ARE WE THERE YET???

A discipline might be a sour pill for a school going kid, but how about the so-called adults? There are certain situations where it can’t be overlooked. The most important discipline is the one on road. This not only includes the travellers through vehicles, it also constitutes the pedestrians. I had cited my experience on this topic in one my previous post, “Taking on Death”. We would have heard people of different states in India boasting about the worsening of road discipline at their home towns. These are not going to serve any better for the condition. This is an attempt to compare the situations with the so-called super-power, United Sates.


The proper steps taken towards discipline are, neatly laid roads based on the population, importance of the locality i.e. highway or freeway, dividing the roads as lanes, maintenance of roads, separate pathway for pedestrians and cyclists. Strict and mandatory rules for travel, like the use seat belts, children seats, and lane discipline are being imposed. Here speed signs are posted along the road at certain distance, driving higher than the posted speed limit is a felony. We do not even have speed signs posted in our roads. The speed on the highway is much higher in comparison with our country; this is made possible with neatly laid roads and lane discipline. Though the speed of travel is greater, proper adherence to the rules will help us reach our destination on time without any hassle. The speed limits are a minimum of 65 MPH, and it has to be followed on the highway. Travelling at a lower speed is illegal. Cops are assigned at various places and check the speed of vehicles with speed guns using laser to detect the speed. If we over speed, the cop will charge us immediately, and trying to flee the cops is a felony and the punishment might go till imprisonment. Along the roads, sign boards have been posted to warn, inform or to regulate the traffic. Highest priority is given in the order of pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists. Sharing the road with others is insisted and mutual respect for the co-travellers is given. These remind me of the incidents in India, people in a car would look down at the pedestrians and motorists. The elderly are given great respect while crossing the road here, the vehicles should stop well before the crossway and wait till they pass completely and they must not be disturbed by horns, while in India; they would be mocked at by the motorists and swing away close by them. A rule is laid said that it is against law to pass by an accident scene without offering help and this might lead to the revocation of license. Another amazing aspect is the importance for the physically challenged. Separate parking slots will be assigned to them near the entrance of the shop or mall, and others who try to misuse this would be heavily fined. Most of the parking lots, signals, crossways will be monitored with surveillance cameras and so nobody can escape the eyes of the Law. The cops cannot be bribed here, whereas in India, cop will forgive you if you bribe him for your mistake. I experienced this recently, I was in the bike with my hubby and we reached the main road before realizing it was a one-way. The traffic police stopped us and asked for explanation, we explained the case as a matter of urgency. When we asked for forgiving, he asked us what can be done, and asked us fine of 50 bucks. We gave him; he pretended to the public as if he was fining us legally, but slid the money into his pocket and left us. When is this going to close? Even the petty one of maintaining a standard distance between two vehicles is being followed. These laws here does not ensure washout of accident cases, but it will remarkably reduce the risk of an accident. There are certain exception here too who don’t care to follow “strict rules” but they are sure to be fined. In our country, laws have been laid by the government such as,

* Wearing a helmet in 2003-04

* Wearing a seat belt in 2005-06

* Plying of heavy vehicles within city limits during the day was banned in 2005.

* Lane discipline was enforced in 2007.

But only a few follow the rules. This is one of the few disciplines in life to be learnt from them.

The selfless nature

Nature is the mother of all, a creation of the almighty or a pseudo form of the one above all. This universe is believed to be so many billion years old. Since its birth it has been designed to befit and benefit the creatures around it. The continents were one a solid mass of land and the tectonic movements have delivered it a unique shape for each one. It was not wild on the creator for bringing up these catastrophes, nor grateful for making her much beautiful. It has been giving light, rain, shade, food, shelter since the immemorial.

In the mid of March, as u walk along any shady pedestrian, you will be able to breathe the onset of spring with the streets blanketed with the red and yellow flowers of gulmohar, trumpet, jasmine. Tress blushing with their tender and fresh green leaves to welcome and inject the happiness into your thoughts. The nature blesses each of us with these showers which will bring a thoughtful smile at the edge of our lips, with a feeling of WOW!! in us. We have been gifted with such an everlasting gift to enjoy. Are we contented with it?

