16 Things That Happen Only On A 5,000-Km Plus Road Trip

Our lives in a nutshell these last few days.

1. You learn each other's phone passwords

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And it's not in an intrusive, in-your-face, read-your-girlfriend's-messages kind of way. It's a more dude-unlock-your-phone-I-need-to-make-a-personal-hotspot-or-take-a-picture thing. The unspoken rule is that every time you unlock someone's phone - they'll give you the password. That way everyone can pretend it's a one-time and not a married-for-life kind of deal.

2. People learn to deal with people who snore. Me.

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3. And people who repeat the same jokes every 100 kms

4. You learn the value of planning in advance

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Because no one wants to be stuck in the middle of nowhere, lost. You use it as a figure of speech normally - try experiencing it!

5. You learn the value of a GPS. A GPS, not Google Maps.

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Because Google maps can and will disappear just when it's 10 pm, there's not a dog in sight and you're standing at a crossroad.

6. You realise how important it is to be on time

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Because if you don't wake up early, you don't get breakfast. The next stop will be for a late lunch, and if you are running behind, then a late dinner. On Maruti Suzuki presents Indiatimes Frontlines, I've lost count of the number of times me or a crew member missed breakfast because he was late and everyone missed dinner because it was 2 am and we hadn't gotten to the next stop yet.

7. You realise how important team work is

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The rule of taking a road trip with more than one car is to drive together and look after each other. This means slowing down when you can no longer spot the other car in the rearview mirror, stopping at turns and doing fuel stops together.

8. You have constant pissing contests about who's phone needs more frequent charging.

FYI I have an iPhone and I'm currently losing 5-0.

9. You make pointless bets and there isn't any pressure to pay up

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Currently the unresolved bet on the Frontlines road trip is whether the Babliyanwala BOP (Border Out Post) near Tanot is Bawliyanwala or Babliyanwala. Google has entries with both spellings so we need to look through the footage to resolve it.

10. You give up your ego

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You get over the whole I'm-a-man-and-I-can-drive-500-kms-even-though-I-am-feeling-drowsy-and-drifting-into-the-other-lane hang up. The minute you do, you pull over and ask someone else to drive. No one judges, no one hogs the wheel. Everyone realises that the responsibility is collective.

11. You'll be judged for bladder control more than anything else

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Someone who needs constant pee breaks does not belong on a long road trip. If they do make it on the road trip, they need to be clear that fun can and will be made. Often on the car radio.

12. You'll catch on to the hotel walk-in booking scam

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All hotels these days give you a much better deal if you stand outside on their porch and book online as opposed to walking in at the reception and asking for a room. You can try telling them the deal you are getting online and they'll tell you to book that instead.

13. You buy at least one piece of equipment that doesn't work

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We bought a brand new tyre inflator that refused to work in Bhuj making us insanely late for our interactions with Fast Attack Crafts. We also discovered that tyre repair guys in the middle of nowhere in Bhuj charge more money for fixing a puncture than the ones in Delhi.

14. You change at least one fundamental impression about someone

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The man who waves you down by the side of the road doesn't want to mug you. He's been sitting by the side of the road in blazing heat in the desert for hours waiting for a bus. He just wants your water.

15. You realise you don't necessarily need music to have a good time

16. You realise your flaws in PLACES

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I always play places on a road trip and I always end up running out of places that start with an A and I.