Chennai Traffic-If you drive like hell...

I am a careful, no, very careful driver. Defensive to a default. Always thinking of how other vehicles will behave really or hypothetically. So it is no wonder that it irritates me to see other drivers behave as if there is no tomorrow. Always rushing.

I remember my friend writing in my book more than 25 years ago. 'If you drive like hell you will reach it'. Sometimes I think that I should put it as a slogan on my bike. But seeing the reality I feel that the wordings should be 'If you drive like hell someone will reach it'.

Some months back at a signal everyone was waiting for the red to change. When the green came there was a mad rush as occupying the free space is how people see driving/riding on the road as if it is a poromboke thereby shutting out other drivers. Victory! But as always the case a bike from the right side road who jumped the signal was rushing towards the left thereby coming in the way of the rushing traffic. A bike from this side which won the race came in the path of the offending vehicle. The signal jumper tried to avoid this bike by swerving to his left but a bag on the right side of his bike hit the other bike sending it skidding. The offender just zigzagged his way through and vanished. The lone traffic cop jumped on another person's vehicle chasing the offender leaving the person who won the race lying some 25 feet away, broken! What happened to that person? My friend who witnessed the accident didn't tell me. He was rushing to his office. What happened to the cop's chase? The newspapers didn't tell me.

What is it that makes people think they can jump signal, cause accident and speed away? What is it that makes people throttle the engine even if the count down is at 98!? What is it that makes other people speed away not wanting to help? Is it because in the 'concrete jungle' also 'might is right'!?

I reach my office in time. Of course I start early!

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