Etiquette for Getting Around Mumbai

“I have been in rickshaws where the driver is talking and even video calling family members, watching IPL cricket or YouTubing random videos, even warning a driver who was cooing over his baby daughter not to crash into the back of a stationary truck. This is alarmingly quite normal. Most of these rides will have a little shrine above the driver's head indicating the driver’s religion. That helpful information may come in handy if he fails to pay attention to the vehicles or people in front or to the side of you.”

Bustling Busy Streets:

Etiquette for Traveling Mumbai by Bus, Rickshaw or Foot

Getting on to a Mumbai bus and getting off of one, is a skill, and you will need to prepare yourself for it, before attempting this tricky maneuver. You are probably chuckling to yourself and wondering, “Why? It’s just getting on or off of a bus.” Well, in Mumbai the bus experience for the novice is quite jarring. You may never recover from the experience! I jest, of course, but to be as clear as possible, bus stops in Mumbai are not marked! Familiarize yourself with Google Maps, as it is excellent for seeing them. 

The roads in Mumbai are constantly under maintenance, and the pole that tells you to alight a bus has somehow disappeared. Once you find your bus stop, it is time to check when the bus arrives. I use India’s bus app called Chalo. It is a live bus tracking app, as buses do not and never conform to timetables. The allotted bus numbers may be written in Hindi or English, so do your numerical homework. Once you see your bus in the distance, have at least 20 rupees ready in your pocket, and be sure to have your hands free! Why? Once the bus stops, you have less than 30 seconds to get on. Be sure to hold the side or middle rails. Warning: you will be pushed by people behind and, in my case, one day, body slammed right into the bus.

Once you have successfully gotten onto the bus, congratulations are in order. Take less than a fraction of a second to mentally pat yourself on the back, then you will need to let the conductor know, who will also be squashed between a sea of people, where your final destination will be. 

Researching this beforehand will be vital, as you do not want to hold up the conductor's time and your getting yourself to the other end of the bus is essential. You will want to identify a landmark, such as a metro or regular station name, a mall, or famous main arterial road. Once he hands you a printed docket, don’t throw it away, as there could be a second inspector waiting to see if you purchase a ticket as you get off. 

There will be a section on the bus for women and one for men. The section for women is generally on the right side and men on the left. If you are standing and it is peak time, two rows of people will be crammed like sardines in a King Oscar tin in the passageway. Once you have found your place, hold on for dear life. I am convinced that the bus drivers in Mumbai are selected based primarily for their tactical and aggressive driving skills!

Next, shake off that whiplash and prepare to alight the opposite way you came in. You must have all your senses about you as you get off the bus. Before your stop, get ready and line up at the door next to the driver. He will come to a rolling stop; you will see individuals jumping off whilst he slowly puts his foot down on the break. 

Bus drivers in Mumbai don’t wish to come to a full stop because all of the buses are manual, over 50 years old and they need to grind through those gears to get back to normal speed.  Once you have gotten off the bus, look to your left and then right to make it over the pavement, which, of course, is not there. Motorcycles and rickshaws will be busy getting around the bus to get in front quickly. Scooters and cycles will be beeping and screaming for you to get out of the way with no concern for life.

Here is what you need to watch out for when walking the streets of Mumbai: wet concrete, potholes, electrical wires, unfinished and uneven walkways, exposed rebar, animal excretions, people sleeping, those living on the street, rickshaws and motorcycles going the wrong way to avoid traffic jams, and the street vendors with fruits, vegetables or fish sellers crowding the footpaths. 

I would attest that rickshaws are a fantastic mode of transport and cheap when the bus doesn’t turn up or the train doesn’t service a particular area. To hail a rickshaw, just put your hand out; you will have a rickshaw roll up within a minute. Again, you will tell them what your destination is by using landmarks. If the rickshaw driver agrees, he will nod, which indicates to you to get in, and then he will turn around to push the leaver to start the meter at 23 rupees. 

Now I have been in rickshaws where the driver is talking and even video calling family members, watching IPL cricket or YouTubing random videos, even warning a driver who was cooing over his baby daughter not to crash into the back of a stationary truck. This is alarmingly quite normal. Most of these rides will have a little shrine above the driver's head indicating the driver’s religion. That helpful information may come in handy if he fails to pay attention to the vehicles or people in front or to the side of you. 

The driver depends on you letting him know where you need to alight. He will generally know where to stop if it is a station or a mall. If it is, for example an apartment block, kindly let him know when to go to the side and break for you. This can be hazardous to your health. Those working in dangerous jobs such as mining or deep sea cable repair get paid extra because their job is risky. Your danger money comes in the form of travel insurance. You may be wondering why I recommend travel insurance. It is because getting around in Mumbai, especially walking around, is definitely hazardous to one’s health! 

Here is what you need to watch out for when walking the streets of Mumbai: wet concrete, potholes, electrical wires, unfinished and uneven walkways, exposed rebar, animal excretions, people sleeping, those living on the street, rickshaws and motorcycles going the wrong way to avoid traffic jams, and the street vendors with fruits, vegetables or fish sellers crowding the footpaths. 

While you will find that people will blithely go in front of you without a care in the world, children walking home from school will walk in a line, making no room for those coming the other way. In saying this, due to the incomplete footpath, I have myself, even with precautions taken, tripped more than a few times. But Indians by nature are very kind and will help you without making you feel embarrassed, it’s just the way the busy business of getting on with life is here.— By Elizabeth Soos, Founder of Auersmont School of Etiquette& Protocol

For many years, Etiquipedia contributor, Elizabeth Soos, has had a keen interest in cultural customs. With her European background and extensive travel, Soos developed an interest in the many forms of respect and cultural expectations in the countries she has visited. With her 20 years’ experience in customer service within private international companies based in Australia, and her lifetime interest in manners and research, she decided to branch out into the field of etiquette and deportment. Through her self-directed studies and by completing the Train-The-Trainer’s course offered by Emma Dupont’s School of Etiquette in London and by Guillaume Rue de Bernadac at Academie de Bernadac based in Paris and Shanghai, she founded Auersmont School of Etiquette. Elizabeth is currently traveling throughout India and brushing up on her Hindi.

www.auersmont.com | +61 466 344 331 | auersmont@gmail.

🍽Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia © Etiquette Encyclopedia