How to cross roads in India? Goa woman takes on 5 Hyderabad crossings and jokes, ‘Let’s see if I survive’

A Goa woman visiting Hyderabad has shared a video showing how she navigated five busy road crossings in the city, describing the experience as very different from the kind of driving she is used to back home.

Nandhini Saripalli documented her attempts to cross the roads in an Instagram video, explaining the tactics she used as vehicles continued moving around her. She noted that while the experience was unfamiliar to her, such traffic conditions are common in many of India’s bigger cities.

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‘Let’s see if I survive’

At the beginning of the video, Saripalli says she has five crossings to make. “I’m going to show you how to cross roads here in India. I’m basically in Hyderabad, and I have to go to the other side of there. And I have five crossings to make. So, yeah. Let’s see if I survive and will show you how I do it,” she says.

As vehicles pass by, Saripalli says pedestrians cannot expect drivers to stop at some stretches. “No one’s ever going to stop, so you have to kind of just make way,” she says, while pointing out that some roads do not even have zebra crossings.

At another crossing, she spots a zebra crossing but notes that there is no traffic signal. “They’re never going to stop. I have someone here who I can take cover. Just kind of show your hand. Yes. And there you go. Second one done,” she says after making it across.

She later decides to follow other pedestrians while attempting another busy crossing. “We’re just going to show the hand and just walk through the vehicles,” she says.

At one point, Saripalli misses an opportunity to cross and watches another pedestrian make his way through the traffic. “You see that man just crossed. I think I should have done that,” she remarks before trying again.

After completing all five crossings, she concludes: “So, not for five crossings, and, yeah, I made it alive.”

Saripalli later explained that she was not accustomed to crossing roads in this way because she lives in Goa. “It’s a very different kind of driving here… although, to be fair, this is pretty normal in many of India’s bigger cities,” she said.

The video prompted reactions from social media users. One user wrote, “I would have stayed on one side forever.” Another said, “And that’s why I can’t never go out alone in India.”

A third user described one of the crossings as particularly frightening, writing, “One scary crossing especially when people dont stop their vehicles.”