The Bangalore traffic Un - Etiquette
April 18th, 2006. It was a usual day at office with a lot of work and re-work! But the day is etched in my memory cause of the utter callousness I saw on the streets!
Etiquette, does it exist on today's streets?
I was driving back in my car, and with usual traffic snarls I reached Kormanagala. This was a small road that has been converted to a One - Way. There was a huge jam and people honking, many of the cars or bikes were not moving even though there was a green light given by the cop handling traffic. I waited, and not one vehicle moved! And horns were blaring!
I got out of the car to look after having done my bit of cursing and moaning! And voila what did I see, a car in the middle of the road blocking the whole road.
Ordinary you would say. But do have patience to hear the rest!
The car did not have a driver but there were a couple of passengers looking quite unconcerned by the jam caused.
Two green lights passed and not one car moved, and take a hundred guesses to where the driver was! The lady had stopped the car in the middle of the road and gone vegetable shopping! Before you fall off the seat laughing, one did not quite feel that way on the road, as there was also an ambulance caught somewhere behind us!
She got back into the car and started it, we caught up with her, cause, truthfully we were fuming!
Upon asking the lady about the jam she caused, she turns around and says, "Oh but, I had to buy vegetables"
Us: "You caused an entire clogging of the street"
She: "But it was urgent for me"
Us: "Maybe the others also need to get somewhere URGENTLY"
She: "Oh, a 10 min will not kill anyone"
Us: "Did you atleast hear the Ambulance?"
She: "Oh no-one must be dying, they must have put the siren just to get ahead in traffic"
Us: "Are you Human?"
She glares and drives off to cook a splendid meal for her family I guess! And I sure hope that her assumption about the Ambulance was true!
It somehow tells me that we are completely involved with ourselves, not bothered about one person out of our personal orbit! Is this where we plan to head? And if these are the people who are parents, I hate to imagine the children being reared!!!
Etiquette, does it exist on today's streets?
I was driving back in my car, and with usual traffic snarls I reached Kormanagala. This was a small road that has been converted to a One - Way. There was a huge jam and people honking, many of the cars or bikes were not moving even though there was a green light given by the cop handling traffic. I waited, and not one vehicle moved! And horns were blaring!
I got out of the car to look after having done my bit of cursing and moaning! And voila what did I see, a car in the middle of the road blocking the whole road.
Ordinary you would say. But do have patience to hear the rest!
The car did not have a driver but there were a couple of passengers looking quite unconcerned by the jam caused.
Two green lights passed and not one car moved, and take a hundred guesses to where the driver was! The lady had stopped the car in the middle of the road and gone vegetable shopping! Before you fall off the seat laughing, one did not quite feel that way on the road, as there was also an ambulance caught somewhere behind us!
She got back into the car and started it, we caught up with her, cause, truthfully we were fuming!
Upon asking the lady about the jam she caused, she turns around and says, "Oh but, I had to buy vegetables"
Us: "You caused an entire clogging of the street"
She: "But it was urgent for me"
Us: "Maybe the others also need to get somewhere URGENTLY"
She: "Oh, a 10 min will not kill anyone"
Us: "Did you atleast hear the Ambulance?"
She: "Oh no-one must be dying, they must have put the siren just to get ahead in traffic"
Us: "Are you Human?"
She glares and drives off to cook a splendid meal for her family I guess! And I sure hope that her assumption about the Ambulance was true!
It somehow tells me that we are completely involved with ourselves, not bothered about one person out of our personal orbit! Is this where we plan to head? And if these are the people who are parents, I hate to imagine the children being reared!!!
posted by saras at 4:56 AM
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