KUS@PSUVM.BITNET (02/18/86)
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>>When I came to USA, about three years back, one of the americans
>>asked me, whether there are still horses used for travel on the roads in
>>Bombay and other cities!!!
>
><FLAME ON>
>
>Really? HORSES? Jesus Christ!! Did someone really ask you
>that?! I can't believe how ignorant
>some people can be! I mean to say, I have lived in Delhi
>(which, I would think, qualifies as an "other city") most of my life
>and I have never seen a single horse-driven tonga except in the
>movies. As a matter of fact, I understand that the ones used in the
>movies are specially imported from some third-world country where
>they still use this incredibly outmoded form of transport.........
Whoa!!! wait a moment !!!!
I have lived in Bombay most of MY life and when I came to the USA two years
ago , there were still Victorias being used on Marine Drive and Chowpatty
late at night...Victorias are four-wheeled horse drawn carriages that
are painted a characteristic black and white colour....they even inspired
a hindi film long ago (Victoria No. 203). Granted these were used for
joyrides and not *transportation* . Further, I dont believe we have yet
got rid of all those bullock carts in Bombay that were used to
transport ice ( covered with gunny bags and sawdust) unless things have changed
drastically in the past two years. And what about the rickety handcarts -
the board of wood on two iron wheels that is still used for short distance
transportation...usually with one man pulling and one pushing? Have they
disappeared too?
I agree that we are not the Tigers-and-elephants-walking-in-the-streets nation
that we are erroneously perceived to be. Bombay's bus system carrries some
4 million passengers a day. The rail system also carries some 4 million
passengers a day ( aside: a typical commuter's trip to the office and back
is counts as two trips and many commuters use both the train and bus). The
yellow-and-black taxicabs making up (in public transportation) for
those who cannot use the other public transport. Lots and lots of
private cars all contributing to a vehicular congestion at peak hours
comparable to NYcity or LA.
But the point still remains that there are indeed some animal-drawn-vehicles
EVEN in Bombay.
ajai.
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+---------------------------< Ajai Kaul >------------------------------+
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