A guide to surviving Dhaka traffic in the heat

Imagine you're inside a CNG, stuck in Farmgate traffic. You check your phone and it's scorching 38 degrees heatwave outside and the real feel is 40 degrees. You're sweating relentlessly, your eyeglasses keep becoming cloudy. All of a sudden you feel like you're having a heat stroke. At this point you feel so sick that you decide to ask the driver for help, but you realise that you cannot speak, you're just slurring your words. All the voices and sounds seem muffled. You start panicking so much that you can't even breathe and want to just get out of the CNG.

Dhaka traffic, a never-ending nuisance, can get extra painful during hot days and surviving this can get quite difficult. From school-going kids to working adults, here are some tips that everyone can follow to ease the difficulties of getting stuck in traffic throughout summer and other hot days of the year.

Photo: STAR

ALWAYS carry a water bottle

No matter how late you are for school or office, never forget to take your water bottle with you. Water can surely be the solution to all kinds of discomforts caused by heat. You can also carry electrolyte drinks during hot days. It will quickly help you to rehydrate and rejuvenate while you're stuck in odious traffic. Splashing water on your face can also help you to freshen up a little.

Keep small amount of money in cash

In case you're feeling sick or having a heat stroke while sitting inside a vehicle, you might need to buy a bottle of cold water or electrolyte drink immediately. If you only have big notes like 500 or 1000 taka in your wallet, you might face some trouble because almost every street vendor will tell you that they don't have change. So, try to carry 10, 20 or 50 taka notes with you so that you don't have to struggle to pay quickly.

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Some other essentials

One of the main reasons for Dhaka traffic being awful is the smoke and dust-laden air, for which you can feel terrible within a few minutes. Heatwaves on top of traffic congestion can make you sweat like crazy, and excessive sweating can cause unease and dehydration. If you want to avoid these and feel refreshed, using a handkerchief, facial tissues, wet wipes or face mists can work like magic. It's important to always wear sunscreen and reapply it after a few hours when you decide to freshen up a bit. You can also carry a small rechargeable fan, which can seem like a priceless thing when there isn't even a tiny of breeze in the midst of terrible traffic. It's also not that expensive and you can buy it online as well.

Try not to pay attention to the road

One of the main problems of sitting in traffic is wasting time and getting bored. To combat this, try to be a little productive or use a little entertainment to keep your mind off the road. You can work online, read books or even listen to music or watch videos. In order to do so, carry earphones or headphones with you so that you don't disturb others and also you need to have enough mobile data in your mobile phone.

Aside from these, smart choices like wearing comfortable, light coloured outfits and wearing sunglasses can make your time of sitting in the traffic a bit more bearable.

Nadeemah always wraps her head around the thought of what she's going to eat next and thinks that the glass at her bedside table is half- full. Say hi at: nadeemahafrose13@gmail.com