Running the Gauntlet

(OK, so this is not really about family, but it is about cars, and families need cars, so it makes the cut.)

I spent 9 hours on the road today, driving through small towns between Delhi and Agra. Roshan, my driver, doesn’t speak much English and I don’t speak any Hindi, but we had a great day together. He took me to his favorite roadside café, where we drank tea together and I sent up a prayer for my kiwi-girl stomach.

For the entire 9 hours of driving, Roshan had his hand poised above the horn. Honking in India is just part of driving - it doesn’t convey anger or frustration as it does where I come from, here it is more a signal to say “here I am on your left” or “coming up on your right.”



Once I got used to the constant weaving, breaking, accelerating, dodging and honking, I started to see the road in a new way; one of the few places in India where hierarchy doesn’t matter. Cows, ricks, buses, bikes and cars all vie for their spot. There’s an each for his own mentality, and everyone takes whatever they can get.



Almost every car has at least one ding or scrape, but these imperfections add character, like well won battle scars. It’s easy to imagine each vehicle with it’s own personality; gutsy, tough, nimble, fearless and pushy. Cars in India need more than good specs and features, they need attitude.

Challenge: Win the road.