Mumbai Warning or Danger Tips by Amitu

Avoid travelling in local trains and buses DURING THE RUSH HOURS- you may end up gasping for breath as soon as you board the bus/train(if at all you do manage to get in)
Here are some mind-boggling facts:
-6 million people commute daily on the train network
-average peak hour load being 4500 – 5000 commuters per train
-commuter density inside the trains reach 9-14 persons/meter square

The picture should tell the story!

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You may find some locals even laughing or smiling at you. Dont get annoyed. They don't mean to be rude even though you may feel that way. They are either just surprised seeing someone with a different skin color or maybe find it amusing to see a foreigner wearing an Indian outfit. This usually occurs when you roam around the slums/shanty town areas and other poor localities where the level of education among the locals is very low.
Staring is okay - Staring at strangers is a Western cultural taboo that does not carry the same weight here. Many people feel quite free to stare at anything, or anyone, different. Most Western visitors, at some point in their time here, will experience intense, and disconcerting, staring. Interpreting this as rudeness is unproductive. What you look like, what you do, and how you behave will generate intense interest. Don't get angry or try to "educate" people on the idea that staring is rude. It will only increase curiosity, and frustrate you. Relax. Let people look. After all, you are doing your own exploration of the people and places here. What you are reacting to is not so much the staring, but your cultural interpretation of the action.

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Not related to mosquitoes, but extremely annoying is the problem of bed bugs. This is not a widespread a problem as one would suspect in cities like Mumbai, considering the look of many low-end hotel rooms, perhaps because many such hotels anticipate the problem and spray rooms and beds regularly. Most hotels will let you have a look at the room before you check in. Look in the cracks on the bed or under the mattress for dead bugs. If you find your room does have bed bugs, move immediately to another hotel.

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Clean drinking water, these days, is not too difficult since bottled water is sold in most places. In the past, rumors of bottled water refilled from local taps and resold were common enough but these days bottled water is a fairly mature industry and supplies seem reliable. Check the seal, and see if things are floating in it before buying. A certain amount of suspicion can be healthy.

You may sometimes encounter backpackers who drink the local water everywhere and claim no ill effects. Whether this is because they have an unusually robust intestinal tract or because they have not yet encountered anything serious, it's hard to say. Some travelers swear by papaya or yogurt (recommended - eating both regularly helps your digestive system) and others rely on the powers of gurus, gods, or fate. One young woman was going high tech, with a battery device that sent current through her body to purify her gut.

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Dehydration and Sun/Heat Stroke - The sun and the heat it generates can be a powerful force in India,even in the cooler winter months. You may not notice the process of dehydration until weakness and dizziness set in. Make it a point to drink a lot of liquids, especially water. Rehydration salts from a medical shop may help. You can eat them as powder or mix them in water.

Be wary of sunburn. Use a sunscreen. Wear a hat. Good sunglasses will protect your eyes. Avoid too much activity in the hotter parts of the day. Go native. Take a siesta if you can.

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The overwhelming majority of people you meet in your travels in India will not want to do you any physical harm. A few might want to part you from some of your money by overcharging or conning you. A few might be offensive, overly curious, or insensitive. Many will be extremely friendly, helpful, and well intentioned. In short, the people are probably a lot like those in your own country.

In India you do need to be careful of petty theft and minor scams but incidents of violence directed at travelers and snatch-and-grab crimes like purse or camera snatching are rare. (Gold chain snatching is frequently reported in urban papers, but this won't target foreign travelers. Indian women wearing the traditional marriage necklace are the victims)

What you are more likely to encounter, besides the inevitable auto rickshaw driver demanding a higher fare, are stealth crimes (a bag disappears on the train, a hand sneaks into a backpack) or some kind of scam (a friendly stranger offers to arrange a ticket and disappears with the money). You should maintain the same kind of awareness and watchfulness you employ in your own country. If a situation doesn't seem right, or you don't feel safe, take precautions. Be careful, but don't be paranoid.

Most times in India there will be a lot of people around. This can be sometimes annoying, but it also offers security. Passers-by will usually be quick to offer assistance if they sense you are having a problem. If you do encounter a threat in India it will most likely be in an isolated spot. Beaches at night are a classic problem area, especially near cities. They tend to be deserted except for bored young men from the city who may hang out there a recipe for trouble.

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