When I landed in India last week, my friend came to pick us up. And as we got in his car and started to drive out, we went the wrong way inside the gi

Life in India is a series of bilateral negotiations

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2024-10-16 08:30:06

When I landed in India last week, my friend came to pick us up. And as we got in his car and started to drive out, we went the wrong way inside the giant parking garage at Delhi airport where all directions look the same 1 .

But he drove intrepidly. With no hesitation, just looking for a direct way down, we soon came to a set of cones blocking an exit and a stern looking guard, who enforced the cone. I looked back to see where else we could go, to circle around, and instead my friend lowered the window and asked the guard if he could just move the cone. A series of negotiations took place, short and to the point, about the pain of having to drive around versus the practical ease of moving a cone, and the guard relented. We drove down.

Once we were out and in the thick of traffic, similar interactions showed up again. India, modern India, has well defined lanes and beautiful highways. It also has absolutely no sense of traffic norms. Every inch of space is seen as a battleground to be won.

Like little Napoleons every autorickshaw and car and honking motorcycle would try to shoehorn into the three inches that opened up in front. It’s like a game of whack-a-mole in reverse.