Is it worth?

A young woman several months pregnant boarded a bus.

She noticed a young man smiling at her. She began feeling humiliated on account of her condition.

She changed her seat and he seemed more amused. She moved again and then on her third move he burst out laughing………………She had him arrested.

When the case came before the court, the young man was asked why he acted in such a manner. His reply was: When the lady boarded the bus I couldn’t help noticing she was pregnant. She first sat under an advertisement, which read:

‘Coming Soon: The Gold Dust Twins’.

I was even more amused when she changed her seat and went to sit under a shaving advertisement, which read: ‘William’s Stick Did The Trick’.

Then I could not control myself any longer when on the third move she sat under an advertisement, which read: ‘Dunlop Rubber would have prevented this accident.’

The case was dismissed………!!!

I have been recollecting this joke everyday, after the following incident.

Last thursday, it was raining incessantly in Namma Bengaluru, and with rain, all Bangaloreans know that there are the following to follow:

  1. Traffic Jams
  2. Good roads will spring up pot holes
  3. Low lying areas getting submerged
  4. Streets / Underpasses would have water stagnation
  5. Cars/Two wheelers getting stuck in the slush
  6. Adventurists – caring a damn for lives of their own / their family / passers by

What made me write this blogpost was an incident that occurred last thursday, when I was hurrying back home to beat the “long weekend” traffic chaos at Majestic. As usual, it was raining at that time.

Why is the rain an usual thing? Coz in Bengaluru, it always rains to indicate that we better lift our parked asses and start home bound – i.e., exactly between 530 PM and 7PM. Do you blame Mr. Murphy or do you thank him, it is your choice!

Coming back, the rain was as usually doing its chores and in order to help it with its duties, our BBMP too had dug out a lot of roads, and had left them half-closed. Our BBMP gives contracts only to those people who are so efficient to keep asphalting the roads once every 6 months, not coz the contract is a renewing thing, but coz the quality of the asphalted roads are such that even with a minor downpour of the rains, potholes – thousands of them, spring up. The BWSSB just wants to add to the woes of the poor commuter and has laid out the drainage pipes / manholes in such a condition that the poor commuter, not only gets drenched from up above (coz of the rains) but also from the sides (courtesy – passing vehicles) and from below too (courtesy – overflowing drains, springing fountains at times!!!)

I was in my office cab, thankfully, and near Majestic, I get to see this. I would try to explain this sight to my level best. Please try and imagine the same.

All those people who might have travelled towards Rajajinagar and the Old Railway Station (Okalipuram) know the existance of a bridge next to the Railway station building, before the entrance to the old railway station. It was here that I came across this.

  • It was evening 645 PM
  • Heavily Raining
  • Huge traffic Jam from the Majestic Entrance of the Railway Station to Rajajinagar Underpass (probably a distance of 1Km, but we took 45 minutes to cross this distance)
  • 2 Railway Over bridges
  • Many KSRTC and BMTC Buses vying for space
  • Buses are being joined in the fight for territory by cabs, cars and autos
  • 1 Honda Activa, traversing in the middle of the road – of the protagonist (What interested me was that though normally two wheelers stay away from getting drenched in the rain, this guy, actually uncle, was competing with the BMTC Buses and Autos and other vehicles on the street, honking incessantly)
  • Our protagonist – Activa Uncle, is a marwari.
  • He is accompanied on his activa by his not so slim wife
  • Between the Activa Uncle and his not so slim wife, is a girl – probably of 11 – 12 years, presumably their daughter, squashed and barely able to breathe
  • In front of the Activa Uncle, is a boy – presumably the brother of the squashed girl, about 5-6 years old, standing in the titanic pose coz he is enjoying the rain.
  • In the arms of the not so slim aunty, is an infant, not more than 3 years old, who is being protected by his mom in her saree pallu.
  • 2 Foot Deep slush on the right corner of the road
  • Continuous honking by the Activa guy, understandable coz he wants to take his family back home without much delay.

The questions that plagued my mind and are still going on are:

  1. Is the marwari so stingy/poor that he could not afford an auto rickshaw?
  2. Is he coming from an area that is not accessible using public transport?
  3. Is he travelling to an area that does not have public transport?
  4. Was his work imminent so that he gets himself and his family drenched in the rain?
  5. Though clearly knowing that he is putting the lives of his and his family members in danger, what was he thinking trying to compete with the buses and cabs and in the middle of the road?
  6. Was he so stupid that he could not stop under a building / tree for the rains to subside?
  7. Was he so stupid that he could not send his family by public transport , Stupid coz he just crossed Majestic, to some place near his house and he could probably have risked his own life and not the life of his family too.

I too enjoy getting home drenched in the rain and I actually prefer it coz I travel alone and coz I am going home, where I can switch into warm clothes and get pampered by my mom. Do you enjoy getting drenched in the rain? If So, why??

  1. Good observation, a common sight on not-so-common days. I was thinking of what the marwari might have felt and tried answering your questions.

    1. naah, he fancies circus stunts on two-wheeler in the rain.
    2. who would want to use public transport and be a victim to dangerous diseases like swine flue? he’ll do great with his own ‘public’ transport – yeah the activa is no less than a public transport – carrying 5 ppl and yet raring to go.
    3. it doesn’t matter. no really.
    4. you don’t know the happiness he gets in enjoying the rain together “with” his whole family. enjoying the “Priceless” moment :P for the price he may have to pay later
    5. remember 4 pal ki zindagaani – so he is eating his icecream before it melts. Why crib after the ice-cream became milkshake :P
    6. If he did that, he would have been just another of those common men who live each day in fear of death.
    7. What use is the lives of his family after he is no more? Instead of putting them in life-long misery – Just do or die together ;) that must have been his policy.

    P.S – I don’t like getting drenched. I just love watching the rain sitting cozyly inside a book shop, listening to music and having strong, hot filter coffee.

  2. Very imaginative. Your thoughts and connections between thoughts are excellent. But as somebody suggested above, there can be reasons, possibly those sound ridiculous to us. Keep the curious eyes open.

    • veena
    • October 6th, 2009

    sumne jasti yochane madade..mane serkolona modulu..amele yen agutto…anta urgent nalli odis tar irbodu..gaadi na..
    aste..
    istondella yelli yochne madtare…yellaru..

  3. awesome joke..and a really nice blog make over must say..keep it up dude!!

  4. Maga,

    u r tagged. Chk my blog.

    • tarun
    • October 12th, 2009

    ning yaak avella yochne????nin kelsa neen noodu :-)

  5. Good you werent on a two wheeler yourself when you observed all this ;)

    And yes, I am one of those adventurous activa riders you will spot on Mysore Road when it is raining. This summer, my luck was such that whenever I left the office after my internship got over (be it 2pm or 6pm or 8pm), only then it would rain.

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