MUMBAI, India — If there is anything as inescapable in this Indian megacity as the humidity, it's the noisy traffic.

Drivers honk at pedestrians and each other. They honk to beat the traffic signal, or when the signal beats them.

In one not-so-scientific survey NPR conducted at an intersection near its bureau here at 3 p.m. one day in August, there were 27 honks in just one minute. Traffic constable Vikas Rahane, who was on the afternoon-to-evening shift, says that number is the "normal" amount, but it's only going to go up.

"It's the peak-hour evening traffic that gets you," he said, referring to the times from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Sometimes, he can't sleep. It has even caused hearing loss in some of his colleagues.

Under Indian laws, cops like Rahane can penalize drivers up to $25 for

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