Thursday, May 8, 2008

Bangalore rain and Traffic


That was ... last Tuesday when it rained heavily and I was on my way back to home from office. Bathing roads, heavy traffic, signal failures, signal disputes ... all you can guarantee if you are in Bangalore.

So on the 3 inch of water on the road, I missed on stone underneath it and that did the trick to me. Bike 60 degree on the right and I am few inch away from it head to head. Very first reaction was to jump out for few inch cause I knew traffic was behind and a alto behind me.

So I jumped back, stand up and tried to find out what I hit -- there i sense a big stone on the road (big enough to do for anyone if he misses). Got the reason and went toward the bike to pick up and as soon as I bend down heard a huge honk from behind. The same alto person was honking continuously as if I am making some drama or something on the road on my own to steel their time. On any of my other day, I might have stopped on there for few minutes probably and feed few words in his mind. But just to see heavy traffic behind and not to hurt others behind, I simply moved out.

That incident give me a sense of selfish Bangalore breed yet again. Not to change you mind - I faced that quite frequently but always on the road.

I know there are some problem with neighbor state people, but to the best of me I never faced it personally. The way everyone else treats me - be it neighbor - close shops, local peoples out there - every one is good. Even I see a change in them. Call it my effort to influence people with my language or best of them -- but they are better. Point is they are trying and its so satisfying. Its so good. Not to point some one -but I been in Chennai and Cochin - but none of them can stand with Bangalore.

But as soon as its out of neighbor, friends, colleagues to road-traffic, its all different. Its a different people. Every one is on run, don't mind to hit you, driving on the wrong side speedily and look at you badly if you tend to block them. Its all together different people out there. Totally inhuman.

May I bring it to their knowledge, its doesn't help. May feel I am few meters ahead but that just till the next traffic jam. Only way to improve is to bring some traffic sense among us. Follow the rules. Today you might be helping others, tomorrow all of them to you.

Major problems, I guess, are blinding headlight, three(or may be four sometime) way traffic, no turn signal, sudden lane change, no dipper signal, disallowing overtake (I have faced it many times - when I send a dipper signal and speeds close - they increase speed and turns in your lane to avoid overtake), breaking traffic light, and importantly pedestrians who just don't want to wait for signal to go red as if dare to hit me.

Unless this change, it would be the same sweet but souring Bangalore.



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