Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Saw this movie first time when I was doing my graduation.. saw it again a few weeks ago.. but did not find it as hilarious as the first time. Is life getting too serious.

Talking of automobiles.. it takes me back to India where there are too many autos on the road.. with too many people packed as sardines (once I counted 12 in Hyderabad while going to Hitech city in Hyderabad). And too many accidents starting with the one in which I and my father were involved travelling on my first day of 10th Std board exam. Fortunately we both escaped with minor injuries and I could give my exam. Or the one in which my father was caught under the overturned auto and spent the next 6 months limping. But there are few who are not so lucky on the Indian roads.. where no one can guess where someone will come in front or from the side. Too many accidents, chaotic traffic conditions, indisciplined drivers, even driving on the wrong side on National highways.. I just thought thats the way and if you have to survive, you need to anticipate others mistakes. But its not surprising to know the reason behind this.. I go back 10 years to 1999 when I first got my car license in Ghatkopar driving test centre. It was a rainy day in July and the fat inspector was so lazy, he just asked the driving school staff to bring all the applicants and asked their name and gave away the licenses. He and his superiors had already pocketed their share through the well oiled system.

So the first thing which struck me in UK was the disciplined traffic, where everyone drives in their own lane and change lanes/ direction only after indicating. I was amazed at the way everyone drove with similar discipline. I thought its because of being a first world country, people being educated, therefore everyone is considerate to the other driver, or cyclist and people crossing the road. It was not long before I realised that though these may be some of the reasons, the main one is the way driving tests are conducted in UK. There is first of all no scope for corruption, due to total transperancy in the way the test is conducted. Each driver is allowed 16 minor faults before he is failed, but even one serious or dangerous fault means failure. Considering my driving experience of 10 years, I was sure to pass the test the first time. I must have taken more than 2 months to go through 1000+ Q & A to pass the theory test, and even took 5 lessons for the practical. And the result, FAIL. I was shocked.. the inspector had given 3 minor and 1 serious fault as I indicated at the very last moment before exiting from a roundabout. I knew I had to unlearn my Indian way of driving.

I did many practice runs on roundabouts before the second test, which I cleared eventually. Thats when I realised how the test system puts everyone through the grind. And now when I take the car out everyday, its become second nature to give way when entering a main road, or MSM (Mirror-signal-manoeuvre) routine before changing lanes or entering motorway.

The best part of driving in UK is the country roads. I used to take 45 min to an hour driving every morning to my office from Wakad to Pune station, a distance of 16 km.. while here I travel through the A/B roads, the same distance in 20 min or take the motorway and travel at 70 mph to reach office without my blood boiling. The other day while returning home.. on the M4, I was listening to Sanjeev Abhyankar, passing an Edie Stobart long haul truck.. and suddenly it struck me.. that though in a foreign country my heart still belonged to what is good about India and secondly if only I could drive so hassle-free in India, lost in Raga Bhairav instead of cursing the nth driver cutting lanes, or trying to save the car from being dented by some auto..

Dr Manmohan Singh wants to invest heavily in infrastructure.. but wider roads dont mean lesser accidents. First the system has to change to educate people the essence of driving.. that you are not alone on the road and every life is precious. Hope to see that day when we Indians 'give way' to others on the road to safety (and probably prosperity).