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SOUND OFF

"They promise a bumpy ride"

Sreemathy Mohan on what you encounter on the city roads

PHOTO: S. THANTHONI

Sreemathy Mohan

Get familiar with the city. Here are some pointers:

Driving in Chennai: Do we drive on the left or the right of the road? Both. Start on the left of the road, unless it's occupied. If it is, go to the right, unless that too is occupied. Proceed by occupying the next available gap, as in chess. Just trust your instinct, ascertain the direction and proceed. (Chennai has some of the best chess players)

Blowing the horn: It is the Chennai drivers' expression of joy, resentment, frustration, romance, etc. They are licensed to irritate. The drivers are a spirited bunch, so be prepared for phrases like "Veetlai sollitu vandiya" from strangers.

Autorickshaw: A three-wheeled wonder vehicle with an external combustion engine that runs on a mixture of kerosene and petrol, defying air and noise pollution norms. This could carry passengers three times its weight and dimension at an unspecified fare. Close your eyes when you see school children who are packed into this vehicle.

Buses: The overloaded buses defy the law of gravity but obey the law of surface tension... and when a bus wants to overtake you, let it pass. You cannot prove a point posthumously. An extension to this are the drivers of water tankers; they are the James Bond of Chennai — with a licence to kill.

Minidors: A design that combines that of the van/auto/fish cart. Serves as a utility vehicle for anything and everything — vegetables to people.

Flyovers: Improperly planned structures placed to increase traffic congestion at key points. They promise to give a bumpy ride and a free test for your vehicle's suspension.

Call taxi drivers: They are the Schumachers of Chennai roads. They have absolute lack of consideration for other drivers. They can give us lessons on the techniques of braking, negotiating turns and, of course, overtaking.

Cyclists: Make way for the Maharajas. They occupy the centre of the main road, zip in and out and pop out of "No entry" and one-way roads.

SOUND OFF! is a weekly space for you to rant, applaud or talk about anything on your mind. Write to metro@thehindu.co.in telling us a little about yourself (with address and phone number), and you may get a chance to sound off!

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