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During one of my trips to India, I sought to study several informal settlements and wander through them to understand the living patterns and urban fabric of those areas. In major cities like Mumbai or New Delhi, I saw streets crowded and traffic congestion heavy for most of the day. The movement of vehicles intertwines with pedestrian traffic, and some use motorcycles or bicycles to get from place to place. The sounds of horns from vehicles hardly ever stop; it is a behavioral norm on Indian streets. Despite this apparent chaos, there is a social trait that has helped mitigate the ordeal of traffic congestion: the considerable capacity for patience and tolerance that residents possess.

I remember taking a taxi to one of the informal settlements. When I arrived at my destination and hurried to get out, I opened the door without noticing someone riding a motorcycle from the other side. The motorcyclist hit the door and fell to the ground in a distressing scene, his belongings scattered all over the ground, including fruits and vegetables. At that moment, I expected at best that he would erupt in anger or blame me for opening the door without ensuring the road was clear. I was wrong, but to my surprise, he got up calmly, collected his scattered items, and continued on his way as if nothing had happened. That is the culture of tolerance that we lack in most of our crowded cities. This culture is what helped Indian society overcome obstacles and coexist under difficult circumstances so that everyone reaches their final destination safely. I imagine if I had made the same mistake here, how much reprimand would I face at best?

In truth, no matter how much city administrations or planning authorities try to find solutions to the traffic congestion crisis, they cannot achieve their goals if they are not coupled with tolerant behaviors from society. Yes, one negative behavior can exacerbate the problem and affect everyone. I am not presenting this experience as a model, as Indian streets suffer from deep-seated issues and challenges, but society has played a major role in alleviating the burden of these problems. Everyone realizes that tolerance leads to greater public gains than insisting on individual gains; thus, everyone reaches their destination within a reasonable average time.

On the local level, despite the availability of advanced transport infrastructure and highly efficient roads compared to many countries around the world, the culture of tolerance while driving is almost nonexistent. The road is a battlefield, and these are the ones causing the traffic congestion problem to worsen. One person maneuvers left and right, cutting through vehicle queues to get ahead first. Another, as I have seen myself, does not hesitate to drive his SUV onto the sidewalk to travel a short distance before returning to the street, causing further traffic confusion. Another, as soon as he sees you turn on your signal to turn right, speeds up to close the gap and prevent you from turning with all his might. And the most common is the one who cuts the line of cars waiting to turn or make a U-turn to force himself to the front, as if the rest don't exist.

In short, the problem of traffic congestion in cities cannot be solved unless it is accompanied by spreading a traffic culture based on patience, tolerance, giving the road its due, and starting from society.