Oh Kolkata, Ah Kolkata!

Just returned after a three day visit to Kolkata to attend a wedding. This is not about the wedding, per se, though that would make an interesting blog; instead it is about the city.

Day 1:
We travelled from Ranchi and landed in the morning. This group was made of 5 people - two sisters of mine and their husbands. The plan was to stay in the house of one friend of my brother in law for a day (who lives in Barrackpore - a northern suburb of Kolkata) and then move over to Salt Lake area to the wedding venue - a hotel.

We were told that the taxi fare from Howrah station to Barrackpore would be Rs. 350; however, when we reached the pre-paid taxi queue, we found a lot of people queueing up. There was no way we could hope to get a taxi within one hour was my guess. A guy came up to my brother-in-law and offered a Tata Sumo for hire to Barrackpore for Rs. 1500. Now that amount was fairly high for the price that was initially told to us. After a bit of haggling, calling up the friend at Barrackpore (who advised us to settle for Rs. 900), we got into the rickety Sumo and braced ourselves for the journey. But Barrackpore was not willing to come within reach for close to an hour and a half, rides through some narrow streets, some busy thoroughfares, a trunk road, and then again some narrow streets through which I would find it difficult to manoeuvre even a car, but through which the Sumo driver managed to overtake a rickshaw, move past a parked car, avoid bicycles and pedestrians without as much as grazing anyone. Remarkable!

Day 2:

Two taxis were engaged for the nine of us back to the wedding hall. Four more had joined us the previous day from Bangalore. Again a long drive into Kolkata in the morning rush hour saw the same process of vehicle/person avoidance manoeuvres by the taxi driver. 

Honking is a system to tell all and sundry (including the seated passengers) that I am driving on the road and brook no interference in my path. I have never heard so many car horns in  my lifetime as I did in my two days stay in Kolkata. Why do all drivers honk so  much? I happened to choose the wrong driver to ask this question though. He retorted, "Have you heard me honk even once today?" I said, "Maybe once!" Then he said that Kolkata police do nothing to guys who run over anyone or meet with an accident. The guys just move on. Anyway, I do not know if that is true or not; but the way the people drive on the roads gave me an impression that brakes are for applying only when absolutely necessary and as a last resort - when honking has no effect on the "obstacle" in front.

While on our way to the airport from Salt Lake area, we passed through what is called "New Town". A spanking new city is being built beyond Salt Lake area, which has wide roads, huge residential towers, footpaths, and the works. This part of the city doesn't look like Kolkata of Kalighat or Barrackpore! 

I was told by many people whom we asked that Kolkata taxi drivers don't cheat (take you through a long route on purpose) and I found that to be true. Never felt cheated while moving around there. Most of the drivers that I met were from either Bihar or Eastern UP. Is there a clique? Or do Bengalis feel it is below their dignity to drive a taxi?