Driving in India feels like a sport. In Dehradun, drivers share the road with cows, horses, dogs, people and monkeys. For this reason, traffic often goes in a zig-zag pattern, and not in a straight line. Honking is extremely common, and so are traffic jams. In the vikrams, the drivers often play loud music and have flashing lights, which I love.
The road has many kinds of vehicles-auto rickshaws, motorbikes, scooters, bicycles, and cars. I usually take the auto-rickshaws or the vikram.
An auto rickshaw is a three-wheeled motorized vehicle that comfortably seats three people but I've seen at least eight people riding in one. The driver turns on the auto by cranking the motor in a similar fashion to the way a lawnmower is turned on. In Dehradun, you can bargain with the driver to get a better price. Bargaining is common in India, and the price of any item or service is rarely fixed.
A vikram is kind of like a miniature bus. The vikrams in Dehradun are blue, and they run along fixed routes. I take the #5 vikram to school. The vikram will pick you up at any point along the road if you nod to the driver. Although the vikram seats six people, they often get a little squashy and eight to nine people can be squeezed in.
