I get vocal for a few issues that I’ve not been able to tolerate. I’d like to think that I’m fairly in tune with my body — what it likes, what it doesn’t. Around May 2022, I started becoming acutely sensitive to the noise pollution that’s so rampant in Chennai, India.
The rising decibel levels of road traffic — especially the horns — paired with escalating road rage, have become impossible to tune out. It’s no longer just background noise; it’s a daily assault on the senses.
Let’s start off on a lighter note however. I’d like to share a few audio clips of the different horns that we’re subject to everyday in India.
I start raging out everytime I hear one of these. What is it with them? I mean — why? It really feels like we’re all operating on autopilot on the road, with a horrible set of defaults. The incessent need to honk as soon as the signal turns green and the mindless honking in general for a gazillion needless reasons — it’s maddening.
Recently I booked an AC sleeper bus for an overnight journey from Chennai to Bangalore — a trip that usually takes around 6 to 7 hours. Ironically, while I paid for a sleeper, sleep was the only thing missing. The driver, it seemed, had other plans. All night long, he was engaged in a sort of jugalbandi with fellow drivers, turning the highway into a chaotic symphony of blaring horns. It wasn’t so much a commute as a nocturnal concert — and I had front-row seats, minus the rest.
It really feels like we need to be more mindful and awake on the road. Personally, I’ve made it a point to use flash/pass lights instead of honking, whenever possible. I actively avoid honking unless it’s absolutely necessary.
Honestly, I wish the BS (iykyk) auto regulations were stricter when it comes to noise standards — especially regarding the type of horns permitted, decibel limits, and those obnoxious, over-the-top rhythms that seem designed more to express frustration than to communicate. Almost every time I step outside, my Apple Watch warns me that the surrounding noise levels could cause permanent hearing damage. That’s not normal — and it shouldn’t be.
I’m pretty sure you’d remember times when you felt at least a quarter of the rage in your own city in India. I’ve read through a lot of articles/discussions on how noise causes a lot of imbalance in our body and mind. I’ll share some of the link videos and discussions pertaining to this in the end.
A friend and I were talking once, and he said, “Imagine a world where honking was done using our own vocal cords.” It sounded like something straight out of a Rick & Morty episode — we had a good laugh picturing the chaos. But it got me thinking: would we really be honking as much if we had to use our own vocal chords? Probably not. And would we still manage to travel safely and harmoniously? I’d like to think so.