The top is not meant to be stood on. India’s structural engineers must design with a factor of safety of infinity.
India is crowded. 1.2 billion, increasing at a rate of 0.6 children born every second if you want to put a number to it. Everywhere you go, you can’t help but see a ton of other people. I see hoards of people at temples, on the road, on top of buildings, and even in my sleep.
About every 5 minutes, this many people are born in India. Not all of them are as mad as the guy looking at the camera.
Yet, somehow, I’ve always been a little perplexed by the colossal population. It just doesn’t make sense to me. My first impression when I was riding in a car in India was that with the ridiculous driving habits, how are people not getting run over all the time? And for those not getting run over, how are people who are riding on top of trains, hanging outside autorickshaws to squeeze 15 people along for the ride, or somehow fitting 7 on a motorcycle, not falling off and getting run over by the car driving on the wrong side of the road? Ok, so this is starting to sound a little sadistic, but I would think some sort of Darwinism would take effect at some point.
Not bad, just 5 people. Now imagine fitting 7. Think Tetris style.
But apparently not. These people might just actually know what they’re doing (and more remarkably what the other people are doing), and it’s quite amazing. While I still clench my teeth every time I’m in a vehicle and pray anytime I have to cross the street, when it’s all said and done, it’s often one of the highlights of my day.
Step in. And get ready for the ride of your life.
4 comments:
Love the what looks to ba an animated condom in the first picture
Haha...Ben, I think it is! And yeah Josh, you're so right, but I think they think that in general anyways!
but Ravi, riding on the top of things is cheaper. perhaps most of the Indian people you see doing this are just trying to be economical... saving so that all those kids can go to college.
or something like that. try not to die before you get to Cambodia, please.
i still need to hold my mom's hand when i cross the street in india!!
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