Traffic jams have become more a rule, than exception on the roads of Mumbai.A 25km drive takes anything from 40minutes to 2 or sometimes even 3 hours. So what does one do? I love observing people, trying to interpret them, a best way to spend time with your co-roadies, while they are fretting, cursing, lamenting,getting consumed by road rage, within minutes of getting behind the wheels. Suddenly, the road becomes an equalizer,windows are lowered, throats cleared, a merc talks to a honda,a two-wheeler and an autorickshaw exchange notes, suddenly people communicate on their common woes, the roads, the government, the policies, the daily troubles. After a few painful minutes,hours(take your guess), the front row buzzes,there's a sudden whiff of fresh life and engines start whirring....Once more the windows go up, people shake themselves off from small talk, focus and presto ! Everyone else is competition, only to be overtaken, squeezed past to get out of the mess.Mumbai roads have an unwritten language, a language understood by all roadies, a code of conduct well interpreted by all. Its reflective of the hurried and harried lives we lead and keep moving ahead......despite the odd distraction enroute in the form of traffic jams as we know them.
