This post was originally published in 2010, after our first trip to India.
I wrote most of this India tuk tuk experience on an old notepad while on the overnight train from Udaipur to Mumbai. Yes, an actual pen and paper!
I was cleaning up some old posts and I stumbled on this one. I thought it would be fun to re-publish, as most of you likely have not read this one.
If you’ve visited India, this one should bring back memories.
Transportation in India – What the Tuk Tuk?!
Travel and transportation through India can be challenging. At times, it can be a frightening ordeal that leaves you speechless, questioning why you would subject yourself to such unnecessary distress.
Let me walk you through a typical tuk-tuk experience.
First, the majority of tuk tuks (also known as auto-rickshaws) are falling apart and should not be allowed on the road. They’re basically a lawn mower with a rusty metal bubble on top.
Second, we’re not convinced that the majority of drivers even have driver’s licenses. And, if they do, the government should seriously consider improving the qualification process.
Finally, drivers must learn to decipher which way the flow of traffic is going. And, stick to that direction. That means – do not cross into oncoming traffic!
The Tuk Tuk experience in India
After firmly negotiating the fare you climb into the dirty, rusty auto-rickshaw careful not to cut yourself on loose metal. You then reach into your pocket, take out your hand towel and cover your mouth to protect yourself from the never ending clouds of foul black emissions.
The tuk-tuk rolls forward, you hold on tight and keep your eyes focused straight ahead.
The tuk-tuk forces its way down a narrow beat-up street, cautious of the large potholes and never ending stream of pedestrians. It randomly bounces from one lane to another with no regard for what’s going on behind.
A car in front of the tuk tuk is driving in the center lane towards you. Oncoming motorcycles are forced to use the dusty shoulder instead.
There is no need for road lines, nobody uses them anyways.
The tuk tuk speeds as it approaches the intersection.
You hang on tighter, knowing there is nothing you can do at this point. You’re committed to the outcome of this journey.
At the last minute, the calm driver slams on the brakes and makes a jerky right turn, squeezing between a bus and a pack of masked motorcyclists.
The decrepit bus spits up a cloud of black smoke that fills the cab of the auto-rickshaw.
You cough and sweep the cloud away with your hand but it’s no use; you’ve already swallowed the burning diesel fumes.
Most intersections do not have traffic lights.
The flow of traffic rarely stops. Some are roundabouts, but mostly it’s the standard crossroads. Street signs are mostly a guideline.
The driver inches his way into the chaotic intersection, continually beeping his horn and cutting off motorcyclists and overstuffed jeeps with passengers hanging out the rear window.
There is no protocol.
It’s first come first serve and the bigger vehicles win. Every time.
Glancing over your shoulder, you see another tuk-tuk rapidly approaching at full speed.
You close your eyes and brace for impact.
He hits the brakes and comes to within an inch of your vehicle; the oncoming driver gives you a big smile, thinking “you must not be from around here”.
He chuckles and moves on. His passengers stare at you with strange curiousity.
The driver honks at a dilapidated truck three times.
Why three times, you ask? It doesn’t matter. It’s like the Wild West and drivers have itchy trigger fingers.
There is a commotion twenty meters ahead. Vehicles are swerving to avoid something.
You stretch your neck up to see what’s going on. What’s blocking the road?
Of course, it’s a pair of brown cows sitting in the middle of the busy intersection!
They gaze at the tuk-tuk as it passes by, oblivious to their dangerous choice of resting place. You do double take… are they really chewing on a dirty plastic bag?
Oops… the tuk-tuk just ran over a cow patty.
The driver smiles, then spits red slime out of his mouth. You watch it blow in the wind until it splats on the road. Gross.
Traffic picks up again.
So does the speedometer.
Just kidding, there are no speedometers!
You see a bus picking up passengers ahead.
The tuk-tuk’s speed increases, recklessly.
Without any warning, the bus makes a sharp turn into traffic with very little speed.
The bus driver doesn’t care; he assumes every one behind him will figure it out.
The tuk-tuk slams on the horn (before the brakes) and swings to the right, it feels like the tuk-tuk is going to flip. It doesn’t. In fact, you’re almost impressed by how well it handles jerk reactions.
A motorcyclist is coming at you head on… what is he doing?
He gives a long, loud beep, signaling that he is not moving out of the way.
Your head starts to hurt. You smacked it on the metal roof earlier when the tuk tuk violently hit a string of deep potholes.
Are we there yet?
You turn the corner and are instantly stuck in a traffic jam.
You’re trapped and not moving. Vehicles are jammed into seven lanes, however, the road only has three lanes. It’s a tight squeeze.
The air smells like something is burning. Could there be a fire nearby?
