Life of a pedestrian

Not being able to drive and being averse to auto-wallas in Bangalore, I tend to walk a lot. But a pedestrian has very little value in the traffic scenario of our modern India(at least Bangalore).
Its at these times that I miss my 1 year stay in the USA a lot.

Back there, I felt so safe walking around cos I knew a car would first look for someone like me walking down the road, in the parking lot, around the corner..and then speed up. They have speed limits within residential areas, which is so very right and required.

I remember a friend in US telling me - "Yahaan pedestrians ki bahut aukat hai" (Pedestrians have a lot of value here).
Maybe cos they have so many rules and regulations and the fact that any and everyone can sue, at the drop of a hat.

But here, every place is a highway and you can speed up as you wish.
Even the pavements, which are meant just for pedestrians, is not left alone.
So many pavements are broken cos the bikers(sometimes cars too) ride on it since they don't have patience for the traffic, traffic light and the people

Where do we go then?

Sometimes when I am feeling nasty, I would stand on the pavement and not budge, if a biker tries to speed past. I do get nasty looks and rude honks, but I have become immune to those. And on some worse days, I even tell them to either get down from pavement or wait indefinitely cos I am going to stand there for an hour!

Near my house, which is a residential area and a lot of people are forever walking around, how can you zoom past? When you reach a corner and turn, aren't you supposed to slow down to see if there is anyone walking on the other side?And if you see me crossing the road, you can not honk and shout,cos there is very little I can do when I am right in the center of the road, at the verge of crossing to the other side, when a car suddenly appears from no where and wants me to yield. I will need a few seconds to reach either side.

You can not wish me away by just honking, I can not evaporate into thin air right in the middle of the road. So you got to have patience of a few seconds(yes that's all it takes) for me to cross to either side of the road. That's the only way its gonna work for both of us.

On another note, even though I love India and all through my stay in US I missed the buzz, the crowd, I do miss US at times. For small things, like someone holding the door for you(though at times I found it little irritating and condescending, since sometimes I used to be some 15 feet away from the door and someone, who was also going out, would hold the door for me and I would then try to run to alleviate him from that task), car waiting on me to cross ..and the likes.

My one year in US spoiled me so much and I got so used to these small things that once I was back,it took me a while to adapt.
I would nervelessly cross the road, even if I saw a vehicle at a distance, being sure it would slow down for me.Managing by a meager second, from being blown away.
I used to try walking past the door, if I saw someone going before me, thinking s/he would hold it for a second more, only to be rudely banged by the door on the face and saving my nose marginally from being smashed.

It took me a month to get adjusted, and back to my India and its glorious ways.