When I drive for over a kilometre in Mumbai, I usually encounter a maniac who swerves into me from the left or right, a taxi parked on the side that blocks the road ahead, a smiling man who crosses a busy road without a care and of course public bus drivers who want to kill me.
I used to fume, take ‘revenge’ and even contemplated buying a run down SUV that I could then use as a bash up car.
Until I thought of applying some Zen to the situation.
I now think of driving as a Zen meditation test. I think of myself standing in front of a Zen monastery, applying to get in and this challenge being handed to me as an admission process.
The obstacles on the road are tests that are meant to trouble my mind. The people are ploys to distract me from being ’sane’. My approach is to smile when someone cuts into me & smirk when the taxi up in front suddenly decides to take a U -Turn. Make every irritation a giggle event. I truly believe that if you train yourself to overcome road rage and make it a spiritual quest, there will be a remarkable up-liftment of your state of mind.
Be like ‘cloud – water’ – float and flow and let nothing perturb you. Specially a road journey that you forget in minutes after it is over.
rodinhood
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July 30, 2009 at 8:59 am
Vikas Banga
Alok, Very interesting, I have the same revenge feeling when driving in delhi as well. Let me try out your Zen technique this week, and see how it works for me. Would keep you posted but if this works, it would be of great benefit for me. Thanks
July 30, 2009 at 11:31 am
Salil Mahadik
A very good insight, Alok. Though I don’t follow the zen formula, I do follow my own one. You really need a lot of patience while driving in India, especially with all the bikers around you. They feel it’s their birth-right to cut any vehicle as if they have inherited the roads from their ancestors. All it takes for them is to stick their front tyre ahead of your car and that’s it, that space belongs to them. And by chance you don’t notice them and bang them even softly, all hell cuts loose. You are then bombarded with the choicest of filthy words accompanied with a curt ‘dikhtaa nahi kya?’snap. You are left to wonder ‘Shouldn’t I be telling him the same in the first place? Can’t he see a vehicle that’s bigger than his vehicle and which is right next to him?’. Anyways, I don’t lose my temper over these incidents anymore. I just appease myself saying that the incident never took place and move on with my driving. In fact, I do my bit to avoid getting in such situations. For example, many a times I drive in the middle lanes so that I hardly encounter any bikers because all of them mostly drive on the sides of the road trying to squeeze in any available space. Even if I am driving in the side lane of the road, I ensure that there’s not much space on my left hand side for the bikers to squeeze in (since most of them try to squeeze in on your left). As regards the Taxis on the road, they are either manufactured without side indicator lights or all the taxi drivers are handicapped i.e. without their right hand that’s used to operate these lights. To avoid bumping into such taxis, I generally keep a safe distance when I am behind them. If any other vehicle is trying to race against you, I just fall out and let it ‘WIN’! Another big problem is reckless lane-cutting. I just keep my calm, slow down my car, allow the vehicle to cut me and carry on with driving in my lane. All this helps me stay away from accidents and brawls resulting from these accidents. What’s the point in getting your tooth broken or breaking the tooth of the other person, when you know that you wouldn’t have encountered the person in your entire life otherwise. I do have more to share, but the lack of time doesn’t permit me to do the same. Alok, please keep on writing such interesting posts.
July 31, 2009 at 6:17 pm
Mathews K
me… i drive in lagos (Nigeria)… here driving is a diff ball game altogether… heres a glimplse to all..
Driving in Lagos is not for the weak-willed. We feel it’s important that newcomers read the following article before venturing forth.
Lagos is often acclaimed as the most exciting city in Nigeria in which to drive. Who would argue? For those of you who think that driving in London or NY is stressful, herewith, for newcomers and visitors, are a few basic rules of the road for driving in Las Gidi:
First of all, know the battalion to which you belong. There is an unending and vicious road war in Lagos. In the first battalion, are motorcyclists popularly called Okada. They have a pact with suicide avoid them at all costs.
In the second battalion are commercial bus drivers. Their buses are known by various names including – Danfo, Molue (literally means “I go beat you”), Bolekaja (means “Come down, make we fight), Kabu-kabu, etc. As these names imply, they are not the smartest species on the face of the planet. Avoid them. What a bitter experience? I don want to cry again. I almost did that day!
In the third battalion are the “guys of the siren”: escort riders, Bullion vans, trailers, etc. They have immunity against death. Besides, they get a medal for every scratch, and a certificate of bravery for every bash. No need to tell you to stay clear of them. The Men in black even with empty bullion, I don have empty threat! Be guided.
In the fourth battalion are private guys like me. All we have at our disposal are big talk and empty threats – we have no rights. Sometimes we employ what is called “Ogboju”(bravado) to get by. Due to frustration of being home late or at work. We are a pound in flesh in getting our ways in traffic too. what a mess!!No gentlemen again in Lag?
Further rules:
1. When in doubt, accelerate.
2. Never drive behind a person whose head doesn’t reach the top of the steering wheel.
3. Danfo drivers believe they are immortal. Don’t yield to the temptation to teach them otherwise
4. Taxicabs sho uld always have the right of way, unless you are bent on suicide.
5. Get used to “Okada” riders saying things like: “Commot that scrap for road”, “Mr. I go drive myself”. It is normal, and we just ignore them. These days okadas are heavy duty machine too ‘cos they carry multiple passengers. Husband and wife. I believe They don t complaint of overload as long as the woman is in the middle.
6. Never, ever, stop for a pedestrian unless he flings himself under the wheels of your car.
7. The first parking space you see will be the last parking space you see. Grab it. Survival of the fittest u may say!
8. Learn to swerve abruptly. In Lagos, potholes (and sometimes car-holes) are put in key locations to test drivers’ reflexes and keep them on their toes. I got one man fishing in one of the potholes, that tells u how deep it is.
9. There is no such thing as “one-way”in Lagos. Expect traffic from any direction at all times.
10. Never get in the way of a car that needs extensive bodywork.
11. There is no such thing as a short cut during rush-hour traffic in Lagos. Everybody might be inclined to take that ’short-cut’.
12. It is traditional in Lagos to honk your horn at cars that don’t move the instant their bumpers are not touching the next car.
13. When asking for directions, always ask at least 3 people. Lagosians claim to know every inch of the city – even areas they’ve never been.
14. Use extreme caution when pulling into breakdown lanes. Breakdown lanes are not for breaking down, but for speeding, especially during rush hour.
15. Never use directional signals, since they only confound and distract other Lagos drivers, who are not used to them.
16. Similarly, never attempt to give hand signals. Lagos drivers, unused to such courtesies, will think you are making obscene gestures to them. This could be very bad for you in Lagos.
17. Hazard lights (popularly called “double pointer”) is not, (as commonly supposed) used to indicate a hazard. It is a warning to you that he is a bonafide Lagos driver, he’s headed ’straight’ and as such, will not stop under any circumstance. Take him extremely seriously especially if he backs it up with a continuous blast from his “horn”.
18. At any given time T, do not stand on the zebra crossing expecting traffic to yield to you, else you will have to explain to the on coming traffic that you look like a zebra.
19. Speed limits are arbitrary figures posted only to make you feel guilty.
20. Remember that the goal of every driver is to get there first by whatever means necessary.
21. In Lag every spot is potential bus stop. FRSC and LASTMA knows that too. I dey in their constitution.
21. Above all, keep moving. Even with a flat tire.
September 18, 2009 at 10:19 am
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