[pareekvirendra]

I have lived in Pune for about 8 years and even learned to drive a car there, however, I had to move out to Aurangabad due to a transfer and have been living here since the last 4 years.

Last week, an opportunity presented itself to go to Pune for about 3 days. I thought it will be a good opportunity for a long drive and hence made plans accordingly. This was my first visit to Pune in three years and little did I know what I was getting into. The usual time taken to go from Aurangabad to Pune is about 5.5 to 6 hours, whereas I took 8. As soon as I reached Pune city limits, it was as if I had forgotten how to drive. People around me were zooming past me, going so close to my car that I was scared for my car and my life. I still remember the drive from Wagholi to Deccan in Pune. It was really terrifying. Its not as if I have not driven in Pune before. But this trip was entirely different. I was completely scared in the traffic.

In the end, I did manage to complete my trip, and drove around the city for the entire 3 days, but it was a terrifying experience. The traffic there was completely different to what I am used to here in Aurangabad. People squeezing past you where you can’t see any space, oncoming traffic hurtling towards you at a very high pace and stopping just short of your bonnet.

Pune city has changed so much. The entire flyover on university road was gone, as if it never existed. There is so much construction work going on everywhere. Credit where it is due, no one touched my car, but I was certain someone or the other would definitely scrape by.

What is this feeling called, where you go to a big city and are suddenly gripped by panic? I have driven across several highways and several cities and never faced this before (I usually go to Rajasthan through MP or Gujarat by car)
Is this usual? Or do I need to do something about it?

[Mustang Sammy]

Only suggestion (as someone who returned to India a few years back) is to practice mindfulness (deep breathing), go slow and not let others trigger you into overreacting.
Good luck!

[Narendranath]

Originally Posted by Mustang Sammy

Only suggestion (as someone who returned to India a few years back) is to practice mindfulness (deep breathing), go slow and not let others trigger you into overreacting.
Good luck!

Take a deep breath and meditate and stop worrying.People will keep a respectful distance from you.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by pareekvirendra

The usual time taken to go from Aurangabad to Pune is about 5.5 to 6 hours, whereas I took 8. As soon as I reached Pune city limits, it was as if I had forgotten how to drive. People around me were zooming past me...
...
Is this usual? Or do I need to do something about it?

If I understand your driving style correctly, you are a slow and overtly careful driver, and you are not mindful about keeping up your rate of progress with the general traffic flow, whether on the highways or in the city. Your problem is not about driving in a big city, but about being surrounded by dense, fast-moving traffic, mistrusting the skill level of the faster driver, and being frightened about keeping pace while maintaining space.

Affirming my assumption, I've found many drivers who have driven all their lives in one big city (Kolkata) initially finding it difficult to drive and feeling intimidated in another big city (Delhi-NCR). Or Indian drivers feeling intimidated when driving in disciplined high speed traffic on an undivided 2-lane highway with an 80-km/h speed limit in another country (Australia) (watch the video below).

https://youtu.be/xT41jvVqn4k

[MaheshY1]

It's normal. We need time to recalibrate our senses, reactions, and distance around the vehicle. Some adjust to this in less than an hour while some take a few days. I witness this all the time when people on the highways are driving at 50-60kmph as if they are in the city. I sometimes forget that they aren't as familiar with highway driving. The same people are much more agile when we run into a traffic situation on the highways since they are in the 'city driving' mode.

On the flip side, I need half an hour to recalibrate myself when entering Delhi. On the highways, the cars maintain a bigger cushion around but in Delhi, everything is so jam-packed. Thankfully, Gurgaon helps me gradually get into that rhythm and also eases me out of it when exiting Delhi and jumping onto the highway. If I have to enter Mumbai, then it might take me a few days as it's a completely new territory.

[adi.mariner]

Happens to me everytime I am back from sailing and I feel that the traffic has worsened a little bit more. The sensory overload of horns and headlights is a lot. Try to drive defensively and let the traffic adjust/flow around you. Also invest in a dashcam to be on the safer side. Also try to time your travel at off peak hours when there is comparatively lesser traffic.

[DicKy]

As weird as it may seem like, each Indian city may have a different driving style that would have been moulded by various factors. When did motor vehicles first appeared, when did ordinary people start using motor vehicles, the infrastructure, whether it was a former kingdom or colonial city, whether the cops are strict or not, what is the migrant:native population ratio, does it have more of a floating population, how is the 2 wheeler: 3 wheeler: 4 wheeler: 4+ wheeler ratios, et al.

