Is it safe to walk to the National Mall from Union Station during the day with a small group?
Washington DC is an urban area. Just use the same sensible awareness you would use in any such locale be it on our continent or in the others. The route you are planning may be one of the safest journeys in the USAS not to mention in the District.First if you are doing it in the daytime you have eliminated over half of the “urban” misgivings. Second, there will be little worry from traffic since you can take your trip without crossing more than 5 or 6 intersections.And, most of all, you will be in what is probably the most policed area in urban America. There are: DC cops, Capitol Hill Police, Metro police, MPs from all branches, Secret Service, FBI and officers from Universities & school districts, there are even law enforcement from agencies and neighboring jurisdictions. Almost every one of these have cross-jurisdiction arrest powers.You are more in danger of getting caught in changing weather than in danger from other humans.Enjoy your visit…see the museums and Smithsonian specialties and, if you have time to go to the Air & Space Lockheed-Martin I-Max 3d theatre….it is the most extraordinary cinema on earth.
What are the best and worst things about living in Ahmedabad?
Best -Safe and secure. Petty thefts are not very common, and being a dry state it is definitely safer than cities like Delhi NCRNo power cuts :) Cheap and convenient transportation in the form of autos and BRTS. Wide roads - which is becomings a rarity these days in metro citiesAwesome food. Its a delight for vegetarians. Low cost of living Wonderful festive culture. Navratri, Uttarayan, Diwali etc are celebrated with a special vigor. Historical significance means there are plenty of mosques, Havelis, step-wells and similar beautiful structures. Worst - Bad weather. I mean really bad weather. It is very dry and gritty all the year around, except for the month long monsoon season. Salty water. Havoc for skin and hair. Not many career opportunities within the city. Manufacturing sector is however picking up at Sanand GIDC, which is 30 kms away from the city. It means a long commute but many major companies are setting up their facilities there. No weekend getaways. Apart from Mount Abu, Udaipur, Saputara and Somnath, hardly anything is there to relax and unwind in nature. Ahmedabad is a wonderful city. It is still not cosmopolitan, which sometimes makes it difficult for non Gujarati's. Barring the climate and salty water, it is actually a great place to live and settle for a long period of time.
Do Indians lack civic sense and discipline when it comes to things like driving on roads, public queues?
Due to lack of accountability. Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam once said in a speech that Indians would never litter in Singapore or ask a policeman 'Do you know who I am?' in the US. So true! When we go for vacations abroad, we see Indians behaving in a very civilized manner. But some of these same people spit on and litter the roads in their home country. Why?Because they're not stopped from doing it. They're not penalized for it. There are laws to prevent it ofcourse, but none of them are implemented. A man who is self-conscious and aware of the sanctity of his surroundings, and has a good sense of hygiene, never litters anywhere he goes- penalty or no penalty. But for those who are not that self-disciplined, you need laws in place that penalize such acts. Nobody wants to pay up a hefty fine, and they will comply to the rules to avoid paying up even though they do not give a damn.And I don't mean only monetary accountability. It's also the way society views that particular act. Like Mr. Balaji and Anon pointed out, everybody sees a dirty environment and assumes that since its already dirty, littering more is not going to make a difference. If 99% of the people followed traffic rules, never littered the streets, queued up like civilized citizens and protected our historical monuments from juvenile scribbling by adults, then the rest of the 1% will have to change. Nobody wants to be publicly shamed or singled out for doing a dirty act. Social exclusion is a big enough threat to change a person attitude, habits and behavior. But if 99% is doing something wrong, the mob mentality wins and something unjustified suddenly becomes a normal day-to-day occurrence. The 1% keep trying to explain the need for civic-sense to the rest, and keep hoping that things will change, and the numbers will get reversed some day.