10 Jan 2006
Perilious roads
I have been learning how to ride a motorcycle and I must say I really underestimated it. I mean, almost everyone in Chennai uses a two-wheeler, and it should be quite easy then, right?
Nope. From what I have seen so far, learning how to ride and actually riding one on the roads of Chennai are two different things… Once you hit the roads, all rules cease to exist, and you are only as safe as how the others around you drive.
Its really crazy. Due to the recent cyclones that have shredded Chennai (six one after the other, I heard), the roads have been seriously damaged. Since the roads here are built on pure tar, without much concrete and cement, the roads corrode away in the rain.
The result is… roads that look like the Martian surface. And the sand on the road skids! If you are not careful during turning, you are going to skid and really go sliding. This is not helped by the fact that some roads are quite narrow, and some lorry and bus drivers purposely try to scare you with their big horns and by driving really really close to you.
Speaking of horns, there is a huge difference between the way horns are used in Singapore and the way it is used in Chennai. When someone horns in Singapore, it is generally considered really rude and drivers horn to show their displeasure. Here, horns are used to signal that you exist. This is especially so when turning those blind corners in narrow roads, where it is a general practise to horn before you turn, so if someone else is also approaching in the opposite direction, he would do so cautiously.
And I still can’t bring myself to look at horning as a means of survival.