It's not a big tanker. It's not a rickety local bus. It's not even a posh SUV. It's either a bicycle, an auto or a woman! If you have had the awesome experience of driving in Bangalore, then you know what I am talking about.
The most painful people on this city's roads don't sit inside huge vehicles. They are on two feet or on two/three wheels. They are those who cannot hear a honk, they can't even hear three, four, five, ten honks. They don't care about the world around them. They know if some big four wheeler *&%^$ dares to touch them, he would be blamed. After all, it's always the fault of the big guy. The small ones can't be bullies. That's the thumb rule.
Take for example the auto driver. He rules the city. He doesn't use one lane, he uses two... half of both. On top of that, his speed won't cross 30 kmph. So both you and your friend on the other lane are stuck. Buy a Mercedes here but you will be forced to slug at 20 kmph behind this auto. And for goodness sake, don't take that 6-gear car a company introduced sometime back. You will never even get to the 5th gear here.
I forgot to mention that you won't find parking space outside your office because that auto driver would have already used it. He is sleeping inside. Don't disturb.
I don't know why some Bangaloreans are demanding a separate cycle lane in the city. Sir, all the lanes belong to the cyclists only. I am not talking about those activist-types who wear cycle helmets, knee pads and all that fashionable safety gear to go to office on their mountain bikes. I am talking about that black bicycle that my laundry man used when I was a kid. Yes, that black cycle is still being used here... that too, on the main roads!
Our Mr Cyclist rides during rush hours. In the middle of the roads. I am so glad he doesn't have the size of using two lanes at a time like his auto driver friend. But well, he fills in the void by his sweet pace of 5 km per hour.
And parking? Aah! That's no problem at all. Find a two-wheeler parking and abandon your cycle between two bikes. It's poking out, huh? That's not his headache! His cycle does not get scratches.
Have you seen a cow on the road? And have you seen an aunty ji on the road? What's the difference between them? I would say none. Both of them walk as if they have earphones on and are listening to loud music. They don't hear traffic noise. They are not designed to hear traffic noise. You are honking, screaming... dear, you are actually wasting your energy. Sit back, relax, take a deep breath, try not to get angry. Let aunty ji enter a shop and then drive out in peace.
Just because you have a big vehicle does not mean you are big. Here in Bangalore, small is bigger than the big.
The most painful people on this city's roads don't sit inside huge vehicles. They are on two feet or on two/three wheels. They are those who cannot hear a honk, they can't even hear three, four, five, ten honks. They don't care about the world around them. They know if some big four wheeler *&%^$ dares to touch them, he would be blamed. After all, it's always the fault of the big guy. The small ones can't be bullies. That's the thumb rule.
Take for example the auto driver. He rules the city. He doesn't use one lane, he uses two... half of both. On top of that, his speed won't cross 30 kmph. So both you and your friend on the other lane are stuck. Buy a Mercedes here but you will be forced to slug at 20 kmph behind this auto. And for goodness sake, don't take that 6-gear car a company introduced sometime back. You will never even get to the 5th gear here.
I forgot to mention that you won't find parking space outside your office because that auto driver would have already used it. He is sleeping inside. Don't disturb.
I don't know why some Bangaloreans are demanding a separate cycle lane in the city. Sir, all the lanes belong to the cyclists only. I am not talking about those activist-types who wear cycle helmets, knee pads and all that fashionable safety gear to go to office on their mountain bikes. I am talking about that black bicycle that my laundry man used when I was a kid. Yes, that black cycle is still being used here... that too, on the main roads!
Our Mr Cyclist rides during rush hours. In the middle of the roads. I am so glad he doesn't have the size of using two lanes at a time like his auto driver friend. But well, he fills in the void by his sweet pace of 5 km per hour.And parking? Aah! That's no problem at all. Find a two-wheeler parking and abandon your cycle between two bikes. It's poking out, huh? That's not his headache! His cycle does not get scratches.
Have you seen a cow on the road? And have you seen an aunty ji on the road? What's the difference between them? I would say none. Both of them walk as if they have earphones on and are listening to loud music. They don't hear traffic noise. They are not designed to hear traffic noise. You are honking, screaming... dear, you are actually wasting your energy. Sit back, relax, take a deep breath, try not to get angry. Let aunty ji enter a shop and then drive out in peace.
Just because you have a big vehicle does not mean you are big. Here in Bangalore, small is bigger than the big.
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