Uncivilized Drivers
Unwanted honking is something that is very very common in Bangalore. And guess what? Honking would be also done by the so-called techies who would have visited the USA and would lecture every colleague or friend or even a casual acquaintance about the “wonderful roads” and “the honking to swear at” others on the road. Well, I have discussed with a few of my relatives in the USA who confirmed the fact that in the USA, a person honks only if he wants to swear at others on the road. Else, the roads are silent, the only sound on the roads being the continuous whirring of the wheels of the vehicles.
As a car / bus / cab / truck driver, you would definitely have a larger view area than that of a two wheeler. So, when the two wheeler driver is silent and not honking his balls out, why would you honk? Does it make any difference to the traffic? Does it ensure that the traffic moves faster? What would you achieve other than creating some additional noise pollution? Nope, you would definitely not realize this and would love to bang your steel balls with each other and continue to honk.
Honking is also known as sounding the horn, which makes me think that any bugger on the road who honks unwantedly, is really horny!
Another thing that drives even my nuts wild is the way everyone from two wheeler drivers to auto rickshaw drivers and even the 18 wheeler trucks jump lanes and jump signals.. and the traffic cops would wait for a seemingly “innocent bakra” to make funds for their evening booze and food! I have been the “innocent bakra” twice and I am not gonna allow myself to be conned by a sweet talking cop again!
The “so-called” worst part of Bangalore, which, unfortunately, our city has become notoriously famous to is the attitude of the auto-rickshaw drivers. I have been a part of many a debate about Northie v/s Southie about the callous attitude of auto drivers and I can actually vouch, the auto drivers would not bother if you are a northie or a southie.. they just are the same way. And not all auto drivers are the same way.. it is just a few of them giving a bad name to the entire family of auto drivers.
Talking about auto drivers, I am sure auto drivers in Bangalore are better than those of chennai, who swindle you right then and there. 100 bucks for a distance of 7 kms??? Wow!!! That is swindling. Even in Bangalore’s worst auto-driver’s terms, the amount would be less than 60 (going by the one and half rate!).
Why are Bangalore’s auto drivers like this? Coz they are innately lazy and also coz it is the town of Sir. Vijay Mallya. There is an adda at my house corner and the auto drivers converge there right from the morning till the evening, playing a game of “chowka – barah” but actually gambling all their money away. Try calling them to any place in Bangalore, they would not even bother to respond. They would continue the game, and the gambling. Invariably, at late evenings, there ensures a fight and a scuffle and the arrival of the police jeep to set things right.. What did the auto drivers gain? Nothing…. Zilch… Zero! What did they lose??? The opportunity to earn atleast 300 bucks on that day and the trust and happiness of their family members who would be dependant on the sole bread winner of the house aka the auto driver.
One thing that one of my friends / colleagues pointed out to me is actually strange and true. Most of the traffic jams in Bangalore happen either due to a breakdown of a huge vehicle in the middle of the road, or due to the fact that some stupid guy would be fighting with some other stupid guy about some minor accident in the busy roads of Bangalore. Both the bastards would not realize that the fight / argument can take place even on the side of the road and not necessarily at the spot of the accident. This is not a crime scene which has to be taped and left alone.. for chrissake.. this is just a small scratch on your vehicle. Also, think about what you are going to achieve from the argument / fight? You would lose your patience, happiness, time and also gain high blood pressure. You cannot even gain a single paisa from it. Then, why argue and fight and shout and swear and even come to blows.. why not just go with the flow of traffic and chill in the AC blast in the sweltering heat of Bangalore??? God only knows!!!