Nope, it’s only a pile of garbage burning on the side of the road.
There’s a uniformed traffic officer blowing a whistle and waving a bamboo stick. He smacks a cyclist on the hand; the cyclist was trying to jump the queue. Not on his watch.
You look to your left. A big brown cow is staring at you.
Out of nowhere, a young homeless child reaches into the tuk tuk and grabs your arm.
She points to her mouth and says “One rupee”.
The tuk tuk driver swats at her and curses something foul.
You can’t breathe.
The air is hot, it stinks.
The horns don’t stop beeping.
Traffic isn’t moving.
Then, it opens up.
Stop. Start. Stop. Start.
The tuk tuk inches forward.
You finally arrive at your destination.
The driver asks for 80 rupees… you agreed on 50 rupees.
Again? Seriously!
The rules change when driving in the countryside.
The bigger the vehicle, the more damage it can cause, thus giving it right of way status. We typically traveled by bus on highways but were strongly encouraged by several locals to take the train instead, for safety reasons.
Like a vehicle graveyard, many abandoned trucks and buses are scattered along the road.
Trucks and buses travel in the middle of the two-lane highways at top speeds. As they approach slower vehicles, drivers wail on the horn and pass them, regardless of the oncoming traffic.
Approaching vehicles glide towards the shoulder for fear of death. Bicyclists and pedestrians are within inches of being clipped, seemingly oblivious to the danger.
They don’t flinch… it’s just business as usual.
Do you have an interesting India tuk tuk experience?
Share your story in the comments section below!
I have had a lot of experience with tuk tuks in Southeast Asia. This story is about right for a lot of the places I went to. For me, the place where the transportation was scary was in Cambodia. They don’t have many tuk tuks there so I mainly got around on motorbikes. The intersections have traffic lights there, but they just ignore them. Almost got hit by a car that way.
Agreed, most of Asia has insane street traffic! You never know what your gonna get yourself into once you climb into a tuk tuk or rickshaw. Cambodia and Vietnam are also very nutty when it comes to road rules – keeps things interesting, that’s for sure
If that was a ride at a theme park, I’d be all for it. But the fact that this is a real world, everyday mode of transportation is frightening. I have a hard time dealing with L.A. traffic mentally. I don’t know how I would manage in India.
Ah, you’d be fine! You live in LA! 😉
India’s definitely a challenging place to travel. It’ll beat you down but also has a way of giving you back much more than you ever expected. It’s a magical place that has a culture and way of life that you won’t find anywhere else on the planet, making all the hassle and chaos well worth it (but it aint easy!)
It’ll beat you down and never give you anything in return also. .
Then why did you bother? Tsk tsk such negativity!
I was just complaining about Italian drivers, but the tuk tuk experience seems to trump all crazy traffic scenarios. I guess if you make it to your destination through that amusement park ride, you appreciate it all the more.
I think poor driving is a pre-req for the taxi job all around the world 😉
Ahh, travel in India. It’s always interesting. You guys did a great job describing a typical rickshaw experience in India. We took some video when we were there from the back of a tuk tuk. It’s terrifying to go back and watch that now that we’ve been home fro 9 months. At the time it seemed funny. I don’t know how they do it over there.
So true. I would never tolerate such driving here in Vancouver, yet I have no problem doing it in Asia? Funny how the rules change when in travel mode!
I’ve seen tuk-tuks on TV, but I’ve never had an experience with one myself. You describe it in a wonderful, terribly scary way – which I’m sure perfectly captures the experience of riding in one. I feel like if I ever make it to India, riding in a tuk-tuk would be one of those things I’d feel compelled to do just because it’s such a “part” of traveling in India. But maybe I’ll pass now!
Amanda – it’s definitely something you must do while in India. In fact, it’s one of the only ways to get around (and probably one of the safer methods of transport). They’re not all that bad. You get used to them anyways. 🙂
OMG, I wrote a post about this as well…transportation in India is INSANE! But, I kinda love it, because even though it is chaos it is still ordered in a way. Great pics!!!
Thx! It’s so true Andi. It’s almost graceful in its disorder? I can’t believe there aren’t more accidents, but if everyone lives by the same code it seems to work…
Awesome post – you describe the simultaneously horrifying and hilarious Indian rickshaw experience perfectly! Thank you for transporting my mind back to some very happy (and often frustrating) travel days. Oh India… I miss it!
Yes – India has a way of leaving an impression! 😉
I love tuk tuks! You know they are starting to get them in Central America and oddly enough they are made in Thailand. Why can’t we have these in Canada.
