I – It happens only in India

I – It happens only in India

Mobile musings - the theme for this A to Z
challenge features a blog with a picture
clicked by me on my mobile phone 

An American being driven amidst the Indian roads on a first time visit to India, pertrified, amazed, shocked and confused all at the same time asked me the question.

Why do all trucks over here say   HORN  OK PLEASE  in that order ?

Indeed , why  ? Anyone with a genuine answer please enlighten me .

I have always wanted to do a photo blog on some quirky pictures clicked on my mobile across India.This one is a compilation of some of those. 

BURE NAZAR WALE TERA MU KALA ...

This one would have amused anyone not just an American. The one written in Hindi is a common sight all across our country. But this was written on the vehicle that drove ahead of mine in English !!! ( If you are on a touch screen take a closer look at the letters in English written below Mahindra)

   

 BURE NAZAR WALE TERA MUH KALA
Picture shot on Blackberry curve
Location : Bangalore ,India
January 2012

The Indian fetish for Brand Mercedes is universal. You can see it manifest across the Indian Diaspora, world over, especially the Punjabi clan.  Of course not everyone can afford one. But here is a proud owner  of Mercedes BC class vehicle.      

Mercedes BC class
Picture shot on Iphone 4S
Location : Vartur road, Bangalore ,India
May 2012

Mercedes BC class
Picture shot on Iphone 4S
Location : Vartur road, Bangalore ,India
May 2012

Mercedes BC ( Bullock cart) class is an extremely fuel efficient and eco-friendly design assembled at Chickpete in Bangalore. This bullock cart drawn vehicle transports cement bags and can be spotted on most days along the Vartur road in Whitefield , Bangalore.

Mercedes BC class
Picture shot on Iphone 4S
Location : Vartur road, Bangalore ,India
May 2012

Lane discipline
Picture shot on Blackberry curve
Location : Salem, India
May 2011 

 While cows, buffaloes, goats and bullock cart have the undisputed right of way almost everywhere in India (including the swanky Yamuna Exrpressway in Gurgaon - Delhi - NCR region ), this one was a more discplined approach that respected other vehicles and was sensitive to the traffic woes that it would cause in the bargain. About 10 animals walked in step with each other occupying about one-half of the road leaving other vehicles to negotiate the rest.      

Monkeying around
Picture shot on Blackberry curve
Location : Agra - Delhi highway, India
July 2011

 This was clicked somewhere between Delhi and Agra. from our car window when it stopped at a traffic block, as my fellow American traveller wanted a picture.  The monkey man was holding up and exhibiting his mother monkey clasping her little one under her bosom just outside our window. We found it amusing enough to click a picture. But the monkey man was offended at us free-riders and demanded money from us to buy the copyright for the picture of his super models. I shelled  out Rs. 10 to appease him, so we could move on.  But seeing a foreigner besides me, he would not budge.  Poor lady, she shelled out Rs.100 before he would let our vehicle drive on.  

Restricted for Non indians
Picture shot on Blackberry curve
Location : Agra, India
July 2011 

This sign board at the one and only pay and use toilet inside the Taj Mahal ( the original one in Agra) says it all.
I fumed citing the injustice to the janitor who was obligingly rolling out toilet tissues to a white lady while I had to desperately hold my bladder while trying to fish out a Rs. 2 coin from my handbag.

He apologised and said Indians did not know how to use public toilets, especially in the matter of using the toilet tissues.

Before I could speak any further he clarified that it was not the lack of civic sense among Indians that causes this notice to be put up, but plain economics. The foreigners pay Rs. 750 as entrance fee to the Taj, whereas Indians ( the legal heirs to Shahjahan) need to pay a mere Rs. 20 as entrance fees.  Therefore waiving off the toilet fee was only a justified freebie for the 'mehmaan'. ( Guest)

Mehmaanbaazi
Picture shot on Blackberry curve
Location : Agra, India
July 2011 

Water cooler talk
Picture shot on Blackberry curve
Location : Salem, India
May 2011 

World over there are toilets earmarked separately for men and women. But out here in Salem, India, here co-education colleges, follow a strict male-female seggregation duly monitored by CCTV in real-time. It is not uncommon to see separate water coolers for men and women. It happens only in Salem.