Horizons - Filled with Hope

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This Friday, on near-empty roads, I was driving to office. An ambulance rushed past me, but the poor fellow couldn't make much progress. I found myself almost on the tail of the flashing lights for the next 5 minutes. It was sad to see the vehicle slow down every 10 metres to negotiate speed-breakers or potholes.

Who is to blame if a patient does not reach hospital in time in such cases? Do we give a thought to emergency situations when we design such grand Himalayan-esque speed breakers?

Well, you get thrashed of course. First, by the driver, then by the minister. If an elderly person tries to reason, he or she is dealt a few blows too. And finally, a police complaint is registered. Against YOU.

Who knew overtaking is such a big crime!

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This post is a fictional twist on this news article.

It has now become acceptable for people driving any sort of vehicle to speak on the cellphone while at the wheel (or the handle). From 2-wheelers all the way to massive lorries and buses. What only compounds the problem is cops turning a blind eye. The rules are there – but rules are only as good as their implementation.

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An acquaintance from a neighbouring state had driven to Bangalore in his car. I, along with some common friends, had gone out to lunch with him. He was on the phone more than half the time. When I tried to reason with him that it is dangerous – he laughed it off. In fact, he took it as an insult to his driving skills – an ego problem – when I implied that speaking on the phone while driving results in loss of concentration. Only when I vastly exaggerated the seriousness with which Bangalore traffic police treat such cases, and quoted more then five times the actual fine amount, did he relent.

So a well-educated fellow will follow rules not on his own accord, in the interest of road safety; but only out of fear of getting fined. The operative phrase here is “well-educated fellow”.

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I wonder what scale of disaster will it take for both, the cops and general public, to wake up to the massive dangers of speaking on the cellphone while driving.