While driving in Ahmedabad...

Driving in my city is challenging. Driving is exciting here. While driving in Ahmedabad I go through lots of emotions and thoughts. Emotions involve anger, smile, pity, sadness, …..

In India we have layers after layers of society. This is easy to observe wherever you go in India. Especially when you drive around and look at the people around you in the traffic.

When I drive first reaction I have for fellow drivers around me is anger. Because they are not driving the way I want them to JJ. Then there is sudden change in my reaction, which tells me that common they have their own mind and life, which is reflecting in their driving. I come back to steady state.

While driving I see rickshaw drivers driving at their own pace and in their own route. Here at Ahmedabad they are famous for sneaking in your path. The old ones have absolute sense of life; the life philosophy they tell you is amazing. The comments about current affairs are fun to listen to. The young ones are two types, few reckless and few with some hope in their eyes to do better in life. I had met one fellow who was part time rickshaw driver and full time in some medicine business.

Then there are bicycle drivers. These are hard working but less earning people. Of course these include few students. The hard working people have tough time on road, as they are slowest in the traffic everybody wants them to stay away. I had met one fellow who is cycling every day to work, I asked him about it and told him that he is fitter then I am. Then from nowhere he said even though he is fit and clears fitness test for police recruitment, he fails in personal interview. In 5minutes I could see his pain and pleasure. I wished him good luck, he smiled and departed.

Actually it is like every fast vehicle on road wants the slower one in front to move as quickly as possible as if only they have right to drive. This thought brings me to drivers of big cars. First of all they can’t pass by others easily as they themselves are big. The slow drivers think why the hell should I move for this big car fellow.

Everybody on road wants others to move out of their way, but they cant see that they are also in someone else’s way.

Then there are bikers. The college boys who drive them are most reckless. But it’s their age, which drives the bike. The age of show off. They break rules without their knowledge. They put helmet everywhere except on their head. They are in hurry to reach the place where they can talk nonsense with friends. I have been there J.

On road there are people who just walk. They also have the tough time.

While driving in Ahmedabad you got to anticipate anything from anywhere.

And how can I forget the shark of the road. The AMTS buses. I pity their drivers who have to reach on time without hitting anyone. People have faintest of idea that how difficult is to maneuver big bus in traffic. Everyone is against him.

On crossroad people forget about their safety and others safety. At junction people are the bridge they start fighting with each other so that one of them can pass by. In fighting they both fell in a valley. Then two goats come same way, but they don’t fight, one of them lies down and other one just jumps of him. This way they crossed bridge for their rest of the life.

Same way we need to lie down sometimes while driving so that people can pass by and we have fewer accidents.

People on road are with lots of junk in their mind, lots of tensions, lots of worries, lots of happiness, lots of eagerness, so they drive accordingly. Have some patience.most aggressive. I have seen people jumping on junction just to beat you in imaginary race and then drive slowly.

The traffic police have tough time handling educated people on any junction. I salute them for their patience.

I remember one story, which is very fitting to our traffic scenario. The story goes like this, there was a very narrow bridge connecting two hills. Only one person can walk in either direction. In a morning two dogs come from opposite direction. Upon reaching middle of