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As the pensioners’ paradise becomes a techies’ hub, there are contradictions in the city's infrastructure or lack of it. The obvious affluence of the tech crowd leads to a high crime rate
Bangalore is a city of many contradictions. Quiet, sleepy residential areas that might belong to a bygone era stand cheek-by-jowl with crowded layouts where one can hop from one terrace to the next house's with ease, and the high-rises that house the tech industry and its proponents that lends Bangalore the epithet of Silicon Valley of India. It is the laid-back Garden City at the same time that it is the city of mushrooming slums and impossible traffic jams — a sign of a city grown too much, too fast, and unable to contain the numbers. It is a city of afternoon siestas — many shops close in the afternoon, and the streets wear a deserted look — as well as city of a vibrant nightlife of pubs and discotheques. These contrasts lead to unique problems as far as safety is concerned. A city's infrastructure has a lot to do with the safety of its residents - and Bangalore's infrastructure is terrible. It was a "pensioner's paradise", and suddenly, over a short few years, it has had to deal with rapid urbanisation. Bad public transport. Bad, pot-holed roads with footpaths that are broken and un-walkable. Bad street lighting. Undisciplined, ad-hoc development of residential/ market areas. Rampant corruption. The swalpa adjust maadi (just adjust) attitude of the average Bangalorean. Pathetic, overcrowded buses, even after the recent introduction of Volvo city buses (only the elite can afford the price) on many key routes. The only other commute options are personal vehicles or autorickshaws with their arrogant drivers refusing to ply unless you agree to an empirical fare, or office cabs. There are, of course, the Meru cabs, but those are not accessible to everyone. This lack of choice leads to unsafe commute options like outstation buses or private vans. Commuting also comes with its problems of crazy traffic jams, and what should take just a few minutes takes much longer. Deserted streets means a lack of safety, and this perception increases after sundown. Poor lighting and bad footpaths make for difficulty in making a getaway in case of any attack. The many parks, too, can be unsafe, as there is next to no patrolling. Mugging at ATMs is making news. Add to that an unconcerned, corrupt, and overworked police force which hassles a victim more. Those who do not speak the local language are at risk of taken for a ride, which would be most of the migrant techie crowd. Crimes against women, too, seem to on a rise over the past few decades. With feudal mindsets, migrant population, and the poor infrastructure, the city has become extremely unsafe for women. Street-level molestations regularly occur. as do serious crimes. A case a few years ago of the abduction and rape of a BPO employee by a cab driver. Companies have since tightened their safety rules, but things haven't improved much.
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