You know its Delhi when …

After living in Delhi for 24 years, I moved to Mumbai last year. On a recent trip home (Delhi), I realized that there is so much there makes that place very special. Here is a list of 19 things that I could think of immediately.

You know you are in Delhi

1. When you have honed your negotiation skills over the years by never ending haggling with the autowallahs and rickshawallahs over amount as minuscule as 1 rupee.
2. When you know more about your neighbors rather than your own family. And you see that your neighbors remember your aunt’s son-in-law’s birthday.
3. When bus passes and Metro cards become a currency.
4. When community buying becomes the norm and vegetable seller takes the place of the chaupal where ladies gathers to share gossip.
5. When U special buses are followed by bikes. And cars.
6. When any one wearing a skirt is stared at by everyone. Even the person wearing the skirt starts staring himself/herself.
7. When autowallahs simply refuse to go by meter. And they dare you to do anything about it.
8. When people drive as if the road is their personal property and they can do anything they want to on those roads. And they mean it.
9. When you have to bribe for any small government work. And to even pee.
10. When everyone knows someone big and throws attitude because they know someone.
11. When you spot a chole kulche bicycle in every nook and corner of the city.
12. When hanging from DTCs buses becomes a norm and your day feels incomplete without it.
13. When you use a student bus pass even after you have graduated from college 5 years ago. And you are ready to go any lengths to get it renewed.
14. When you boast of awesome infrastructure the city has all the while screaming profanities at Sheila Dikshit and Congress govt.
15. When spotting a celebrity adds to your coolness factor. And you weave stories around it and repeat them at every speaking opportunity.
16. When you buy and sell books at Nai Sarak and hope to spot girls doing the same thing, strike a conversation and leave as a couple.
17. When giving seats to old women and kids in Delhi Metro becomes a fashion statement. And then curtly asking them to hold your bags, suitcases etc.
18. When sealing and policing takes a new meaning altogether. Shops are sealed, de-sealed and sealed again.
19. When there is some sort of strike, procession, movement is being staged at Jantar Mantar and you start assuming that it was build to host these rather than tell time.

Obviously the list is incomplete and I shall keep on adding to it. Please drop in comments and help me make it longer.

P.S.: I love Delhi and there is no city like Delhi. The tone might sound derogatory but trust me its not meant to be like that.