The Young, the Old, and the Restless

Not a day goes by without me feeling extremely blessed and grateful that I have my own ride to see me around. There are times when I do have my moments—the urge to blurt obscenities at fellow commuters spontaneously—not because I enjoy reacting this way, but I'm just not programed well-enough to hold my horses in the driver-mode.

           Like most, it took me a while to rein in on my driving skills amidst the swarming city traffic; lane discipline has gone "poof!" What most of us take for granted might just not be as light an issue. Common sense (not as common, I gather) demands that if we need to take a right, stick to the right lane; need we take the left, stick to the left of the road; heading straight, stick to the center lane—it's as simple as that. People find it a great source of adventure when they would rather take the complicated path for cheap thrills, eh?

           The roads are infested with jaywalkers, spaced-out pedestrians, ruthless bikers, snappy auto-rickshaw drivers, and condescending bus maharajas—they think they rule the roads, don't they? I recall being that coy, submissive learner—cautious and alert—ignorant to the attitude of those at the wheel. I had this truck driver spilling out pearls of wisdom in Kannada : "Women are good enough to only do rounds in a field, or sit at home." I just looked at him, not uttering a syllable. A colleague who was helping me out with my driving, had the presence of mind to give him a taste of his own pudding. Am I glad she spoke his language well enough to have slammed his tongue.

           Have people accepted women as being good drivers? It remains to be seen. Why are women thought of as the underdogs here? Heck, we drive pretty good, and safe. We think of our safety as well as of our fellow commuters. It's about time people realized that. Having said that, it's flabbergasting to see the attitude of young bikers and motorists toward the aged. It just does not seem as ethical to honk ceaselessly or overtake a vehicle being driven by the elderly. They might be slow, maybe even more cautious, but it's commendable that  even at their age, they are being independent. It hurts to honk or even trying to overtake a vehicle being driven by an elderly person. If we need to overtake, let's keep it subtle. The sickle of old age is gonna strike us sooner or later, and not most of us would like to see a youngster overshoot us, while we are trying real hard just to keep awake at the wheel.

“We are addicted to our thoughts. We cannot change anything if we cannot change our thinking.” 
 Santosh Kalwar, Quote Me Everyday