If you are an introvert and generally afraid of the silence that creeps in while you are trying to hit a conversation – Please read on!!
A very empathetic way of striking a conversation with anyone is to talk about their daily commute to work.
If you listen the other person saying “Oh my god! its a hell.. these traffic jams!!” then the job is easily done.. This topic can certainly make you little more than an acquaintance in a day or two!!
Sadly the pain of traffic jams still persists…
Sometimes, there can be very “interesting” reasons for a jam on roads. To list a few :
1. Broken vehicles
2. Construction work on road
3. Accidents
4. Processions
5. Diversions
6. Out of order traffic signals..
7. Marriages
8. VIP visits
Biggest of all, even a cow on road can cause jams!!
But we have some “not so interesting” reasons too!
1. At times people tend to drive slower than the expected speed even when the road is clear. This tends to build up traffic. And icing on the cake – these slow vehicles would run in the designated fast lane.. phew!
2. Another common thing is to occupy more than half of the portion of a two way road that sometimes I think that do they expect the vehicles from the other side to fly and pass???
3. If your were lucky that your car was hardly damaged in a minor accident, you wouldn’t leave that chance still to knock the other one down. Even if that’s on the middle of the road and in peak traffic hours!
4. Buses and their drivers are anyways owners of the road. They seem to have a right to stop way behind or ahead of the actual bus stand. Sometimes in the middle of the road too!
With grievance I say, they are just a few to elucidate. The list, however, is unending.
I think we all are eligible for the bravery award. Isn’t it daring to pull out your car to face the ugly, unmanageable and dangerous traffic every morning and evening?? We risk our lives everyday by being there on road and still not learn the sense of driving on road.
For all those who find themselves part of any point(s) mentioned above please read this . This is the least you can do to help yourselves and others on road.
Hope the sense prevails…
Amen.
Without government initiative and public participation, all public issues either take longer to resolve or are abandoned forever. I remember when I left Delhi digging for the DMRC had just began and at the same time in Pune they had started building one double lane 2 km stretch flyover. After 3-4 years rail services in delhi was up and running and this flyover on JM Road in Pune had nothing to boast except that the middle pillars were in place, it is running now though has one culvert which seems has been so placed to deliberately cause accidents. Another important metro Mumbai has not a single infrastructure plan that has not been delayed causing million to losses each day of the delay and in the meantime caused almost a deadlock for the commuting public. Madras thankfully is not an immigrant’s city and never got huge population or business to support. Still solution lies in mass mover public transport systems and yes a serene sense on the road. Hope we work towards and achieve it in our life time only..
mere paas ek solution hai…. but at first its going to hurt the people alot… but at the end… its for our own benefit…
I think indian government should increase the amount of money they charge for each violations (or if they cant do it…. they should just privatize the traffic police department)…this is going to have two fold benefit..
1) people would be scared of any violations (such as driving in between 2 lanes, not maintaining proper distance, not parking at places where they are not suppose to park and so on…. list goes on….)
2) its going to make the traffic department richer… with which they can pay there employees better wages and those poor hawaldars wont have to take bribe and will actually enfore the law….
having said so, i might have missed some things out of equation… but hey until and unless we don’t implement it, how the hell we are going to know its shortfall..
but people republic of india… you don’t have to worry about my suggestions… cause our govt leaders are to concerned about the votes that they wont even think about taking a step that might have a slightest of chance of being in a controversy….
First Excellent Title. Second good use of social sattire. Third, ouch you touched my wounded spot, Buses plying on the road as if time is on a slow mode.
Thanks Datta! Ah.. these buses! I guess they deserve a separate blog! 😀
Ahh!! that’s a sore spot you’ve touched. This is the worst ‘jam’ I’ve ever tasted……….
Haha! True. Thanks for stopping by Anupam!
Most of the time, traffic jams occur because of:
a. Many people who know how to drive a vehicle (usage of accelerator, brake, clutch and steering), but do not know about traffic discipline and driving etiquette. They drive wherever they want, and park wherever they feel like.
b. We care only about our own comfort and convenience, and are blissfully unaware that we could be causing inconvenience to others.
The solution is to ensure that driving licences are issued only after testing the person’s knowledge of traffic signs, traffic rules and driving etiquette, and to have strict penalties for people who drive and/or park like the road is their ancestral property.
Great Suggestions Proactive Indian. However issuance of DLs is another saga altogether! BTW its the same Indian who doesn’t litter and drives cautiously in the west. Cause they don’t spare anyone. And in Indian, we hardly punish anyone!