Do you live in Bannerghatta?

I was in a training session. During a break, the people in my table group started chatting. As it is usual in casual conversations in Bangalore, the topic moved to traffic and the amount of time it takes to travel. I was fairly sure I had the bragging right for the longest journey back home. However, what one of the ladies, who had been in Bangalore for years, said startled me. "I live at Kankpura, so it takes a really long time to reach home". I was surprised, but I quickly realized that she probably lives somewhere on Kanakapura road, not in Kanakapura town. I asked her "Do you really mean you live at Kanakapura?" "Yes" "Kanakapura is around 55 KMs from the center of the city, so from here it must be around 70 KMs. Why do you live there?". It was her turn to be surprised now. "No, it is around 25 KMs from here". I was now certain what she meant, but I was in a mood to play a bit. "But you said you live in Kanakapura". She gave me a confused look. I persisted "Do you know why that road is called Kanakapura Road?" "No" "Let's say you lived on Jaipur Road in Delhi... would you say you lived in Jaipur?" She was from Delhi, so she got it immediately. "Oh! is there a place called Kanakapura on that road? Now I got it!". "Do you mean you really didn't know that Kanakapura is a town 55 KMs down that road?" "No".

I am sure she is not the only person who has migrated to Bangalore who hasn't made an attempt to know much about the surroundings. In fact there are huge corporations, including banks, who make this mistake regularly. I live close to Bannerghatta road, so I see plenty of examples of people referring to the entire road as "Bannerghatta", although Bannerghatta is roughly 30 KMs away from Bangalore. For example, the "Bannerghatta branch" of a famous bank is NOT in Bannerghatta. It is in Bangalore, on Bannerghatta Road, at least 10 KMs away from Bannerghatta. There is a 5-star hotel and a huge mall coming up on Bannerghatta Road, 15 KMs from Bannerghatta, which says it is in Bannerghatta.


A lot of people seem to think that the entire road is called "Bannerghatta". The same applies to other towns around Bangalore, the most prominent being Sarjapura. One can see lots of other examples of people who know close to nothing about the state, city and area they live in. Our cities are not melting pots, but salad bowls.

Wish there was a horn at the back of my car

It was one of the days when I had spent unusually long amount of time on the road. The ordeal seemed to be finally getting over as I approached my office campus. It is just this last stretch of service road, then I will be at the security check. There is a line of cars backed up at security check... I am very likely to be late for my morning meeting. I stop my car in the line and casually look at the rear view mirror. The car approaching from behind at 20-30 kmph has a lady at the wheel. As the car approaches mine, I suddenly notice that she is not looking at the road! She is instead looking DOWN at her laps, possibly reading a message on her mobile phone. Her car isn't slowing down at all. She is oblivious of the line of cars stopped in front of her. I feel like screaming at her, but there is nothing I can do. I wish my car had a loud horn pointing backwards. I am now convinced that she is going to slam my car. The cars in front of me have moved ahead, so it gives me an idea in the last second. I take my leg off the brakes. Her car crashes against mine with a loud thud, but my car absorbs some of the impact by rolling ahead. The lady is startled. I get out of my our car to investigate the damage. A few thoughts run through my mind as I walk back: How much damage could it be? Will there be an altercation? Oh man, that's a lady... if a crowd gathers she will get all the sympathy. I am surely going to be late for the meeting. Would the bumper have broken? How much does it cost?

By the time I walk back the lady has gotten out of her car. "You were not even looking at the road" I scream. She seems to be genuinely shocked and is pleading "Sorry... sorry". There is a mobile phone in her hand, which very likely is the cause of this accident. Looks like there won't be an argument about who the culprit is. Surprisingly, the back bumper of my car is intact except for a couple of scratches. WOW! Her car, on the other hand, is in a worse shape. The front bumper is broken and the number plate has fallen off. There is no crowd. Many drivers in cars lined up behind us start honking impatiently, but nobody gets out of their cars. I realize that there is no need to wait there any longer. She was the culprit and luckily she is the one who got punished as well. The whole incidence was over in less than 5 minutes and I drive ahead into my office. Not the best start for the work day, but it could have been much worse!