Following traffic rules is not one of the habits of the citizens, in this part of the country. Everyone is in a terribly hurry to reach the destination. Presumably, they hardly get time to schedule the commuting part of the journey. Over generations, it seems, the gene causing panic has also become predominant enough to subdue the genes of patience, diligence and rectitude. The indomitable insistence on honking illustrates this mutation. The most amazing part is, the poor vehicle is always in the wrong lane. The slowest moving varieties, including bullock carts, bicycles, cycle-rickshaws, tractors et al, always discover themselves in the rightmost lane of the highway. Then there is the humble traffic signal, to which the locals fondly refer as 'red-light'. Whether the origin of the term is topical or a metaphorical reference to the pristine business is debatable. People, nevertheless, find it irresistible to cross the stop line.
Last evening on my way back home, I halted on the traffic signal, as it turned red. A SUV flanked on my right and a wagon on the left, just behind my two-wheeler. A few seconds later, a gentleman landed in between the two four-wheelers, on his bike. As expected, he was in a terrible hurry and wanted to take the road leading to the right, of course, after jumping the signal. With yours truly in the way, he urged to give way. I apologised for the obvious absence of space on the sides and the improbability of exhibiting levitation, especially, with my vehicle in tow. He reminded me of the vacant road just ahead of me. I tried - all but in vain - explaining that a red signal necessitates one to stay within the stop line, lest being fined. The gentleman, however, took offence of this polite submission. Demonstrating his commendable spatial skills, he successfully managed to manoeuvre his bike in parallel to mine, alongside the two four-wheelers!
By this time, the signal was about to switch-over to green. Having offended already, the gentleman's mutated genes were getting all the adrenaline instead of the brain. He challenged me to attempt crossing his bike, when the signal - and the clear road - had given me the very right to do so! As the SUV had moved, I slid through the right, leaving the gentleman ponder over his challenge in solicitude.
Circa 300 meters straight down the road, I started decelerating to obey the next traffic signal in the offing. To my surprise, the same gentleman - who was to take right turn at the last signal itself - was there to give me company! A thorough gentleman as he was, he greeted me detailing the privates of his feminine pedigree. While I looked at him startled, both for the reason to stalk me and offering the details never sought, the signal turned green. Without halting, I took my usual turn and slipped to the service road. Interestingly, the gentleman was still desperate to communicate, this time giving even finer details of the privates! I would have waited to fathom the reasoning, but my uninitiated preparations for supper forced me not to. Guess, the gentleman then suddenly realised of coming wrong way. He vanished somewhere. Later, when I narrated the incident to a friend, he chided me for being so reckless!
Strange, isn't it? Abiding laws, it seems, ain't so haute couture nowadays. Perhaps, I need to update myself. Much water has flown down the Noida-Nala since I did so. Are there any coaching institute for this, pray?
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Add On (20.08.2008)
The same friend got ticketed last weekend, for jumping the signal. Taking cue from this, presumably, he had started abiding laws. Yesterday, he confessed to have underwent similar predicament, when a bike ridden milkman forced him to get ticketed at the very signal. Uncanny, I said. Phoonk, said a Delhiite.
Last evening on my way back home, I halted on the traffic signal, as it turned red. A SUV flanked on my right and a wagon on the left, just behind my two-wheeler. A few seconds later, a gentleman landed in between the two four-wheelers, on his bike. As expected, he was in a terrible hurry and wanted to take the road leading to the right, of course, after jumping the signal. With yours truly in the way, he urged to give way. I apologised for the obvious absence of space on the sides and the improbability of exhibiting levitation, especially, with my vehicle in tow. He reminded me of the vacant road just ahead of me. I tried - all but in vain - explaining that a red signal necessitates one to stay within the stop line, lest being fined. The gentleman, however, took offence of this polite submission. Demonstrating his commendable spatial skills, he successfully managed to manoeuvre his bike in parallel to mine, alongside the two four-wheelers!
By this time, the signal was about to switch-over to green. Having offended already, the gentleman's mutated genes were getting all the adrenaline instead of the brain. He challenged me to attempt crossing his bike, when the signal - and the clear road - had given me the very right to do so! As the SUV had moved, I slid through the right, leaving the gentleman ponder over his challenge in solicitude.
Circa 300 meters straight down the road, I started decelerating to obey the next traffic signal in the offing. To my surprise, the same gentleman - who was to take right turn at the last signal itself - was there to give me company! A thorough gentleman as he was, he greeted me detailing the privates of his feminine pedigree. While I looked at him startled, both for the reason to stalk me and offering the details never sought, the signal turned green. Without halting, I took my usual turn and slipped to the service road. Interestingly, the gentleman was still desperate to communicate, this time giving even finer details of the privates! I would have waited to fathom the reasoning, but my uninitiated preparations for supper forced me not to. Guess, the gentleman then suddenly realised of coming wrong way. He vanished somewhere. Later, when I narrated the incident to a friend, he chided me for being so reckless!
Strange, isn't it? Abiding laws, it seems, ain't so haute couture nowadays. Perhaps, I need to update myself. Much water has flown down the Noida-Nala since I did so. Are there any coaching institute for this, pray?
____________
Add On (20.08.2008)
The same friend got ticketed last weekend, for jumping the signal. Taking cue from this, presumably, he had started abiding laws. Yesterday, he confessed to have underwent similar predicament, when a bike ridden milkman forced him to get ticketed at the very signal. Uncanny, I said. Phoonk, said a Delhiite.
2 comments:
Enjoyed it thoroughly, its a nice humorous depiction of a very serious problem - attitude of Indian Citizens on the road. Probably more can be written on it.
Daily 3 KM of journey have sent ripples in your mind and forced you to put your anguish in balck and white. Consider the scene when you are standing at the so called 'red-light' and a 'BANG' breakes the thread of the stories which are being built in you mind, waitinig for light to be turn into green. You say the F word and come out to take a view of the damage caused. By the time light turns into green and the continous honking makes you deaf and you are forced to take that loss and leave the place without even givinig you time to mourn over it. You shake your head and hands as if the next best actor award will be yours, enter into your poor viehcle and drive away saying 'just another day'. The mind gets new stuff to build new stories.
Dont just stop here. Its time as it has always been to seriously think over it and try to anaylise the one of the many problems in the society.
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