After nearly ten years of staying away from Namma Bengaluru, I’m back again! And this time, cruising around on a two-wheeler! Riding through the city’s ‘main roads’ and ‘by lanes’.
The last ten years, for most part, I stayed at a stone’s throw’s distance from my place of study/work. Very convenient indeed! I had the luxury of waking up just half an hour before reporting time! And now, back in namma Bengaluru, waking up even three hours before reporting time, seems inadequate. Well, I’m not complaining! It’s great to be back home, with family, to eat mom-cooked food (and get some gyaan) and to roam the familiar areas (which have morphed a lot, thanks to Metro constructions and new buildings springing up, but still are familiar nevertheless).
So during the ride to and fro work: My agenda number one, and the most important at that, is to keep calm and enjoy the ride! Losing one’s cool, is just not the way out of the labyrinth of vehicles. So I tried my hand at a couple of things.
One: play antakashari (a song game) with self. This may sound crazy, but it worked alright. I kept singing, irrespective of whether my fellow riders heard me or not. The downside was that I got so stuck on one song that, I kept singing the same song again and again. [I am not ‘plugged-in’ while riding, coz, well I’m a safe rider!]
Two: Notice things around me. As in, look, listen, feel the sights, sounds and colours of the city.
That bright reddish orange Gulmohar tree that stands tall, and as I pass by, sends down a flower, that floats slowly down to land just beside your feet!
That old haggard poor lady, walking slowly on the footpath (And think, How fortunate I am that I’m not on the ‘other’ side). Well, such deep stuff is my cup of tea (or milk, should I say)!
Those kids in crisp uniforms headed to school! Reminding me of those awesome days at school!
An old lady, leading her old man by the side of the road; both of them with serene wrinkled skin, having probably stuck together despite all odds, walking side by side to eternity and beyond.
A toddler, sitting in a bus, smiling down at you through the window; telling you that a smile is more than enough.
Three: Look at the clouds and bring out the weather forecaster in me! Will it rain? Will there be a rainbow. Well, might as well carry a raincoat. Bengaluru’s showers are too unpredictable to be true!
Four: Plan out the next day’s/week’s/month’s schedule. Think of things left undone, people yet to be met, places to be visited, and all sorts of mental maps.
That’s just a few pointers on how I tried to cope with the long line of vehicles ahead of me. I found myself saying to the traffic light: “Don’t go orange/red on me, please!!”, “Stay green, for just a few more seconds, please”.
Well, that was me dealing with the traffic! A lot more meets the eye while you ride around in the mega city! Crash, Boom, Bang! One more number added to that big badass number sitting there. The number of people who lose their lives, limbs, and what not because of road traffic incidents (It’s not an accident after all, it did not happen by chance! There was a good goddamn reason why it happened!)
Was someone drunk? Was someone balancing a phone between their shoulder and ear, and whizzing through at top speed? Was someone not using a helmet/ using plastic, hollow ones? Was someone riding on the footpath meant for the pedestrians?! Phew! The crash, must’ve happened because of one of these disturbing behaviours!
Every time I see these deliberate violations, I wonder how we can reduce these road mishaps! We have a lot to do, as people, as a society to prevent road traffic incidents!
To begin with, hope we all drive safe!