BMW 3 - Merc 3
03-27-2002, 12:40 AM
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BMW 3 - Merc 3
I've spent the last week in India and not one single Audi spotting. Not surprising since I only saw 3 BMW's and 3 Merc's. I spent most of the time in Hyderabad and I took a weekend road trip to Agra (home of the Taj Mahal) via the Delhi airport.
I didn't drive, nor would I be comfortable driving here. You can encounter anything on the road from animals and pedestrians to large trucks. In between you have 3 wheeled rickshaws (powered and pedaled), camel and ox pulled carts, small cars and small trucks. The driving, or more accurately the passenger, experience can be conservatively called intense.
City driving is no different than highway driving. Most drivers have their outside mirrors folded in. Although they drive on the left, either side of the road is used when needed. Almost without exception, the slower vehicles yield the fast lane to the faster vehicle. Drivers cut each other off constantly but since it is the norm here, it seems to be an accepted practice. A driver comes into your lane, you give him space, period. A close call means you swapped paint.
The horn is used very liberally. Not to irritate other drivers but to warn them of your proximity when overtaking the slower vehicle. Most slower vehicles actually have "Please Use Horn" painted in bold letters on the back of their vehicle.
While initially this looked worse than chaos, I am actually very impressed by the driving skills exhibited. Driving anywhere requires 100% concentration. If you have limited depth perception (like I do) you are severely handicapped when driving. I saw a few accidents on the highway but all but one were related to excessive loads (bricks and agricultural products). I was also surprised to notice that there are very few vehicles with body damage. Even most of those were minor scrapes and dings.
The Delhi to Agra trip was a 4 hour drive over a divided highway and it was nothing short of eye-opening the whole way. The speeds don't approach autobahn speeds, that would surely mean death in short order. Animals and pedestrians were constant hazards but our driver was very adept at spotting potential road crossers far in the distance. There were many times where he saw things seconds before I did. And believe me, I was paying attention as I was in what we termed the "Death Seat". That term described the front passenger seat.
I couldn't enjoy my A6 here because first of all I couldn't drive here. And even if I could, the A6 is way too big to drive in most situations. I now have an even greater appreciation of the comfort we are afforded on American roads. Even so, I have infinite respect for the abilities of Indian drivers!
I didn't drive, nor would I be comfortable driving here. You can encounter anything on the road from animals and pedestrians to large trucks. In between you have 3 wheeled rickshaws (powered and pedaled), camel and ox pulled carts, small cars and small trucks. The driving, or more accurately the passenger, experience can be conservatively called intense.
City driving is no different than highway driving. Most drivers have their outside mirrors folded in. Although they drive on the left, either side of the road is used when needed. Almost without exception, the slower vehicles yield the fast lane to the faster vehicle. Drivers cut each other off constantly but since it is the norm here, it seems to be an accepted practice. A driver comes into your lane, you give him space, period. A close call means you swapped paint.
The horn is used very liberally. Not to irritate other drivers but to warn them of your proximity when overtaking the slower vehicle. Most slower vehicles actually have "Please Use Horn" painted in bold letters on the back of their vehicle.
While initially this looked worse than chaos, I am actually very impressed by the driving skills exhibited. Driving anywhere requires 100% concentration. If you have limited depth perception (like I do) you are severely handicapped when driving. I saw a few accidents on the highway but all but one were related to excessive loads (bricks and agricultural products). I was also surprised to notice that there are very few vehicles with body damage. Even most of those were minor scrapes and dings.
The Delhi to Agra trip was a 4 hour drive over a divided highway and it was nothing short of eye-opening the whole way. The speeds don't approach autobahn speeds, that would surely mean death in short order. Animals and pedestrians were constant hazards but our driver was very adept at spotting potential road crossers far in the distance. There were many times where he saw things seconds before I did. And believe me, I was paying attention as I was in what we termed the "Death Seat". That term described the front passenger seat.
I couldn't enjoy my A6 here because first of all I couldn't drive here. And even if I could, the A6 is way too big to drive in most situations. I now have an even greater appreciation of the comfort we are afforded on American roads. Even so, I have infinite respect for the abilities of Indian drivers!
03-27-2002, 04:27 AM
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Sounds like fun...maybe I'll take a trip to India :)
I love driving in NYC so I can drive like a cabbie...who are psychos...but there's a, sort of, order in the madness...it is very fun...my customers, err, I mean passengers are always impressed and usually a little nervous 
03-27-2002, 05:29 AM
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Driving in India
Great description. I've spent nearly a month there on two separate occasions, including many hours as a passenger (on that same Delhi-Agra highway, among others). Too many sights/sounds/experiences to describe. Even on videotape the full flavor does not come through.
03-27-2002, 05:41 AM
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Re: BMW 3 - Merc 3
Ha, Ha, Ha!!!! That is just the most hilarious description of Indian driving conditions that I have ever heard. As an Indian citizen, born and brought up in Mumbai, I have seen a total of 3 Audis during 22 years in India. I actually saw a current model A6 2.7T and an A4 2.8 during my last trip there. The third one was an Audi 100 owned by my Uncle. That was the car that got me hooked on to Audis for life. Just loved it!
So, not surprising that you didn'nt spot any Audis on your brief trip to India. Our Audis are really not suitable for Indian driving conditions. The Mercs and BMWs are owned by extremely rich and status-conscious people in India, who never drive their own cars, but like to enjoy the luxury from the back seat. Besides, they are pure marquee buyers, and all they care about is the Merc, BMW or Lexus name in their garages.
LOL!!!
So, not surprising that you didn'nt spot any Audis on your brief trip to India. Our Audis are really not suitable for Indian driving conditions. The Mercs and BMWs are owned by extremely rich and status-conscious people in India, who never drive their own cars, but like to enjoy the luxury from the back seat. Besides, they are pure marquee buyers, and all they care about is the Merc, BMW or Lexus name in their garages.
LOL!!!
03-27-2002, 05:53 AM
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Same story in Sri Lanka
You've done a great job trying to explain what driving is like in India and Sri Lanka as well, but it's just such an unreal experience that one has to be there and see it for oneself just to believe. I can't tell you how happy I was that I had a driver, as I wouldn't want to be driving on those roads one minute.
If you've got low blood pressure, take a trip to Sri Lanka - that'll fix you right up...
If you've got low blood pressure, take a trip to Sri Lanka - that'll fix you right up...
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03-27-2002, 06:15 AM
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Finman, I can guarantee that you would NOT drive either of your Audis in Sri Lanka - not unless you
wanted some 'paint customization' or interesting body work along the sides and bumpers. Those sweet mirrors on the S6 Avant would be road jewelry in mere seconds...