The Traffic (Non) Sense

At first let me give you a little background. I'm a certified trainee of Maruti Driving School, I scored 98% marks in the test conducted by that institute after the training. I've won 3 prizes for traffic awareness, in an awareness camp conducted in our college, I've educated the crowd attending that seminar about the traffic signs and there kinds. I drove to the Manua Bhan Ki Tekri the very first day I started driving the car and brought myself and the instructor back safe and alive. (If you are not aware of that this Manua Bhan Ki Tekri then let me tell you that this is one of the steepest and toughest drive way in my city. Even experienced drivers fear driving at this place.) I prefer my Kinetic Flyte for daily commuting over my dad's Maruti 800 car. I am fully aware of the traffic rules and other road ethics.

Scene 1:

As soon as the traffic signal turns green, I start my Flyte and proceed driving. There is a huge turn around after the signal. In order to take a right turn I've to drive all the way through the turn around. I had been practicing the same for a long time, but it was only a few weeks that they had installed a traffic signal there and this is the first time after the changes, that I am using this road. I never realised that it took me nearly 10 seconds to drive around the turn around. A few cars are before me on the signal, so I take almost 15 seconds to reach the lane I am wishing to drive from the turn around and by that time the signal for the other lane turns green. Before I could understand what was happening, the traffic drives beside me. I am disturbed, I can not understand what I should do? I become cautious and drive slowly to the required lane. Just when I am about to cross the lane perpendicular to that of mine, a guy crosses me saying, "Signal todti hai saali" (translation, she breaks the signal and abuses further) This disturbs me more, I didn't break the signal rather I followed the rules and this is what I get on following the rules. I reach to a traffic policeman, narrate him the whole story and inquire that what I should do in future. He tells me I should avoid using the turn around, rather I should directly take U-turn from the divider, "And actually break the traffic rules?" I exclaim. The policeman scratches his head and says, "Ab hum kya karen madame? Agar zyada der ke liye traffic signal red rakenge to public hum par hi chillayega na? Ye goal chakkar hi itana bada hai ki ise cross karne mein itana time to lagega hi aur accident hone chances bhad jayenge." (Translation: What can we do madame? If the signal remains red for long time the public will shout at us. This turn around is so big that if some one drives all the way round, it is going to consume a lot of time and increase the chances of accidents.)

I am speechless. I don't understand how I should react? The person who should be protecting the rules, is suggesting people to break them!

Scene 2:

I'm standing at the same traffic signal, same right most lane, to take the right U-turn, but this time I'm the first one in the row. Before me is a zebra crossing. I stand just next to the thick white line, visibly separating the road from the zebra crossing. Two guys come honking horn at me and stand behind me. Even after seeing the red signal they continue honking the horn. This annoys me, but I pay no attention. The start shouting, "Ma'am we are calling you. Hello ma'am can you hear us?" By this time I am quite sure that they were calling me, I turn around to check what's the problem. The are showing an indicator to turn right. They grin and say, "Take your vehicle a little ahead." I remove the flap of my helmet, give them an angry look and say, "There is a zebra crossing before me, I won't stand on it." One of them peeps and says, "But I don't see any one crossing the road!" I reply, "Hardly matters! It's rule not to stand on the zebra crossing, so I won't!" He peeps again and says, "There is a little space, if you can just give me little space in your right... I've to take a right turn, I won't have to wait for the signal to be green." I again look at the zebra crossing and find that there is hardly an inch to move ahead. I start my Flyte, accelerate it a little, move an inch and turn the ignition off! He has nothing more to say. He stands there behind me, helplessly. But when it comes to traffic rules I'm very stubborn! I don't break those.

I don't understand when these people understand that it's a crime to stand with there vehicle at the zebra crossing no matter if any one is crossing or not! Secondly, it's allowed to turn to left even when the signal is red and it's NOT allowed to turn RIGHT when it is red, one has to wait for the signal to turn green!

Scene 3:

Another day, same signal, again at the right most lane, to take the same right U-turn and the same red light. I hear honking of horn, this time in the left most lane. I turn to see, what's the problem. A guy is driving his car and wishing to turn left. He has all rights to do so, even when the signal is red, but has no space to take the turn. People have occupied all whole of the lane. Now from where will this guy turn left?


For their own convenience, people put others in inconvenience!


Scene 4:


Yet other day, the same signal, but this time I stand in the middle lane, 'cause I've to drive ahead, the same red signal. It turns green, I start my Flyte and start driving. A guy on his bike, comes from the left side giving the right side indicator and taking a sharp turn before me! I hit the break hard and save the situation from an accident!


When will people learn that one should stand in the proper lane at the signal in order to avoid the accidents?!



Scene 5:

I've just crossed the signal and reached the road ahead. My speed, not more than 15 Km/hour. It's not more than five seconds that I've crossed the signal. There are three sub-lanes in my lane and since I'm overtaking a car I'm in the right most lane. I successfully overtake the car. Just a second later I reach a road divider and see a mini bus in the down lane. Without any indication, even on seeing me, the bus driver takes a random turn in my lane. I hit my breaks hard but it's too late, it's of no use. By now I hit in the mini bus. My vehicle skids and I fall down. The bus driver doesn't care and moves on. People gather around me, take my vehicle at a safer place, I call my dad and take the broken vehicle to the mechanic.


Why can't people see before they take a turn?


Scene 6:

I'm driving on a busy road. In the middle lane. With a decent speed. I've to take a right turn after a few meters. I give proper indicator and change the lane from middle to right. I switch off the indicator. A minute later I again give the right indicator, 'cause I've to take a right turn soon. Just when I'm about to take the turn, a guy nearly of my dad's age, come from nowhere, honking the horn overtaking me from the right, commenting, "Dekh ke gaadi chalaya karo aunty" (Translation: Look and drive aunty!") I lose my balance but some how manage. I felt like shouting, "Don't you know son, one is allowed to overtake other from the left, when the later is indicating a right turn?" But I give importance to maintain cool and take a right turn.

When will people learn the overtaking rules?


Scene 7:

I'm driving on an almost empty road, in the left most lane. It's a road inside a market area. Shops are situated next to the road, people have parked their cars before the shops. I'm on a speed less than 10 Kms/hour, people are walking on the road. Suddenly a car starts and jumps on the road, without any indication of the start up. I hit the break and save the accident situation. The car driver drives away coolly.

When will people know that they should give an indicator and check the traffic on the road before coming on the road?


Scene 8:

I'm driving on a busy road, a road with two lanes, but with no road divider, just a thick white line separating the up lane from down lane and a dotted white line separating the sub lanes. I wish to overtake a car before me. I see a clear road on the down lane. I blow my horn and the car driver gives me space to overtake. Just then out of the blue another car driver comes on the down lane in a very fast speed. I signal him with an upper dipper. But he still maintains his speed ignoring my signal. I slow down my speed, dropping the plan of overtaking the car and give the car in down lane, space to pass away.

Sometimes I wonder, how come people are so unaware of all these signals and when are they planning to learn those?



I think that instead of earning those driving licences, people are buying those... and if this continues, I wonder if people in future generations, would ever learn traffic sense!