So I decided to pick my daughter..Nothing spectacular, my daughter has experienced this chauffeur- driven service from me all her life! But you see, this time round I was grumpy, irritated and just did not want to drive. So off I went in my new car, speeding down BKC- one of the few, make it very very very few, roads in Mumbai where you can go above 30km/hr. After innumerable wrong left turns, right turns and U turns I finally manage to locate the place. I crawled at 5km/hr trying to locate the main gate/ watchman/ ANYONE on the deserted road on a hot summer day at 2pm.
As I kept crawling and looking around, I heard a CRUNCH..Stop! I braked hard..there really was no need to press hard on the brakes, the car was barely moving!..Suddenly the world acquired a different dimension! . It took me a few minutes to realise that the front tyre had gone in a ditch and the car was tilted and balanced like a poised gymnast on one of those crossbars !I gingerly opened the door and stepped out , at the same time trying not to dislodge it from its current position.
Did I mention that the road was deserted ? Well, suddenly a few people came on the road, helpful drivers a couple of rickshawallahs, watchman etc.
Most of them tutted. " Arrey Madam..Kay Kartos Tumhi "? (What have you done ) "You did not see the ditch? There is a piece of ply laid across it."
Thank you ! I fumed internally. Piece of ply on the ditch ! How the hell was I supposed to know that the harmless piece of ply had a gaping hole underneath.
"You will have to call a tow-chain" quipped one driver
"Abhi kidhar se aayega. Madam park karo aur Jao..Driver ko bhejo apna" , suggested another.
"No no Just call your husband"
Suggestions were flying fast and furious. I looked helplessly at one of them and said'"Why don`t we all try pulling it out. Just help me push it."
Half of them vetoed the idea outright." Nahi Hoyega..No. Call the Tow chain."
One enterprising fellow demanded that I hand over the jack and he would some how try to rescue my perfectly balanced car...Amongst all this commotion a young driver walked up.
"Stop now all of you. I am getting in the car and we are 7 of us.. So just lift the front and I will manage it."
He got into the car and lo! behold in a couple of minutes the car was back safe on the road.
" Not too bad. Only the Mudguard scratched a bit." said a helpful soul
I blew a sigh of relief. I thanked him and said , "Main toh bahut darr gayi" ( I got really scared)
He looked nonchalantly " Why ? It was an accident. Its just a car. You are safe na ? Call your husband now. He will be happy to know you are safe."
I looked at him .Thin, scruffy fellow in dirty jeans and old faded striped shirt. He walked back to his car and drove off.The crowd of 6 soon dispersed..as suddenly as it had assembled.
Moral ? Why did I write this incident ?
To highlight :
Apathy of the so called educated lots who drove away in their air-conditioned cars without a glance ?
Apathy of the government..At a higher speed or late evening this ply covered ditch could be a disaster?
Gratitude for these so called uneducated drivers who rush to help out people ?
Wonder at the wisdom of the young man ? Its just a car ! You are safe..
Go figure!
As I kept crawling and looking around, I heard a CRUNCH..Stop! I braked hard..there really was no need to press hard on the brakes, the car was barely moving!..Suddenly the world acquired a different dimension! . It took me a few minutes to realise that the front tyre had gone in a ditch and the car was tilted and balanced like a poised gymnast on one of those crossbars !I gingerly opened the door and stepped out , at the same time trying not to dislodge it from its current position.
Did I mention that the road was deserted ? Well, suddenly a few people came on the road, helpful drivers a couple of rickshawallahs, watchman etc.
Most of them tutted. " Arrey Madam..Kay Kartos Tumhi "? (What have you done ) "You did not see the ditch? There is a piece of ply laid across it."
Thank you ! I fumed internally. Piece of ply on the ditch ! How the hell was I supposed to know that the harmless piece of ply had a gaping hole underneath.
"You will have to call a tow-chain" quipped one driver
"Abhi kidhar se aayega. Madam park karo aur Jao..Driver ko bhejo apna" , suggested another.
"No no Just call your husband"
Suggestions were flying fast and furious. I looked helplessly at one of them and said'"Why don`t we all try pulling it out. Just help me push it."
Half of them vetoed the idea outright." Nahi Hoyega..No. Call the Tow chain."
One enterprising fellow demanded that I hand over the jack and he would some how try to rescue my perfectly balanced car...Amongst all this commotion a young driver walked up.
"Stop now all of you. I am getting in the car and we are 7 of us.. So just lift the front and I will manage it."
He got into the car and lo! behold in a couple of minutes the car was back safe on the road.
" Not too bad. Only the Mudguard scratched a bit." said a helpful soul
I blew a sigh of relief. I thanked him and said , "Main toh bahut darr gayi" ( I got really scared)
He looked nonchalantly " Why ? It was an accident. Its just a car. You are safe na ? Call your husband now. He will be happy to know you are safe."
I looked at him .Thin, scruffy fellow in dirty jeans and old faded striped shirt. He walked back to his car and drove off.The crowd of 6 soon dispersed..as suddenly as it had assembled.
Moral ? Why did I write this incident ?
To highlight :
Apathy of the so called educated lots who drove away in their air-conditioned cars without a glance ?
Apathy of the government..At a higher speed or late evening this ply covered ditch could be a disaster?
Gratitude for these so called uneducated drivers who rush to help out people ?
Wonder at the wisdom of the young man ? Its just a car ! You are safe..
Go figure!