Also the native population may know the places more than the outsider, they may have more tighter time schedule than the visitor and they maybe more verse with the particular nuances of a junction ( given that the only standard we follow in India is to drive on the left )

Just take your time slowly and make defensive driving your best buddy.

Originally Posted by MaheshY1

I witness this all the time when people on the highways are driving at 50-60kmph as if they are in the city. I sometimes forget that they aren't as familiar with highway driving. The same people are much more agile when we run into a traffic situation on the highways since they are in the 'city driving' mode.

Offtopic. Reminds me of the time when I had an outing with my buddy and his classmate. The classmate was not an enthusiast per se, but comes from a well to do family. (read good vehicles at his disposal). He had a Q3 that day and the way he drove inside the city made us go He was darting through traffic with little margin to spare, the push accelerator, push brake, push accelerator...driving style. In Jeremy Clarskon's words, "a Maniac!!!". We went to a go karting facility nearby. Me and my buddy were chasing each other around the track and having fun, while the classmate was crawling along with us passing him a couple of times. On asked he said, "I felt so vulnerable and low to the ground. How did you guys drive so fast?" Needless to say he was not amused with the whole go-karty thing but was more than eager to pose for racer poses for social media. If you are reading this, Sorry dude.

[SilverMachine]

Originally Posted by pareekvirendra

What is this feeling called, where you go to a big city and are suddenly gripped by panic? I have driven across several highways and several cities and never faced this before (I usually go to Rajasthan through MP or Gujarat by car)
Is this usual? Or do I need to do something about it?

This is called 'Being out of your comfort zone!'. It's a good thing that you spent only 3 days here, otherwise you would've gotten used to this and would've been terrified upon returning home.

[Kosfactor]

It can happen in reverse too.

If you are driving like a champ in crowded cities and then you reach places where the roads are barely wide enough for two auto rickshaws to pass and has no median, no visibility around the bends either.

The locals will be coming at you in a tearing hurry that too in vehicles that aren't meant to go fast. Soon you'd be looking for an eject button next to your seat.

It is called driving, enjoy it.

[Turbohead]

I've experienced the exact opposite!

When I go to Kerala, my relatives always comment on why I stop so close to the vehicle ahead of me even when there was no slope. Turns out, I was so used to this practice since two wheelers in Chennai try to fill in every gap like sand in between stones.

It's a skill to adapt to the local traffic behaviour as quickly as possible.

[kartikh]

Originally Posted by pareekvirendra

I have lived in Pune for about 8 years and even learned to drive a car there, however, I had to move out to Aurangabad due to a transfer and have been living here since the last 4 years.

Last week, an opportunity presented itself to go to Pune for about 3 days. I thought it will be a good opportunity for a long drive and hence made plans accordingly. This was my first visit to Pune in three years and little did I know what I was getting into. The usual time taken to go from Aurangabad to Pune is about 5.5 to 6 hours, whereas I took 8. As soon as I reached Pune city limits, it was as if I had forgotten how to drive. People around me were zooming past me, going so close to my car that I was scared for my car and my life. I still remember the drive from Wagholi to Deccan in Pune. It was really terrifying. Its not as if I have not driven in Pune before. But this trip was entirely different. I was completely scared in the traffic.

In the end, I did manage to complete my trip, and drove around the city for the entire 3 days, but it was a terrifying experience. The traffic there was completely different to what I am used to here in Aurangabad. People squeezing past you where you can’t see any space, oncoming traffic hurtling towards you at a very high pace and stopping just short of your bonnet.

Pune city has changed so much. The entire flyover on university road was gone, as if it never existed. There is so much construction work going on everywhere. Credit where it is due, no one touched my car, but I was certain someone or the other would definitely scrape by.

What is this feeling called, where you go to a big city and are suddenly gripped by panic? I have driven across several highways and several cities and never faced this before (I usually go to Rajasthan through MP or Gujarat by car)
Is this usual? Or do I need to do something about it?

I have been born and brought up in Pune, and have seen the transformation of Pune for 40 years now.

Your feeling has also been mentioned by one of my relatives when they had visited Pune - only difference was they were travelling in a Rickshaw so they were not as petrified.

Its not just driving, even at many places crossing the road by foot has become very difficult.

I think part of the reason is the high density and ever increasing 2 wheeler traffic in Pune city. Also, due to inadequate public transport, many resort to owning a 2 wheeler.

I have noticed Pizza/Food delivery guys riding their 2 wheelers very rash (maybe to adhere to delivery time lines).

In areas of "old Pune", you will still find only 2 wheelers and rickshaws crowding the road and very few cars (because of less/no parking space for cars). So driving a car in such areas sure needs some guts!

