Am back. We all survived the auto strike. Moreover, without complaining, we are shelling out more money for our auto rides. My son just walked in looking depressed because of the amount he paid for his auto ride back home from his office. And I learnt a great way to force my employer into a pay hike. But what worries me is what my friends were discussing. While some have posted it as their status messages too. That's the fact that the streets were so empty during the strike and they enjoyed driving. Hope the citizens don't get addicted to the regular on off strikes, and decide that they don't want auto's at all like downtown Mumbai. But surely we are too lazy to rebel to any inconvenience. We'd rather lap up the inconveniences in our stride and be the martyrs.
A day after the strike was over, the streets were chaotic again. Every one was in a hurry. Impatience and agression is regular on Mumbai roads and as the temperature in the city goes up, more and more agression sets in. People don't have the time and patience to let the others pass by. The Zebra crossings are mute spectators to the commotion. At New Link Road, there was a traffic jam and I thought, 'maybe its a nakabandi'. But when I reached the tip of the bottleneck, I realized, a private taxi and our trademark yellow and black cab had bumped into each other. Surprisingly, the drivers had all the patience to let their vehicles be in the middle of the road, step out in the blazing sun, and argue right there, inconveniencing a whole lot of traffic...... "Nothing can happen of my city", I thought and moved on, only to be proved wrong soon.
At Juhu, near Marriott, once more I was crawling in the traffic. This time the driver of a private taxi must have been in a tearing hurry. So rather than driving further ahead of Hometown cafe and taking a U turn, he decided to drive on the wrong side of the road. With passengers in his taxi, he like a hero, tried to cut across the road and maneuver his car through the opening near Marriott and move to the other side. Poor soul encountered a hot headed citizen, who not only obstructed his path by his car, but got off and gave him a piece of his mind. In the centre of the road stuck in a strange position the red faced taxiwallah was not only forced to gulp down the piece of advice, but was also made to reverse his taxi and take the right path. His plan to save may be 3 minutes backfired and he ended up wasting everybody's time. Oh how I wish I was as courageous as that citizen......
Illegal strikers will face six months of jail...For that I think first the government has to construct more of jails....because taking into consideration the kind of strikes that happen in my country, I am sure they need lots of space to accomodate the number of strikers. But then what with the kind of law and order that only one out of 198 auto drivers responded to RTO's show cause notice....?
Congress has lost in delhi.....Wasn't that bound to happen? Is there anything to analyse about it? I would rather analyse the fact that why in the mornings when I sit down to read my newspaper, do I feel that I am holding a crime tabloid? To all those innocent lives lost either due to a negligent governing body or by the waywardness of a strayed citizen, May their Souls Rest in Peace.
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