Oct 22, 2009 12:35 PM
5244 Views
Traffic in Bangalore is punishing, unrelenting and menacing. Every city has its own Traffic problems but Bangalore is different. Its different because people here live in a pseudo-castle of there own.
The chewing-gum chewing girls, ipod swaggering studs, ray-ban sporting crew cuts and make up-bedecked aunties drive their air conditioned cocoons, regardless of the fact that its a perfect breezy evening to drive. They give a damn if an old woman, heavily bent due to old age, wants to cross the road. They hardly notice a young working class girl waiving frantically to just reach to the other side.
If its an L-board, honk and steer clear. Its a U-turn, align your car so perpendicular to the road that the cars going straight have to wait till you take your U-turn. If the green light is about to go amber, speed up your car as if your behind is on fire. Are we sane? And foremost, are we fugging human?
I have always emphasised the fact that getting knowledge and getting educated are two completely different things. This analogy of mine is perfect for Bangalore. We have our darling-of-the-crowd, cream-of-the-crop and heavily spoiled IITians and IIM graduates. We have so many US returned folks. We have those CEOs, Project Leaders, Project Managers, Directors and VPs driving their flashy cars, every move of theirs speaking so much about the money they have earned.
But do we have humble and good human beings? Do we have those civic sensed, good natured Samaritans? Do we have the environment conscious and empathy-laden gentlemen and gentle-ladies? No, we don't. We may choose to throw money on the expensive and unnecessary gadgets and artistic adornments for our house but we don't want to stop, think and brood about our own city! The city which bears you and gives you a place to call home!
People of my age who had the luxury and luck to have come to this beautiful city in the late 90s would know how drastically, and in what ghastly manner, the city has changed. I am not going to throw platitudes such as how it was once a pensioners-heaven, how the whole city was engulfed by big green trees, how the city lost its cozy nature and how the people used to be so friendly.. those times are gone. I won't blame the globalization either, the power of money and the investments coming in. Those things are just natural progression of a developing nation but how are we fairing personally?
So what we have is absolutely no concept of car pooling. We prefer our privacy, we prefer to drive the car alone, tank up and AC on in full blast. Hey that signal is about to go red, hurry.. hurry.. hurry.. oh shoot, a dog just came under my car..
We are a bunch of megalomaniacs. We may be lazy enough to get that leak in the house checked but we are tigers on the road.. we own the night and the right on the road.. we are the king of the jungle. We need to reach office and back to home in a hurry.. regardless of the fact that there's nothing important for many in the office or at home except probably your wife, husband or kids, whom we see everyday.
The taxi and auto-rickshaws are the worst.. they swerve and skid on the roads, romp and sped in small alleyways.. almost each taxi has a sticker saying "If found riving negligently please call..." but I wonder those numbers actually work. Autos bad mouth, growl and cuss are every overtake.. they'll ask you exorbitant rates for going just to Fourm from National Games Village gate.. but instead of walking and doing some service to our own we need autos. I have more things to write and more things to complain but can't so I'll summarize the fact in a single curt statement - We are jerks and we need to change.
