The One Way Street
Swami Nikhilaananda said:
"When life is out to screw you, the whole universe conspires to ensure that it happens"
[Artistick makes fun of Bangalore Traffic here]
This is the current road network close to PESIT on Ring Road where the road branches out to connect to the Nice road.
There is a lot of traffic that comes from the short cut that connects Mysore Road to the Ring Road, because one can avoid the traffic signal and jams at Nayandahalli. However, at this junction, if you go on the right, you can directly join the Ring Road, and saves you about 800 metres of driving, which you would have to do if you took a left. So, people used to do this. They then put a 'No Right Turn' board at point A... Now, all traffic continued to go on the right, and I was one of the handful who thought to myself "I will have no moral right to criticise others for breaking rules, if I myself am breaking them" and started taking a left at that junction.
Then God (in association with the Bangalore Traffic Police) decided to test my faith. They blocked the right turn at the point B, which was originally a gap in median, and I had to go in the direction away from my destination on Ring Road, and then after riding a little ahead, take a U turn and come back. This meant I had to ride about a kilometre extra to stay on the right side of the law, while people who took the right turn (wrong turn actually :P) at the junction were reaching faster and saving fuel.
I thought to myself, "Ah yes, keep doing this, till one day there will be policemen awaiting at the spot labelled High Revenue Spot and then we shall see who has the last laugh (muhuhahaha)" And then BAMMM!!! Justice Delivered??? Far from it... Someone put down the 'No Right Turn' Board! It was completely bent forward and nobody could read the sign.
Suddenly I was aware of all the rule breakers standing around me, pointing and laughing at me. Yeah, the same "muhuhahahaha last laugh". Now, since there was no "No Right Turn" board, I also started going on the right, since I was not legally breaking any rules. A few days later, the board was back in place, and there was a traffic policeman who was standing at the junction signalling people to move in the right direction. I was pleased, thinking that finally people will be compelled to drive properly. A few more days later, the number of traffic boards had multiplied to three, and there was a 'One Way' board at point B. They had also created the gap in median at the junction B, because they realised it was meaningless to not have it.
Now, whenever there were no policemen, people would continue to flout the rules, and when present, they would ride normally as if nothing would have happened otherwise. Then they added another 'One Way' board at point B, and the traffic policeman now stands at the 'High Revenue Spot' just like I thought he would be, and occassionally if people don't see him from the junction, get caught and pay fines.
You might think that this would have pleased me... But another interesting thing happened. I was riding yesterday, minding my own business, took the left at the junction and was proceeding from point A to point B, when around the curve I heard a constant blare, and all of a sudden, appeared a policeman (khaki) out of nowhere, riding on the wrong side of the one way street. I avoided him, of course, but he (was not wearing a helmet either :D) turned back, and shouted at me, pointing his hands. I was extremely annoyed since he broke the rule in the first place, and he is bullying me on top of that, so I also shouted and pointed hands at him... Even, are we? Nyah! I said, and continued riding, thinking of how his face would be, his jaw would drop when I show him the one way board if he comes back to confront me...
And when I reached the junction B, and saw the 'One Way' board, my jaw dropped, for someone had erased the arrow mark (only a small trace remained - a black spot) of the 'One Way' board, and only the canceled red line remained, which means that now it is a No Parking board!!
***
Comments from Buzz
Prashanth Bhat - Oh.. poor you!!! :-P
On the stretch of ORR I travel, There usually is no Traffic police with a speed gun. So I always ride fast. I did not notice a police jeep parked with a speed gun. I was very happy that I was ahead of everybody. Noticed the jeep too late. Should see the result yet... :)
"When life is out to screw you, the whole universe conspires to ensure that it happens"
[Artistick makes fun of Bangalore Traffic here]
This is the current road network close to PESIT on Ring Road where the road branches out to connect to the Nice road.
There is a lot of traffic that comes from the short cut that connects Mysore Road to the Ring Road, because one can avoid the traffic signal and jams at Nayandahalli. However, at this junction, if you go on the right, you can directly join the Ring Road, and saves you about 800 metres of driving, which you would have to do if you took a left. So, people used to do this. They then put a 'No Right Turn' board at point A... Now, all traffic continued to go on the right, and I was one of the handful who thought to myself "I will have no moral right to criticise others for breaking rules, if I myself am breaking them" and started taking a left at that junction.
Then God (in association with the Bangalore Traffic Police) decided to test my faith. They blocked the right turn at the point B, which was originally a gap in median, and I had to go in the direction away from my destination on Ring Road, and then after riding a little ahead, take a U turn and come back. This meant I had to ride about a kilometre extra to stay on the right side of the law, while people who took the right turn (wrong turn actually :P) at the junction were reaching faster and saving fuel.
I thought to myself, "Ah yes, keep doing this, till one day there will be policemen awaiting at the spot labelled High Revenue Spot and then we shall see who has the last laugh (muhuhahaha)" And then BAMMM!!! Justice Delivered??? Far from it... Someone put down the 'No Right Turn' Board! It was completely bent forward and nobody could read the sign.
Suddenly I was aware of all the rule breakers standing around me, pointing and laughing at me. Yeah, the same "muhuhahahaha last laugh". Now, since there was no "No Right Turn" board, I also started going on the right, since I was not legally breaking any rules. A few days later, the board was back in place, and there was a traffic policeman who was standing at the junction signalling people to move in the right direction. I was pleased, thinking that finally people will be compelled to drive properly. A few more days later, the number of traffic boards had multiplied to three, and there was a 'One Way' board at point B. They had also created the gap in median at the junction B, because they realised it was meaningless to not have it.
Now, whenever there were no policemen, people would continue to flout the rules, and when present, they would ride normally as if nothing would have happened otherwise. Then they added another 'One Way' board at point B, and the traffic policeman now stands at the 'High Revenue Spot' just like I thought he would be, and occassionally if people don't see him from the junction, get caught and pay fines.
You might think that this would have pleased me... But another interesting thing happened. I was riding yesterday, minding my own business, took the left at the junction and was proceeding from point A to point B, when around the curve I heard a constant blare, and all of a sudden, appeared a policeman (khaki) out of nowhere, riding on the wrong side of the one way street. I avoided him, of course, but he (was not wearing a helmet either :D) turned back, and shouted at me, pointing his hands. I was extremely annoyed since he broke the rule in the first place, and he is bullying me on top of that, so I also shouted and pointed hands at him... Even, are we? Nyah! I said, and continued riding, thinking of how his face would be, his jaw would drop when I show him the one way board if he comes back to confront me...
And when I reached the junction B, and saw the 'One Way' board, my jaw dropped, for someone had erased the arrow mark (only a small trace remained - a black spot) of the 'One Way' board, and only the canceled red line remained, which means that now it is a No Parking board!!
***
Comments from Buzz
Prashanth Bhat - Oh.. poor you!!! :-P
On the stretch of ORR I travel, There usually is no Traffic police with a speed gun. So I always ride fast. I did not notice a police jeep parked with a speed gun. I was very happy that I was ahead of everybody. Noticed the jeep too late. Should see the result yet... :)
Comments