Painful pedestrians, you are not alone!

Suddenly, we can take comfort that hobbling along cracks, holes that probably connect to the centre of Earth, and dodging obstacles is not just our standard, pedestrian experience. In some parts of the world like Athens, walking is also an extreme sport. We are not alone. Huzzah! Athenians have taken to social media to demonstrate how navigating their 'mean streets' is more like competing in an obstacle course. Everyone but the walkers seem to have rights over pavements: motorbikes, cars, illegal marble steps, overflowing shops - familiar, no?

Dear Athenians, before you vent your spleen over a few planter boxes and garbage bins, take a walk on the truly wild side here. In yet-to-be-viksit Bharat, footpaths are more of a suggestion than a promise, and dodging obstacles is an art form. The thrill of sidestepping open manholes keep us literally on our toes. Illegally parked vehicles? Sure. But try weaving between autos with pedestrians who consider the road a perfectly valid footpath. Exclusive cafe seating in the Greek capital taking over the sidewalk? Huh, child's play compared to India's entrepreneurial spirit, where entire pop-up markets can spring up in the space of a few square feet. Rage away, Athenians. But also develop lightning reflexes to take a walk. And, apathy, like we do to not even complain about walking through daily dystopia.