Given the dominance of two-wheelers, with some clever marketing wouldn’t it possible to encourage more e-bikes and hybrids? Electric scooters could be subsidized, Maruti can market, etc.

People are very susceptible to popular things as you say, and I do agree it would need to happen gradually.

Even if biking is safe when driving is safe in snowy conditions, it’s still much more annoying to be a cyclist on a snowy winter day. You either have to sweat in a ton of layers or wear flimsy ones and be chilly every time you aren’t in motion; having some environment to insulate you would be a huge advantage. I say this as someone who is not a driver but as an amateur cyclist (though not in the winter… yet).

I’m still figuring out how to make winter cycling feasible for me, and I think for most people it’s a lot of dedication and commitment that the average commuter will not want to put in. Also, icy road conditions are the worst for pedestrians and cyclists; they can be bad for cars too, of course, but obviously car tires are much bigger and can withstand much more.

India is already a country where many people use bikes; it’s a pity that the government doesn’t want to encourage that avenue and make it safer for cycling to be normal and voluntary, rather than a just a cheaper mode of transport.

I experienced the airport-style security at the Delhi metro as well. It was absolutely insane, think I waited about 20 minutes just to get into the station. That is not at all practical for most commuters.

I haven’t driven in a bit, so thank you for that reminder. It’s scary that people instinctively do that.

Good on you! Glad that helped.

It’s been noticably bad after legalization. I don’t care if you enjoy weed, but you gotta admit there is a reason people compare its smell to skunks.

Have you replaced the ritual yet? I get a similar feeling as to what you describe, doing something with my hands, when I make loose leaf tea. It’s great for mindfulness.

Crazy that these places still exist, but I guess not that surprising.

That poor cat went through so much.

It’s decidedly worse for mental health. Despite living in the safest times in living memory, we are biased to think our cities are dangerous and economies are failing because of doomscrolling and the dominance of online news.

Well, now the streets just smell like weed instead.

I’ve been meaning to check out their novels. Thanks for the reminder.