orderly. Robi & I went out to do a “dry run” of his work commute a day after we arrived (luckily it’s only 20min each way), and then I suggested that we go downtown real quick to check out the city with a drive-by. BIG MISTAKE! It was a Sunday and people were out in mass numbers for the Cherry Blossom Festival, and we literally were stuck in snail’s pace traffic for at least 3hrs! TOTAL NIGHTMARE! I plan to familarize myself with the metro/bus system real soon because really that’s the best way to navigate the capital sights & downtown area.
Ah Crystal, yu have a metro and bus system to get familiar with, in my area they are non-existent!
Rockin’!Nice snaps… Great narration!Bingo!
Amit, thanks.