A Canadian man living in Mizoram has sparked a viral conversation by comparing the chaotic traffic noise of Bengaluru with the peaceful streets of Aizawl. Content creator Caleb Friesen posted a side-by-side video on Instagram, showcasing the stark difference in traffic sounds between the two Indian cities during the evening rush hour.
The video begins with Bengaluru’s familiar cacophony-relentless honking, roaring engines, and the hustle of vehicles jostling for space at 7 pm. Caleb comments, “Indians deserve better from each other. Just listen to this. Okay, now listen to this,” before switching to footage from Aizawl.
In sharp contrast, Aizawl’s streets are almost silent at the same hour. Vehicles move in an orderly fashion, and there’s no honking at all. Caleb explains that this isn’t a coincidence: Aizawl enforces a strict no-honking policy, and local police issue fines to anyone who breaks the rule. “This is actually where I live, by the way. Notice how there’s no honking. That’s actually because they’ve implemented a no-honking policy here in Aizawl,” he says. “And the police actually do issue fines for people who disturb the peace.”
Watch Video here:
Despite Aizawl’s narrow, steep roads-typical of its hilly landscape-drivers patiently queue up, wait their turn, and rarely overtake or honk. Caleb highlights that drivers even dip their headlights for oncoming traffic and avoid causing unnecessary disturbances. “They understand that honking doesn’t help. It just makes things worse. People here have more respect for each other. I think it’s time the rest of India figures that out too,” he adds.
The video quickly went viral, sparking widespread discussion among Indian social media users. Many agreed with Caleb’s observations, with one user commenting, “Every time a white guy pops up on my social media talking about India, I prepare for unadulterated racism. But this was just constructive criticism. Love that for you.” Another wrote, “I’m an Indian and I agree with and support your criticism.”
See comments here:
Others echoed calls for better traffic discipline and greater awareness of noise pollution in Indian cities. Caleb Friesen’s comparison has shown that peaceful roads are possible-not just with better infrastructure, but through collective behavior and mutual respect.
