Riding in a taxi is a pretty essential experience in Mumbai. I believe something in the range of 70,000 of them circulate the city. the drivers are friendly and the rates reasonable, but the ride, oh the ride. in the few days i have been here, i have learned a few rules to live by.
rule #1: keep all limbs and head inside of the vehicle, no matter how hot it is. this way you can avoid petting the cyclist, cart, cow, pedestrian, bus or car beside you. driving dangerously close beside and behind another vehicle and inches from pedestrians' legs is the norm. collisions appear to be rare however. feeling the wind of a passing vehicle can actually be quite cooling.
rule #2: sweat and cleanse your pours. the heat of the engine creates plenty of it. deodorant doesn't help.
rule #3: enjoy the continuous symphony of horns. the puny sound of the fiats mixed with the occasional base of the buses.
rule #4: sit back and enjoy the ride. in this game, the lines on the road hold little value, so don't worry about it. the more cars that can fit abreast, the faster everyone moves. weaving is a given.
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