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!
That young man was right..cars come and go, you are safe that is important..
ReplyDeleteEducation and money both make people indifferent to other's problems
True..
ReplyDeletewow!! that was some learning. i also feel that people never stop to help each other if they are in cars. but the others? the bike wallahs and the cycle wallahs and the pedestrians... they will always stop to help.
ReplyDeleteyes HDWK...they are the ones who actually help...btw..good to see you :-)
ReplyDelete