(Don’t) Horn OK Please!!

Abstract

BEEP-BEEEP!! BEEP-BEEP-BEEEEEEP!! If you have ever traveled by road in India, this sound will most probably haunt your nightmares. There is simply no escaping the omnipresent sound of vehicles honking on Indian streets. Honking exacerbates the frustration faced by daily travellers in the country. Not only is the incessant sound of honking plain annoying, but it is also linked to increased stress levels and road rage. Habitual honking is a quintessential Indian habit, with almost no parallel anywhere across the world. An interesting anecdote that my father s ha r e d w i t h m e r ea l l y u n d e r l i n e s t h i s phenomenon. A German colleague was travelling with him in Mumbai, when the colleague’s cell phone rang. The person at the other end asked, “Where are you?” In reply the colleague simply rolled down the window of the car and held his phone there for a couple of seconds. Instantly the person on the other line said, “Oh, you are in India!!”