Watching a clip of Indian intersections was an insanity filled trip through memories across time. There were several scenes that could have been from my early teenage riding days. Others reminded me of past trips to Mumbai and Bangalore. In most cases, the conflicting flows of traffic met with no rules! There were no traffic lights, the old traffic circles have been eliminated, and traffic police had long fled their posts. In fairness to everyone, there were no visible guides. In greater condemnation, nobody appeared to act with any regard for the drivers around them. Collisions, flying bodies, people trying to help, and others carrying on as if there was nothing worth noticing.
Observations of what I could not finish include the following.
Objects that are bigger often win. In what I did see, not a single bus was in the losing position in an intersection. Damaged, bruised, and temporary halted yes, but the bigger object had not yet arrived. Motorcycles and small cars were the most vulnerable to the big whims. In many cases, the most vulnerable acted as if there was nothing to fear.
Some positions are stronger than others. At one extreme were pedestrians, individuals sitting in the back of open trucks, and passengers on a motorcycle. At the other end was the well-constructed truck driver. One side was positioned to fly, their weak positions acting as launching pads. For the strong, the summary line “shaken but not moved” is accurate.
A combination of perfect decision, respect for what is bigger and stronger, brought safety at times but not always. Even the innocents were caught up in the actions and outcome of others. It was as if I was watching an invisible hand at play, reminding me of an old saying, “God sovereignly brought me to my knees, he cut me down in my prime.” (Psalm 102.23)
It is time to ride. My eyes will be open, my mind alert, and my heart at peace. I have a role to play, but it is not the whole story. Time to live.