No… we relish it, keep digging all its worth, take undue advantage of its generosity and render nothing in return. We are being ungrateful to our mother. Everything has a limit, similarly her patience too. He has started demanding her returns in the name of lives. We have heard of many land slides, volcanic eruption from a dead one, undue weather changes. You might question, how can a mother become so cruel to her children? It is not the loss of her patience; it is the loss of her resistance towards the hazardous effects we have made by our living. She was protecting this earth with her cozy blanket all these years to protect us from harmful rays, but if that has been holed by us, how can she protect us? Is this the way to repay? She is not a nerd or a scientist to remake the blanket but she has been very much creative in making this beautiful paradise.  She does not expect us to be smart enough to repay her; she wants us to have the basic knowledge to save our souls. Though we are here being those brilliant scientists all we could do is to impair her.

Though the energy saving ideas, go green policies have not hit their hundred marks, it has received a huge response from the present generation and has proved to be an eye-opener for the next generation. Avoidance of plastic should be made a practice at schools. Children should be taught to live without plastics in the day-to-day life. That electronic appliance which won’t harm the ozone layer only has to manufactured and marketed. Government should fund for the industries to work without emitting CFC’s. This will be a good aid to support and promote ozone harmless industries. The next huge cry is being heard for the loss of conventional energy which also is a reason for harming ozone. Let us first take up the first step of saving energy in which ever form may be; not only today for the urge, but practice it everyday.

TAKING ON DEATH:

You might wonder at this statement. This has become a part of everyday life. People have become gallant warriors who can’t be paralleled by any of the emperors of the past. Still perplexed???

It is about the reckless driving of almost every citizen here. I was on my way back home after a tiresome shopping at T Nagar. I was a passenger of a share-auto who was only money minded and a racer in fact.  People are preoccupied while driving, thinking about their targets to be achieved at workplace. They show their force, and speediness while driving. People always start at the neck of the moment, forgetting their head wear most of the times.

I think they must be a victim of selective memory loss. They must have learnt about the traffic rules and would have obeyed it to the fullest to acquire the license. But how come they ignore the red lights at the signal to speed away. I wonder what would be the need for such an urgency risking their lives and others at the road??  The most atrocious behavior was noticed by me during the travel. At the four way junction, the red light had just glowed leaving way for the others from the left to cross. A few vehicles passed the line even after the red’s glow. In order to stop them the police man interfered with a red light in his hand. Still only the right most vehicles stopped for the policeman’s order. My auto driver sped the previous vehicles by the left side. Two things are to be noted here: first is the disobedience of the police’s order and second: a vehicle is not allowed to overtake by left side. Overtaking from behind by right hand side is only allowed in our country as vehicles are right driven. The most pathetic situation was that of the officer’s. He was helpless as he was disobeyed and he would be the one responsible for any mishap at the specific junction. Why is this urge for a rash and foolhardy drive?

These racing drives are to be practiced on well laid and smooth maintained roads, to develop such capability and not in 40ft roads congested with parking and pedestrians walking on the roads due to the lack of a pedestal.  People are acting too smart to cross the divider by jumping across it, physically, with cycles and bikes, felling lazy to come around a certain distance.  The roads are being dug by various departments like EB, PWD, to carry on their work. They finish their work and wind up without correcting the pits made by them and just patching them with cheapest elements that dissolve with a very short rain.

As it is said usually, “the safety while travelling is not in our hands but also the by passers”. At this situation it won’t work out. People should be quick enough to overcome any harm that may occur at the time of travelling. As most of the pedestrians are not senior citizens, they can cope up with the promptness and alacrity to survive. But it is really miserable for the senior citizens who suffer because of these reckless drivers. People think it is thrill to break the rule. But not in this case. Even though the road is empty, people should obey the signals at the junction and fell proud about their act. The traffic in metropolitans is ever increasing due to the incoming population who come here for survival. Even though government lays as many fly over’s to control and regulate the traffic, mere self discipline of obeying the traffic rules alone can help out this situation. Please obey the traffic rules and advise your dear ones. Let us live this life to the fullest and need not fight against death just to travel from one place to another. “JAI HIND”.