I agree! We always have fun in tuk-tuks. Always an interesting time! Not sure Canadians are ready for them though 😉
I love those auto rides. Exhilarating! 😀 Roller-coaster on the ground. 😉
Awesome! I love tuk tuks. I miss them from time to time when riding in a full blown modern taxi here in Seoul.
Strangely enough, I miss them too!
Hehe, autos (tuk tuks) do take some getting used to… My first auto ride was hilarious, I’d squeal every turn on the road, and had my camera out to record the experience as at the time it was unlike any other. But now after almost 3 months in India I’m kinda used to it… and I love it! I actually almost fell asleep in one the other day..
Traffic in India does seem unlike any other country I’ve been in. It seems like there are no traffic rules, however in all the time I’ve spent here I’ve only seen a couple of road accidents so something must be working right!
It’s funny you mention that Karin, we did not see any vehicle accidents either. I guess when everyone knows how to operate in the madness, it then becomes the norm?
The cyclists are the brave ones. I can’t imagine ever riding a bike in the congested city centers.
Heyy Nicole and Cameron!
Loved the post and your observations about everything – other vehicles, cows, paan spit, etc. made me chuckle! I grew up in Mumbai and biked all my life. It might sound weird but I’d still love to ride in Mumbai than Toronto (where I now live). I do think that drivers in India, for the reasons you mention above, are more aware of whats happening around them rather than being dependent on traffic signals and signs. Its very exhausting to drive in India, while streets of Toronto make it very safe and easy to drive! I don’t know if I explained properly. 😀
Priyank
PS: hello from Toronto!
Thanks for the feedback Priyank! Agreed – it’s much easier to drive in Toronto, but no snow in India! 😉
LOVE THIS POST!! I have been reading stuff on India for months since I want to head out there in November or August sometime!! But where are the pics with you guys in the Tuk Tuk”s lol
Love that bit at the end about the driver asking for 80 rupees instead of the agreed upon 50, sounds just like Morocco.
Cute post and great photos! I found them equally scary in Thailand
Funny. 🙂 I kinda like riding in Tuk Tuks, but I don’t think I would want to ride one in India.
I love funny postings. I thanks you for your post. Thanks 🙂
Hi, I spend few years in India. Tuk- Tuk rickshaw are not safe but they are holding a heavy load of traffic. There is no any solution for now.
Transportation and Traffic jam in India is like brother and sister.. the more transportation facility india have, the more traffic jam you’ll face. I had visited Delhi and didn’t give much efforts to receive the tuk tuk, But above all really want to visit India again.
We were in the thick of the traffic, and the air, while already bad, was filled with the fumes from the diesel trucks, busses, tuk-tuks, and zooming motorbikes. My wife covered her face with her shawl, but still managed to keep her camera going the whole time, capturing the impossibly loaded tuk-tuks and motorbikes and the grim poverty of the roadside shacks. I was hanging on to the frame of the surrey, and there were times when my leg was only an inch or so away from a bumper of a truck or the wheel of a bus. There was no room at all between vehicles, and when we got some speed going, the space between us and the other vehicles didn’t expand. It was raw terror, and yet fear was a luxury I couldn’t afford. It was pure experience; being scared, even recognizing fear, used up mental cycles that needed to be totally focused. We were close enough to the people in the tuk-tuks and motorbikes that we could have easily touched, women in saris, half hanging out of tuk-tuks, smiling and casually talking on cell phones as they passed. Intersections escalated the madness; now we had everything from trucks to tractors to camels coming at us from both sides. Something happened to me then. I gave up trying to protect myself. The noise was deafening, all horns going full blast. It was beyond words, beyond thought, and in this state, amid the noisiest, craziest insane traffic I had ever seen, unbelievably, I actually dozed off for a few seconds.
You couldn’t have said it better! We are at the end of our 6 weeks in India, and after getting sick multiple times now, we are through with India.. We’ve had a great time, but the sickness and hassle you receive on a daily basis is no longer worth it.. Sure India had some great places, but also it has some awful places.. like the worst place you ever been awful! We are glad we came though.
great post..!! love your observations i personally found your post quite funny hence loved it keep it up…
Try Saigon on a Friday evening, crazy, the pavements are NOT SAFE!!
I have been born and brought up in New Delhi (India) and all of this seems just routine and pretty usual stuff in our day to day lives. Traffic is a big menace in most (almost all) places! I have travelled to a lot of cities where Tuk Tuk is the only means of public transport and completely agree to the rowdy behavior and rash driving of the owners. But I guess it’s a part of life and that’s how it is being in a struggling economy and a developing country! This might be a shocker to the touristy people traveling to India but am sure with many more trips you will become habituated to the havoc. Am sure the future beholds better things for us as many cities are developing travel corridors for tourists for a better experience. Thanks for a great read! Hope you visit again.