The past few days were memorable, with Independence Day celebrations, guests from the US, a vist to a Water Park, and general family bonding. But surpassing the adventure of these days by far, was the experience of getting caught in one of our city's traffic snarls.

                  So engrossed was I in watching the Olympic Boxing quarter finals (India Vs Ecuador), that I got late in meeting up with a friend at an appointed time. To my horror, I found myself in a serpentine line of chaos on the roads: auto-rickshaws ( the quaint Indian mode of public transport), trucks, buses, cars, vans, and taxi-cabs. I literally CRAWLED at an agonising speed of 10 (or was it 5?) km per hour. Vehicles on either side of me jostled for space, barely missing my car by a hair's breadth. Touch one car by mistake in these jams, and YOU'RE the villain...and God help you! In  short, you have to call out for Divine driving  skills....patience, a good set of leg muscles to jam brakes every now and then, great hand-eye coordination, eye-sight 6/6, eyes (and possibly a head!!) that can rotate 360 degrees to miss scraping a single vehicle that comes so very dangerously close to yours, and of course, a car/two wheeler who is in as perfect health as you!

                 Driving in Indian city roads is not for the faint hearted. I once got chased by a semi-drunk man who overtook me from the left, without indicator, and then cornered me with his vehicle on a dark highway. He sprinted out and demanded that I get down from my car. Sensing danger, I stuck to my drivers' seat, and shouted back at him, with a pounding heart, not knowing what was going to happen next. On impulse, I reared up, and hit the accelator with all my might, and drove into the thick highway traffic, trying my best to get lost in the chaos. My years of watching Hollywood flicks had finally pulled off....thanks to Sandra Bullock in Speed, I knew at that moment what had to be done to shake off my pursuer.

                Coming back to the original traffic jam I was talking about: it went on and on, and on, for miles and as far as the eye could see. By the time I reached the appointed place, I found my friend still waiting for me, but quite anxious. Luckily she wasn't mad with me, and, since we had to take the same God-forsaken route back home, we took a quick decision of getting into a fancy restaurant by the wayside, so that the trauma of the traffic wore down, and at the same time would ease the pressure off the roads.

                Since the treat was mine, I paid a handsome amount for an elaborate buffet meal that I couldn't eat, but enjoyed the break from driving. All's well that end's well...so goes the saying.  With satiated appetites and calmed down nerves, I took on the great roads once again...and was relieved to find the traffic gone....almost!

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Our country's population is booming, and it's high time we stopped producing a car population.

We pay taxes but our roads and infrastructure are pathetic. Dug up roads, unlit streets, dangerous medians, unmanned junctions, no driving discipline, and polluting vehicles. Bangalore has no time limit for heavy vehicles to enter the city. This greatly slows down movement of traffic, which reaches a peak during office hours. Our politicians and people who matter turn a blind eye to all the havoc. Where will all this agony lead to?

 

 

             

 

        (L-R): The Forum Mall,    The Garuda Mall                Bangalore Central           UB City                         Sigma Mall              Shoppers' Stop.

 

 

                    Where is most of the city's population headed to these days? The local malls of course! Given the wonderful season discounts and sales going on, here is where the urban well-heeled are generally found. Survey the population frequenting these shopping paradises: infants in prams, toddlers strapped to their parents, mischievous kids running all over (sometimes at the expense of other shoppers' leg space), teens, giggly girl gangs, serious looking women who look to be out for a kill, grandparents, and bachelors. Almost every person seems to come out with loads of shopping, with their faces glowing with contentment and tiredness from the shopping experience. In todays' label-conscious society, one gets to see almost all the leading brands of western goods and apparel, and also  branded ethnic wear. Never has society had it so good when it comes to shopping. And you know what? The malls are one place you'll feel that inflation has not made any difference to life. EVERONE seems to have the determination and resources to spend, spend, and spend. Boards and hoardings screaming "Last day sale", or "Upto 75% OFF!" or " Grand Clearance Sale...Till stocks last!" are being taken oh-so-seriously. What does one do after the shopping is over? Well, head to upstairs to the Food Courts, of course! Not less than a dozen stalls beckon you, ranging from the omniscient Pizza outlets, Mexican food, Italian, Thai, Chinese, Indian, Sea Food, to the trendy street food variety menu. There seems to be something to satisfy every different taste. Cashing in on the huge Indian consumer appetite, big retail chains are constantly making forays into the country, seeking clientele who are aware of their products. In UB City for instance, one finds high end designer shops like Peter Dunhill of London, Bvulgari, and other tongue twisting Italian names. The price tags on their clothes tell the general public what kind of client they are are seeking....and this definitely does NOT include the middle class!