Traffic

Considering that I bike at least 10km a day, I figure its an important part of my life here in Madurai, and that the web-world might be interested to know a little bit about how I get everywhere around here. 

Traffic in Madurai is perhaps the most dangerous traffic I've seen. Besides Istanbul. No, probably worse than Istanbul.. I mean, granted, Istanbul has hills and streets that veer off into nowhere and there are probably only one or two intersections that come together at a 90 degree angle, Madurai is worse.

The streets, if you can call them that, are dusty, pot-holey messes that are thoroughfares for all sorts of vehicles. Let's start big: buses, filled with people, not only in their seats, but hanging off the sides... buses are probably the scariest... you do NOT want to go around one as its stopped because in a few seconds, it will inevitably be beeping at you as youre cycling your little legs off trying to get out of its way. Then there are cars-- oddly, the rarest sight on these streets are cars. They think theyre entitled because theyre bigger than you and give you a little jump because their horns are SO FREAKING LOUD but whatever. I have as much a right to the road as they do... damn rich people. Next are the little yellow autos! My personal favorite part of the me-lee, these little buggers are pretty nifty, and really nice to cyclers (like me!). Their horns are not too annoying, usually they resemble a clown horn, you know the one you squeeze.. 

The most popular form of transportation are what I'll call two-wheelers.. this includes motorcycles and scooties. They're everywhere and they carry more than you would think possible. My host-mom regularly carries me, her two daughters, herself, and whatever groceries we've bought on her bitty purple scooty. 

Then there are the real cycles.. the ones powered by man instead of machine. All sorts of cycles carrying all sorts of things: people, coconuts, water, etc. They're slow, they take up room, but they are a legit part of the traffic flow. 

Then there are the non-human creatures: dogs roam the streets and arent very well treated, but cows get so much respect in these streets. I almost ran into one and some lady started yelling at me. People stop and wait for them. They have a tendency to plop down in the middle of traffic and either take a nap or just watch the chaos around them with amusement. 

The first day was kind of hard: OH i forgot to mention-- sticking to their British colonial days, the flow of traffic is flipped- so stay left! Soon enough though, I found myself flowing with the traffic and zipping around Madurai.