The most favorite activity that Bangaloreans indulge in is
Trafficking. It is a social activity surpassing the bounds of
caste, creed or religion. Every morning and evening all the people
in Bangalore come out on to the streets with whatever vehicle(s)
they own and create a mass procession. They honk, rev engines,
brake hard, bump, double park, shout, jump traffic lights ... its a
mass revelry. — Taken from Uncyclopedia
After living here for three and a half years, I think I can say with
some authority that commuting in Bangalore is a daily adventure.
Every day there is something unpredictable that will happen and will
affect the flow of traffic. Either a truck would be parked on the
wrong side of the road, or a car would have broken down, or the
traffic police would mark one of the roads as one-way.
There is a "magic window" in the Bangalore traffic. This is the time
when the traffic flows without the interruptions of the traffic police
and the heavy trucks have not yet come out on the roads. If you are
able to get to your destination in the magic window, your day will be
relatively tension free.
The amount of time wasted on the streets is staggering. If we add the
cost we pay in terms of health and peace of mind, the costs would be
enormous. To give you an idea, the route to reach my office is
around 12 kilometers from my home. However, it takes me around 30
minutes to cover this distance.
In my opinion, a two wheeler is the best way to navigate your way
around Bangalore. It is easy to work your way around cars and trucks
waiting at the traffic signal. Not to forget, the savings on the
petrol bill.
Speaking of cars, I don't understand why people buy luxury cars in
Bangalore. I have seen quite a few traffic snarls caused by one
luxury car going slow or waiting to take a turn.
Anyhow, enough of my rantings.