Indian Buses

An experience this intense should not be undergone when one is feeling less than their best. It turns from being sheer awe inspiring and comical to becoming sheer misery. The bus arrived and it was time for all of us to load our bags. But while one person was still securing bags atop the bus, the driver began to pull away. After being informed of the situation, it took a good 15 minutes and probably up to 50 mph on bumpy roads with fast turns befure bag securer was able to climb down (the entire time I had been watching out windows waiting for body to come flying down.) We had entered the bus at a bus station but this is not necessary. Any stop is acceptable. Or any slowed pace enough for you to jump on, as many do. I do not think that on such buses advanced tickets are possible; it seems that they are bought on the bus. Being such, it seemed that the occassional lone passenger would jump on when the bus was slowed and when the ticket collector began moving back, would jump off. Along these lines, the number of passengers can only be regulated by how much passengers can stand, and since Indians have an extremely high tolerance for masses in a country of over a billion, it can become ungodly crowded.
Apparently, Indian buses have no shocks. Even on what appeared to be a well paved road, we bounced around like popcorn. Our driver of course did not help: it was for him as if he were playing a game in which he was racking up points: considered were overall time it takes to execute trip, number of potholes hit, number of cars passed--extra points for buses-- and number of close calls. It seemed an endless game of chicken, driving in other lanes, getting within a foot of vehicle ahead of us, and using the horn as liberally as a teacher uses chalk.