Bangalore Traffic = Organized Chaos

Well gang, if there was ever a true Bangalore experience, it would be driving the streets of the city. Thankfully, my employer enlists the assistance of a company complete with experienced drivers to take you around the city. Never was this a better idea than in Bangalore. Don't mistake it, they have their driving down to, at it's core, a methodical and very deliberate act of "delivery." Many streets don't have controlled intersections. Blinkers are only used for substantial turns. Lane changes are at the discretion of the driver or rider (in the case of the hundreds of motorcycles and scooters used for transportation). As one coworker put it best, it is very much "organized chaos." Here, see for yourself:

This video is a decent representation of every trip we have taken. 99% of the time people are polite, yield, and generally work together to get from point A to point B. That said, this is without a doubt the largest culture shock I have experienced to-date. I was warned but nothing can really prepare you for it. And by and large you quickly become accustomed to it. Yet, there are still times where you seemingly come dangerously close to hitting another car, two-wheeler, person, stray dog, or even a cow (seriously). Finally, to be completely fair, I have yet to witness one accident. It is pretty amazing. Chaos, organized.

As for my Saturday Bangalore fact, I learned from my coworker Praveen that Bangalore has over 9 million people. Wikipedia states 8.5 in the 2011 census. Either way Minnesota, according to Wikipedia, has only 5.3 million. In the entire state! Not sure what the land mass comparison would yield but my bet is Banglaore and it's outskirts is smaller. Finally, Bangalore is only the 3rd largest city in India! Makes you understand the video above. Well, still more to come including our big trip to Mysore on Monday. Cheers!
~ Rich