Time and time again these articles surface on the internet, get printed in magazines/ newspapers, people voice opinions related to this on the radio and I agree that while there is not much activism for it right now and for all there is it is very subdued so I really should not have an issue. But for all those saying that we need to stop honking as a nation, that it effects the noise pollution levels, about how some countries barely honk on roads- I completely agree with your cause and totally feel that we should stop honking. But just one question- How can India stop honking?
1) Pedestrians choose to cross the road without a so much of look left look right. Crossing the road is really not like getting up from your bed and going to the loo but it seems it is.
2) The most irritating pedestrians are actually those who walk on a road like they are walking inside a mall. Holding hands, gossiping, walking slowly while back slapping each other all in the middle of a road. Like really, mall walking on roads can be injurious to life. (Between when you honk at them, they turn back and glare at you like you are the stoopid one).
3) Then there are the elite of the society. The upper class. The high society. Like Sweety aunty must get out of her BMW 7 series in the middle of the road and cause a huge traffic jam as 10 others behind hers are now stopped, rather than just ask her driver to stop at the parking stopover which her favorite Citywalk Mall has so conveniently provided just a few feet away. Sweety aunty please be sweet and think of the 10 cards peeche you!
4) There are also those people who while driving at insane speeds think it is okay to just suddenly decide to turn right. Boy I know that your hormones are rushing at the speed of light and can make you fall for one girl in one minute and the other one the next but these are cars and roads, so next time please look around.
5) So we have all these fancy lanes, but the white lines are just useless demarcations right? Because when we feel like going in the right lane we will do that and when left we will do that. We change lanes like we are actually driving in the Fast & Furious. Even indicators are not given as a courtesy. Tch tch.
6) So how many times you stop when the light is yellow and then wait for another 5 minutes for it to turn green so that you can take your right. In the meanwhile this line has developed behind you and you are happy than in 1 minute the light will be green atleast for sure you will get through. But then there comes this one smartass who think it’s okay to come from behind all the cars and put his car infront of yours and before you know all these smartasses have come and kaboom you are stuck waiting for the next green light.
7) Whenever there is a free right or left the drivers who have to go straight will never leave space for the free turns. Oh why dear fellow citizen must you be so mean?
8) Bus drivers. Auto drivers. Rickshaw drivers. BRT.
9) Oh how are we forgetting Sweety auntie’s daughter Baby? So while she stops on a red light she starts touching up her makeup (remember its apparently just touching up as she already seems so painted and you wonder if these many colours were actually be created to put on a face specially in bright sunlight). Comes out the Mac playbook. There comes the lipstick, touch up with the Lip Gloss, then her eyeliner is perfected and then the shadows. Little blush on the cheeks please? Oh perfect. But did I tell you that it was 2 minute red light? And once Baby starts with “Babying” up she can’t stop till she’s finished. And you are stuck behind her!
10) You are going home after a long day and can’t wait to get back. Your drive is long enough and you are hoping for no traffic as its late enough. And then at the most unexpected place there is a huge jam. And after being stuck there for 1 hour, you realize the reason- Baarat was dancing on the road and blowing crackers. And then you think to yourself, maybe some people do own some roads.
So we honk and we honk and we honk!
(PS- We need to really civilize ourselves as drivers and pedestrians with more empathy and consideration of others and improvement in infrastructure and then we shall truly stop honking.)
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