Since you have mentioned university road, I would like to mention that metro construction has made some sections very narrow, due to which lane discipline has gone for a toss.

The road near University square is fairly wide and the chaos you must have felt is because of the absence of the University flyover which earlier had 3 exits (when travelling towards Mumbai direction). The demolition of the flyovers has hindered the traffic flow to some extend. And the road condition is also no good - it is patched very badly and is uneven in many places. Due to this, bikers (and some cars too avoid certain sections) and suddenly make lane changes.

Notable mention goes to Bus drivers who really are Kamikaze's (even Rickshaws dont dare to be in their path). Earlier you could hear those buses from very far but now since most of them have become electric (and powerful), you are in for a rude surprise if you are not keeping an eye on those rear view mirrors.

I think to some extend, age also does play some role while driving and especially when driving in rush hour like traffic (sharing from personal experience I feel my reflexes are not as sharp as say when I was driving/riding in my 20's on the way to college).

However, all that being said, what you feel is very normal. I sometimes feel it too. But if possible, avoid driving in rush hour traffic situations when the chaos always increases.

Defensive driving does help a lot during such situations.

[Sandy Damodaran]

Originally Posted by pareekvirendra

I have lived in Pune for about 8 years and even learned to drive a car there, however, I had to move out to Aurangabad due to a transfer and have been living here since the last 4 years.

Last week, an opportunity presented itself to go to Pune for about 3 days. I thought it will be a good opportunity for a long drive and hence made plans accordingly. This was my first visit to Pune in three years and little did I know what I was getting into. The usual time taken to go from Aurangabad to Pune is about 5.5 to 6 hours, whereas I took 8. As soon as I reached Pune city limits, it was as if I had forgotten how to drive. People around me were zooming past me, going so close to my car that I was scared for my car and my life. I still remember the drive from Wagholi to Deccan in Pune. It was really terrifying. Its not as if I have not driven in Pune before. But this trip was entirely different. I was completely scared in the traffic.

Is this usual? Or do I need to do something about it?

I'am from Pune and agree with what you say about Pune.The distance between vehicles here are in centimetres.

However the traffic on the Aurangabad-Betul road is scarier!! And deadly when you get into MP. Not in terms of the number of vehicles, but for some reason I have seen way too many people driving from the wrong side using the right lane on a divided highway in MP and between Jalna/Betul on the undivided highway, they just zoom through . And I keep going to MP through this route.

[SN88]

Originally Posted by pareekvirendra

Pune city has changed so much. The entire flyover on university road was gone, as if it never existed. There is so much construction work going on everywhere. Credit where it is due, no one touched my car, but I was certain someone or the other would definitely scrape by.

What is this feeling called, where you go to a big city and are suddenly gripped by panic? I have driven across several highways and several cities and never faced this before (I usually go to Rajasthan through MP or Gujarat by car)
Is this usual? Or do I need to do something about it?

Indian traffic is the best example of the most well controlled chaos that anyone can ever witness!! It is mind boggling to just stand in one corner and mark a busy intersection and see how something that has to crash, never does!!

[SoumenD]

Can totally relate to this feeling buddy. I get this everytime I visit kolkata. And it’s not like I drive in a small city in general. But somehow the traffic manners of folks in Kolkata scare the daylights out of me. So much so that I never take the wheel of my brother’s Brio. I drive a jazz cvt in Bangalore for reference.

In my last trip had to take out the car(brio) for fuelling and air pressure as brother is in Germany since January and the car has no running. Firstly a manual and then the fear of driving there was so overwhelming. My legs were literally shaking. Left leg on clutch mostly because I am so used to the dead pedal now on the cvt. Was praying the whole time of those 10kms drive that nobody hits me/vice-versa

Even in Bangalore I drive around EC, bannerghata road or highways/NICE-road & at times in the notorious ORR. I just can’t get used to driving in choc-a-bloc traffic

[RedTerrano]

Originally Posted by pareekvirendra

Is this usual? Or do I need to do something about it?

Honest opinion? I feel you are over thinking this.

Every time I have been to the US, the first few days I find myself in a mentally confused state, whether be it driving or crossing the road on foot. I need to always repeat the mantra, is US you drive on the right. But pretty soon, it becomes a habit. Same when I return back, when I have to unlearn that habit.

Our brain is a fantastic mechanism which swiftly adapts to any change. Give it some time and it will all come to you.

Best of luck!

Originally Posted by Narendranath

Take a deep breath and meditate and stop worrying.People will keep a respectful distance from you.

I think you haven't drive in Pune. Here, nobody keeps a respectful distance.
Never. Ever.