Maybe someone reading this post has a creative solution to the out of control noise pollution problem there is in Bombay? I hope there are urban planners out there that research this sort of thing in over-populated cities. All I can say is Bombayites are mostly oblivious to the fact because they've internalized noise, chaos, pollution, crowds, animals, garbage and smell into their everyday realities.
But for a pitiful transplant like myself, as well as the few tourists in transit or on business in Bombay, it offends your ears worse than nauseating smells offend the nose or pathetic poverty sights offend the eyes.
Rickshaws, taxis, cars, buses, motorbikes and bicycles alike bib their horns wildly and continously in a fruitless attempt to move inches forward on the bursting streets. My observation that this horrendous noise doesn't really help anyone move forward much was corroborated by a rickshaw driver I got into a heated conversation with. But he didn't have an answer to why people continue to ignorantly honk their horns. I guess Bombayites don't get to serene places often enough to appreciate quiet. I haven't seen any public service announcements or billboards yet and I don't think unnecessary honking is against the law here. Although I'm sure traffic cops would love that new law because that would mean a whole new stream of bribe revenue for them!
I've also noticed that alot of streets would be wider if cars were made to park closer to the curbs and random crap was moved out of the way. More space would make it less stressful for drivers who would hopefully get over their horn addictions. There are also lanes drawn on many streets now but traffic mindlessly weaves in and out of lanes trying to get ahead, which slows down traffic and necessitates alot of honking.
On a related note, pedestrian traffic could also be regulated by clearing sidewalks from encroachments. I notice alot more pavements/sidewalks around my neighborhood of Seven Bungalows/Versova but there's still encroachment by veggie sellers, dumped junk, what-have-you... It would be nice to just walk on a sidewalk along a full street and not have to be dodging traffic that disrespects pedestrians to the max. And while I'm ranting, more stripy zebra crosswalks and pedestrian signals would be nice too so you're not always running across the road panicking about the near loss of your life.
Monday, December 4, 2006
Fast food Sindhi style!
Kailash Parbat is just one of the many popular restaurants in Bombay that now have fast food shops in food courts. Check out the sign for Sindhi Curry and Rice! There's also Rajasthani, Punjabi and South Indian among others. Today, I had a salad dosa which had lettuce, cabbage and mayo in a dosa! For desserts, there are 'natural' icecream (with indigenous flavors like fig and custard apple icecream) and kulfi carts -- mmm mmm good!
Hyper City
I just returned from my first trip to a new department store everyone's raving about called HyperCity. The pictures I'll post here say it all but all I can do is say I was impressed and as much as I wanted to dislike the store because it signals a huge change in the way Indians shop (including increased consumerism, putting small mom&pop stores out of business, etc.) , I came to the conclusion that it was needed in Bombay. What's great is that you feel like you're in any developed country's sprawling grocery/home/appliance store where there's room to maneuver carts, everything's high quality but reasonably priced, and you can find almost anything you need under one roof. Although I hope Bombay doesn't lose all its 'bania' shops or small stores where you ask for what you need and have personal contact with your local shop owner, it's nice to have the option of visiting a HyperCity...
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