Swift and the rains!

It’s funny. When I left from home at about 7am one morning to drop a friend who was to catch an outstation train from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai, it was perfectly dry. The sun had just started to come up and it seemed it would be a nice day ahead. Then, everything went dark, clouds loomed overhead and the downpour started. Well, it was the middle of the monsoons – what else do you expect!

People who come to Mumbai from other cities think everyone who lives here is out of their minds. No matter which way you travel, you’re in for a hard time. Traffic on roads if you’re in your own car or in a public transport bus or taxi – both of which by the way are probably some of the best public services I’ve seen in the world. And then there’s the ever-present rush in trains as well. But for every Mumbai-ite, the city is probably the best place to live in. Crazy daytime rushes, diverse people, awesome eateries and a never-ending night life – tell me one other place where you have options to what you want to eat – even in the middle of the night! You’ve guessed right – I love Mumbai.

So then, there I was driving to CST with my friend and there was this massive downpour. Within minutes the streets were flooded – first, ankle deep and then knee deep. There were kids in the streets – playing in the water. I was driving a Maruti Swift DZire and wading through all the water that was stagnated. And then it dawned on me – I was the only car in the street. All the taxis were stalled and every other vehicle was too chicken to be out. But I was having fun!

Now, the point with all this is that driving through a flooded street can be so much fun. Especially if you’re in a car that you know will not fail you. The Swift had some great ground clearance and even with the treads on the tyres gone lower than minimum allowed, the car just kept going on and on – splashing through Mumbai-stopping rains. Add to that the fact that it was diesel powered and I had no problems of the water getting sucked into the exhaust system either. For more on the Swift DZire, search for our long term reports on the website. Or better yet, go take it for a test drive – you’ll love it just the way I did. But yes, it is one helluva ugly looking car!