Traffic Woes

I recognize that all of my most recent posts are traffic related, and so I apologize.  But honestly the traffic here is one major mess and thus is an everyday stressor for me.  The jokers in the cowboy hats are the traffic police.  To me their jobs basically consist of waving traffic along, but they seem to have very little power to punish those who are committing traffic violations.  The day I took these pictures I sat at a single intersection for over 15 minutes.   

Safety in Numbers.... or so I thought

Last week I was on my way home from a meeting with a local friend when I decided to stop by the grocery store and pick up some essentials which for me and my roommate means eggs, cereal, bread, and milk.  I was driving my bike, and I circled the general area of the store 3 times looking for an appropriate place to park.  If you think it's hard finding a parking spot on a Saturday at Walmart, try living in a city of 10 million.  Finally I spied a spot open in front of the post office.  I had never parked there before, and I wasn't clear on what the yellow and black stripes on the curb meant.  But as I didn't see a no-parking sign, and since there were 7 other bikes parked in the same general vicinity, I felt like I was good.  I mean after all, there's safety in numbers. Right?? (You see where there is going?) I ran in the store, and when I came out 10 minutes later, my bike was gone.  Now my initial thought was that I simply forgot where I parked my bike.  I have to admit that after meeting my friend and speaking in and listening to the local language for 2 hours my brain was zapped.  So when I didn't see my bike, I just assumed that in as little as 10 minutes I had forgotten the correct spot.  So I went to the 3 other areas where I had driven looking for a spot to see if my bike was there.  After about 20 minutes of walking around the area, it finally dawned on me that all 7 of the others bikes parked with mine were also missing.  And right on cue, a tow truck barreled down the road carrying my bike and several other scooters and motorcycles.  The rest of the story is not that interesting.  I had a friend take me to scooter jail where I had to present my international license and pay a fine.  So now I know.  When it comes to a no-parking zone, there is no such thing as safety in numbers. Lesson learned.

New (to me) Wheels

Over the last month, I have gotten more and more comfortable bee-boppin around town on this used scooter which recently came into my possession.  In the past, other drivers called this scooter Denny, but I am not too fond of that name.  If any of you have suggestions for what I can call this old but tested and true-ish scooter, let me know.  The girl brave enough to ride on the back is my roommate.  She is a champ.  This picture was taken the first time I let someone ride on the back, hence the look of apprehension.  I was surprised by how much more strength it takes to balance when carrying a rider.  I generally wear a scarf over my nose and mouth to keep from breathing in all the pollution, but no worries, I ALWAYS wear a helmet when I drive.  Not to get too spiritual here, but every time I get on the scooter, I am reminded how he is in control of all things, including crazy Indian traffic.