A bus that straddles two lanes, an auto that runs at the speed of thirty in a speed fifty lane, and a maniac in an SUV weaving a meandering course, hurtling at a break-neck hundred on the same fifty road- cutting from extreme left to extreme right and on to extreme left again in a matter of seconds- Good Morning Delhi!
"Get the hell out of my way", said John Galt in Atlas Shrugged. These are the words that flash across my mind. They describe poignantly what is going on here. A power struggle and every body is in it to win. DO they even realise what they are doing?
"Get the hell out of my way", these words come easily to my mind racing to catch up with the display of speed on the road.
SCREEEECH! The maniac slams his brakes noisily. There is a couple on a motorbike cruising at a comfortable 45-50 in the middle lane. Oblivious to the on cming assault vehicle carrying the monster, the rider is maintaining a two dimensional straight line course on the asphalt surface. Straight. Linear.
My heart almost came rushing out of my mouth. My feet instinctively reac for the brakes in MY car! I am a fascinated onlooker. I am going good. I am comfortably doing a 40 at this time. I watch with a strange, detached and yet engrossed fascination all this unfolding on the road in front of me.
Thank God for the automatic drive in the modern day cars! My 'gear' hand rises to my mouth! Please God! let him stop in time. And as if to let me know He is wayching and listening, the SUV stops and veers into the adjoining lane. Is he mad? My mind screams. Is he crazy? He is a hurtling, menacing, careening, crazy bloody driver on the road who is making it unsafe for everyone else. Why does he not go off-roading to satisfy his inner devil and his need for thrills?
Strangely so captivated am I with this graphic visual in front of me that teh auditory system has switched off! I realise in a flash of revelation that everything else is simply not on my minds radar. The otherwise noisy Delhi road that assaults all senses- especially the auditory with its horns blaring at an angry deafening 75-80 deciBels had been deathly quiet but for the screech of the maniac's breaks.
The couple is safe. The white Chevvy SUV is not on his tail.
My mind breathes again. The noises come back. The traffic light at the junction is red and the line of vehicles is growing. Wow! Whew! Guess what? The SUV has to stop, too. and we must all fall back into the limits defined by the lane we occupy.
Soon enough the light will turn green.
May be this driver will have experienced the fright of having nearly killed someone.
Maybe he will follow a straighter course and will be a more mindful driver.
May be the people on the road will be safe.
May be someone- somewhere is thinking teh same thoughts I am thinking.
May be someone- somewhere more power than I do.
May be someone somewhere can and will make something different possible.
May be we will be able to slow the time down and we will breathe again.
And we will be able to drive calmly without being boxed in by buses- one ahaead of you, one behind and two beside you on either side.
May be we will wake up to a better world tomorrow.
"Get the hell out of my way", said John Galt in Atlas Shrugged. These are the words that flash across my mind. They describe poignantly what is going on here. A power struggle and every body is in it to win. DO they even realise what they are doing?
"Get the hell out of my way", these words come easily to my mind racing to catch up with the display of speed on the road.
SCREEEECH! The maniac slams his brakes noisily. There is a couple on a motorbike cruising at a comfortable 45-50 in the middle lane. Oblivious to the on cming assault vehicle carrying the monster, the rider is maintaining a two dimensional straight line course on the asphalt surface. Straight. Linear.
My heart almost came rushing out of my mouth. My feet instinctively reac for the brakes in MY car! I am a fascinated onlooker. I am going good. I am comfortably doing a 40 at this time. I watch with a strange, detached and yet engrossed fascination all this unfolding on the road in front of me.
Thank God for the automatic drive in the modern day cars! My 'gear' hand rises to my mouth! Please God! let him stop in time. And as if to let me know He is wayching and listening, the SUV stops and veers into the adjoining lane. Is he mad? My mind screams. Is he crazy? He is a hurtling, menacing, careening, crazy bloody driver on the road who is making it unsafe for everyone else. Why does he not go off-roading to satisfy his inner devil and his need for thrills?
Strangely so captivated am I with this graphic visual in front of me that teh auditory system has switched off! I realise in a flash of revelation that everything else is simply not on my minds radar. The otherwise noisy Delhi road that assaults all senses- especially the auditory with its horns blaring at an angry deafening 75-80 deciBels had been deathly quiet but for the screech of the maniac's breaks.
The couple is safe. The white Chevvy SUV is not on his tail.
My mind breathes again. The noises come back. The traffic light at the junction is red and the line of vehicles is growing. Wow! Whew! Guess what? The SUV has to stop, too. and we must all fall back into the limits defined by the lane we occupy.
Soon enough the light will turn green.
May be this driver will have experienced the fright of having nearly killed someone.
Maybe he will follow a straighter course and will be a more mindful driver.
May be the people on the road will be safe.
May be someone- somewhere is thinking teh same thoughts I am thinking.
May be someone- somewhere more power than I do.
May be someone somewhere can and will make something different possible.
May be we will be able to slow the time down and we will breathe again.
And we will be able to drive calmly without being boxed in by buses- one ahaead of you, one behind and two beside you on either side.
May be we will wake up to a better world tomorrow.
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