This was long due

The average speed at which I ride on my bike has gone down from about 50 Kmph to something 35 Kmph during past 2 years. Obviously my bike’s performance has deteriorated as compared to what it was 2 years back but I feel that I have become increasingly cautious as well. Let me put the fact very straight. The driving sense of Indians (all of us) sucks big time. We are a mass with most ill sense of road safety and with least civic sense when we are on road. I am not going to castigate us further. If you have lived in India for considerably long time, you know what a massive challenge it is come back home safely.

Defensive driving:
It just means that don’t be happy just by driving according to rules. You may get killed because someone else is breaking all the rules and averaging you out. While on road always be at your cynical best. Impossible is nothing.

Beware of dogs:
If you are at high speed and a stray dog comes in your way, kill him. Put your benign side aside and I say override him. The possibility of getting yourself killed in order to save a dog is huge. If you still have a doubt I want to tell you that it is quite possible that you may be substituting for that dog moments later. If still you are doubtful, just compare the worthiness of the life of a stray dog with that of yours. Still the doubt persists? I suggest you to join Menaka Gandhi.

Respect buffaloes:
Dogs and buffaloes are obviously not comparable and so just keep watch on some stray buffalo or a cow getting into your path. These benevolent looking creatures may suddenly become death angel for you.

Tie your seat belts every time you drive or sit in the front seat. You don’t have to be told that every time by a sexy air hostess.

Know that many people around are biggest fools and the first place they go after coming out of their hideouts is road. A car with one head light damaged, a rickshaw with a head light as small as torch bulb are common occurrences.

We all are in constant hurry. We are in hurry for everything. We rush to our offices, back to our home and everywhere we go we are in hurry. It is altogether a different matter that the same hurry has just now started reflecting in our growth stats in 50 years of independent existence. And so respect the fact that we all have very less time, factually and philosophically.

Have you ever gone to a gaming arcade? Don’t worry if you haven’t. You get it live on our roads. The difficulty levels go up and down. You win if you reach back to your desired destination unharmed.

I must say that I have tried my best to put everything in a lighter manner. But believe me that I am dead serious when I say that you may die someday just because you behaved like a rash idiot on road. May be there are many things which I have left aside.

This article comes after one my good friends met an accident, after I heard the fact that about 2000 people died last year in jaipur and adjoining areas. I think our lives are far more worthy to be taken away in a road accident. Suppose after reading this article you become cautious and just escape a near death experience I suggest you read one of my previous posts called “Acknowledgement”. Best of luck.