'Horn Ok Please'

                                            

 ‘Is this how it is in India?’ my acquaintance asked incredulously, as he opened a video clip from his mobile phone. There was no mistaking it was a clip of one of our chaotic traffic somewhere in one of the cities. Cars on the road were going left, right and centre, mostly in disarray with loud honks, each demanding its own way. Sheepishly, I affirmed that it is, all the while cringing inside while he was laughing hysterically. He had never seen such a scene like this - traffic has always been safe and organised in his country - you break a rule, the law catches up and penalises­­. In contrast, this was quite a remarkable sight, an amusing treat as he replayed the clip once more.

It is a fact that our roads are busy and could get quite dangerous at times when a driver or two decided to break rules. We are so used to the chaos that this evasion does not seem unusual. According to SaveLife Foundation, 'bad road-user behaviour' is one of the factors responsible for road accidents. It is not surprising that India ranks no. 1 in road crash deaths and injuries in the world, according to WHO report on global status report on road safety, 2015.

 I remember once while travelling in a taxi on my way to work, a lady driver suddenly jumped red light! It was a time when we were crossing to the adjacent side and seeing a lone car coming from the other opposite end brought instant chaos and danger. Perhaps the lady had some burning issues to attend to, taking a risk at the cost of hers and others’ life. Sadly, she is not alone in this. I had once reprimanded an auto walla, and these few dare-devil drivers seem to have an immeasurable adrenaline rush. The dicey attitude is not something we should lightly reckon with. Could the Government install cameras on each junction and follow up? Recently, in the street across a busy temple, I notice placards being hung with a smiley face mentioning something like, ‘Smile, you are under camera surveillance.’ Such a smart move to warn people in the friendliest manner. It is the Delhi Police by the way.

A different incident I had witnessed was in one of the posh places in Delhi. It made my jaw drop as I watched from a distance. A rather smart looking buffoon suddenly decided to park his luxury car right in the middle of a U turn! I suppose his errand was rather important that he had to stop right there and then. Of course, he came back a few minutes later. Fortunately, the road was wide enough not to inconvenience other cars. It left me to wonder why he could not have just parked on the parking lane which is just a few seconds away!  What could be his reason? He is among the many in Delhi who simply park at their own convenience without the slightest thought about rules, common sense, and other people.

One of the factors that is most irksome is the loud honking of drivers. This never bothered me before as it was all part of our hustle bustle city until I caught up with age and a more civilised world. Did you know that Delhi ranks second in noise pollution in the world, just next to Guangzhau in China? Yes, you might want to reduce your blaring sounds on the road next time. This is the recent finding written on World Economic Forum page. Indeed, this is a serious issue as it also has repercussion on our health which means, according to WHO, Delhi residents have an average hearing loss at the age of 19 years! Of course, there are other contributing factors like personal audio and entertainment but the noise we are faced with daily, whether we like it or not is from vehicles. If a driver wants to divert from the main road, he will send his blaring horn to the car who blocked his way until it is cleared. Can’t we just wait at all? If you are a pedestrian, chances are that once a driver sees your silhouette from a distance, will send his cacophonous sound at least twice before you move away (even if there is a good space between you and the vehicle). I have come to understand that this is our way of warning pedestrians to scoot. Some noble minds have come up with a sticker pasted behind some cars saying, ‘No Honking.’

'Horn OK Please' should be made passé. Afterall, we have already 'Blow Horn' our ears off to an alarming height. 

In one of the rarest act of civility, a gentleman stood up to command traffic amidst a disorderly intersection in Delhi! That man deserves respect for taking responsibility. Since there was no traffic light or traffic police, drivers were pushing their way into the inner lane while others were trying to move out. Some came from the adjacent lanes and were caught in the middle, it couldn’t have gotten any more chaotic. Drivers were shouting at each other until a passenger got out of his car and organised the traffic flow right in the middle of the road. It was amazing how everyone co-operated after that. Salute to the man!

Everything seems to be permissible on the road including cow dungs but is everything beneficial?