Taxi!

Well, I have made it to my hotel in Delhi in one piece, however I could already write a book about my experience so far. All went smoothly until I came out of Delhi airport only to find that the hotel had run out of cars so didn't send anyone to pick me up. Ok, I thought, find a taxi. Before I even decided which way to turn, a smartly dressed, very presentable guy told me he could organise transport for me. It all seemed a bit dodgy so I asked him who he worked for and if he had any ID. His response was that he worked for 'lots of hotels in the area' and started pulling out hotel business cards as his 'proof'. Ok I might look like some gullible young white girl but I'm not stupid. A few seconds later when his 'colleague' (aka friend, aka partner in crime) drives up in this unmarked car whose boot didn't even shut properly. Then said it would cost 25 US dollars to go to the hotel. That was the final straw (cos that's LOADS in Indian terms) so I walked away. I was never actually considering going with him but it was intruiging to see what he would try. Anyway, so I walk back into the airport and there's this security guard with some kind of rifle type thing, you know, not the sort of guy you'd mess with, so I asked him the best place to book a taxi. He told me, I got a ticket for about 3 or 4 dollars and off I went...

The taxi ride to the hotel was like nothing I've ever experienced. The 'taxi' looked about 50 years old with no seatbelts. To try and get an idea of what that's like, imagine yourself on Thunder Mountain with no kind of restraint and that's still a smooth ride compared to a roadtrip in Delhi. Now, in the UK we have such a thing as a highway code. I'm pretty sure one was never written in India. And I'm also pretty sure a driving licence, or even any kind of driving tuition, is entirely optional. From my experience so far I'd say the 'road rules' of Delhi go something like this...

1) Unless your vehicle has dents on all four sides, it is probably not suitable for use on the road.

2) Doors are not necessary. Without doors, then if the vehicle is full, passengers can hang out the side of the vehicle, thus increasing capacity utilization.

3) Mirror, Signal, Manouver is an unnecessary concept. Instead, simply do whatever it is you want to whilst simultaneously honking your horn.

4) It is acceptable for pedestrians to walk the wrong was down a 3 lane highway. No-one takes any notice of lanes anyway, so if you are in the way, vehicles will just swerve round you.

5) The space you want to fit through does not have to be big enough for your vehicle. If you keep going and keep honking, you will fit through. Somehow.

6) The only thing that has a higher priority than your own vehicle is a cow.


So it's all fun and games here really. I'm off to have a wander round now, will probably update again on Thursday in Kathmandu.