TRAFFIC
Indian traffic flows on the left side, reverse from
our own streets. Traffic patterns can be very chaotic so
be very careful when crossing the street.
When riding in an open auto-ricksaw, you will be dodging all kinds of unusual
vehicles as well as cows, goats, etc. so hang on tight. Truck and bus exhaust
pipes will belch their smoke in your face so some people like to cover
their nose and mouth with a cloth.
THEFT
India is generally quite safe for foreigners, but you should be aware
of certain protocols to avoid inviting pick-pockets or thieves by being
careless with your possessions.
Money & Travel
Documents
Do not leave your valuable documents or travelers
checks in your hotel room. If the hotel is a reputable
one, you should use the hotel safe.
Do not carry valuables in a shoulder bag or knapsack. The safest
place for your money and your passport is either: 1) next to
your skin, either
in a money belt around your waist or in a pouch under your
shirt or in internal pockets, or 2) in the safe of a reputable
hotel. Do not carry
these things in your luggage; if you lose your luggage, all
is lost.
It is wise to peel off some extra money and keep it stashed away separately
from your main horde, just in case.
Luggage and Possessions
In public places such as airports, railway stations, bus stations, never
ever let your luggage leave contact with your body. If you put your luggage
down, make sure you have direct contact with it: hold onto the strap,
straddle your luggage with your legs, or sit on it. Conversely, you can
ask one of the group members to watch your luggage for you but if they
do, they should follow the same procedures.
Departure time, when the confusion and crowds are at their worst, is
the time to be most careful. Just as the train is about to leave, you
can be deliberately distracted by someone while their accomplice is stealing
your bag from by your feet.
With
taxis, remove all items and remain in contact with them
before you pay the driver. Drivers have been known
to drive away with people’s luggage and thiefs have been known to
steal your luggage after you put it down to pay the driver.
When
luggage is being unloaded from vans or taxis for transport
into a hotel, keep your eye on your luggage and follow
it to its destination. I remember a time in Varanasi where
we hired a rickshaw to carry just our luggage from our
hotel to the train station. The rickshaw driver was very
fast and we could hardly keep up with him. I had visions
of him driving merrily away with all our luggage. So keep
in close proximity of your possessions!
Even inside the ashram and temples, there are visiting
'professionals' watching for opportunities. When visiting
temples, check to see if there
is a “sandal wallah” to check and watch your sandals
or shoes. Pay them a few rupees when you get your shoes.
Make sure you lock all doors and windows in your hotel room and put expensive possessions out of sight or better, locked in your suitcase. If the hotel has a safe deposit box, put valuable items and extra cash there. I made the mistake in one hotel in leaving the window leading to my balcony open thinking no one could climb up to my balcony. What I hadn't anticipated, was that the gentlemen in the room next to me could crawl over the balcony and gain access through my unlocked window. That mistake cost me my camera and palm pilot.
This
all said and done, most Indians are honest and will go out of their
way for you. See the story, Jaddou
Unknown, which is about
a young woman who lost her wallet.
SPECIAL
CONCERNS FOR WOMEN
There are many horror stories about how traveling women
are harassed by some Indian men. Hassles often consist
of being grabbed and having elbows,
hands, etc. "accidentally" brush against your private areas.
You will meet all sorts of men, some very courteous and helpful, and some
downright nasty. To be fair, most Indian men are very decent people, who
will treat you with the respect you deserve. However be prepared for a
few bad eggs. Your being a foreigner will bring them out faster than anything
else. In Indian culture women are regarded with great respect, but there
are many, many, many rules, and too often some frustrated man will decide
to dump it all anyway. So be prepared.
Some tips:
-
The
best suggestion to avoid this problem is to do as Indian
women do in India: dress modestly and do not expose skin.
India has a different values system than we do; for example
it is not an accepted practice for Indian women to show
skin above knees, a large portion of their backs (from
shoulders to hips), or the area between neck and breasts
. Clothes which fall under this category are shorts,
a thin t-shirt, mini skirts, skirts which fall below
knees, and going around bra-less. Also wearing clothes
which are slightly translucent (which show bra or outline
of panties) is a not acceptable. So dress modestly. Cover
your upper arms (not go sleeveless) and to cover your
calves . You will be hassled the least when you wear
the Pakistani-style tunic with pants outfit. Jeans are
fine as long as they’re not too tight. Men and women
should avoid shorts.
-
Avoid
action which expose skin – e.g. sitting in manner
which exposes knees and calves, moving arms around which
exposes area just below armpits or , leaning over and
giving a view down neck etc and kissing in public. Perfectly
innocuous actions and normal clothing becomes translated
into come-ons, "loose women" etc.
-
In
situations in which you anticipate unwanted attention,
cover your hair with a scarf or light shawl. This is
a sign of modesty used by many Indian women; in fact,
very traditional Indian women will sometimes cover their
faces as well when in the presence of male strangers.
The clueless sort of man who believes the usual myths
about western women may be tuned in to this bit of Indian
body language and leave you alone.
-
Avoid
looking and smiling at Indian men. If you are hassled
by them, tell them to get lost. I know of a woman who
got so fed up that she started carrying a stick to hit
offending men.
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