Driving in India

Time for another quiz:

On a four lane, divided toll road, you should expect to see:
a. A farm tractor going 6 mph,
b. A three-wheeled auto-rickshaw going4 mph,
c. A bicycle rickshaw going 2 mpg,
d. All of the above

Answer: D Expect these and more.

On a four lane, divided toll road, you should never, ever encounter:
a. a farmer driving an ox cart which is heading towards you in the high speed lane,
b. a full sized dump truck going in the wrong direction and heading towards you,
c. a full sized truck driving in the middle of the road, hogging up both lanes,
d. none of the above

Answer: D You will experience all of these phenomena in India.

You are passing a truck and a bus is coming towards you on a 2 lane road when you realize that you will not be able to overtake the truck by the time the bus comes to you. You decide to:
a. drop back immediately and return to your proper lane.
b. beep the horn so that both vehicles know you are there
c. squeeze between them both
d. pray
answer: b, c and d are correct if you are Indian, only A is correct for Americans

If you are driving late at night and you become tired, you should:
a. find a rest stop to park the vehicle and take a rest
b. pull over a safe distance on the side of the road and rest there,
c. stop and take a rest even if it means that you are still on the road.
d. keep driving
Answer: C. Go ahead and stop anywhere, no need to actually be off the road

True or false:
a. Motorcycle Helmets are required in India but no one enforces it anyway....................True
b.Licenses are required to drive in India but no one enforces it.....................True
c. Driving instructions sound like a good idea but are not necessary since you have ridden in a car before and it doesn't look that hard to do...........................................................True
d. Tail lights and/or a reflector are optional equipment in India and not generally necessary....True

On the road at night, you should expect to encounter:
a. Monkeys. Throw them food if you are Hindu.
b. Bandits. Give them your wallet and hope they won't beat you up.
c. Police road blocks. Stop per their request unless you are one of the smugglers they are looking for. then you will have to decide your own course of action. A bribe, perhaps?
d. All of the above
Answer: D

True or False:
a. If you drive at night in India you must have a death wish...............true
b. There is such a thing as an oversized load.........................false. not in India
c. If you are a women passenger on a motorcycle, you are allowed to hang on to the driver............False. Touching (and kissing) in public is considered way too intimate. Expect to be thrown off at the first bump. Do NOT hang on to the driver even if he is your husband.

You can expect to encounter on the road:
a. Widows dressed in white and wearing masks. They practice Zorastrasism and are pilgrims.
b. Men without shoes or shirts but wearing orange loin cloths, running on the road, uphill in the heat of the day pushing a cart with a statue. They are Hindu priests and they are pilgrims.
c. The Indian Highway patrol
d. A, and B
Answer: D