Please blow horn

After a plane trip that was delayed both in Cochin and in Bangalore, I'm back in Delhi ... three hours after my scheduled arrival. It's been an interesting contrast in different areas of India, but in both Delhi and in Cochin I've had the chance to experience something pretty unique to the country: Indian driving.

Plenty of people had warned me of the driving conditions in India. I've heard stories about the constant honking, the utter lack of adherence to any traffic laws, cars driving on sidewalks to avoid congestion and animals meandering through the roads.

All of this is true, but I realized there's a certain loveliness to the traffic here. It's not regulated in the same way that it is in the states and drivers have an ultimate goal to keep moving along. Traffic is very fluid with drivers naturally passing each other, merging into and out of lanes (and in the process often creating their own lanes) swerving gently to avoid each other.

I've come to realize that horns here serve a different purpose than in the states. In San Francisco, drivers honk their horns as a last resort. It's a sign of annoyance and aggression. Here, horns serve as a friendly signal to fellow drivers that you're approaching or to the side. Even many trucks have signs that say "please blow horn" on them, encouraging drivers to use their horns liberally. It's all very civilized, actually, and people are very respectful of each other. Thus, cars can drive literally within two inches of each other and no one gets irritated or nervous.

While it does take some adjustment, I think driving patterns in India probably lead to less road rage than in the states. That said, I haven't experienced a complete standstill yet. That might be the ultimate test.