This is one of those feel-good stories that you’d once read in Reader’s Digest but now does the rounds in family WhatsApp groups. A man goes to the beach early in the morning only to see countless starfish washed ashore. In the distance he notices someone picking his way through, bending down and leaving them back in the water. He asks him why he’s doing it. The other person answers that if he didn’t do that, once the sun is up, the starfish will all perish. So our man says, “This beach is littered with countless starfish. Surely you will not be able to make a difference.” Hearing that, the saviour bends down, picks up another starfish, slides it into the water and says, “Well, it did make a difference to that one.”
I think that’s a pretty good life lesson, and I try to implement it on our roads by making a difference to that one rider, but as you’ll see, now I absolutely abhor that stupid story. While driving down a narrow one-way street, I spot a man with his wife and a small child riding a scooter against the traffic. I stop him and ask him, why are you doing this? He replies saying I stay nearby. “Look, you have a child with you. Why are you risking all your lives?” He shrugs it off. I say, “I am really concerned. You should not take such risks.” His wife now chimes in, saying, “Nothing happens. Don’t stop us.” So much for making a difference to that one. My friend who’s with me in the car laughs and says, “This is Mumbai. If you were in Gurgaon, you would have been shot by now.”
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The saviour complex in me is strong. Another day while walking, I spot another couple with two children riding against the traffic at a curve, completely blind to oncoming traffic. I stop them and tell them not to ride on the wrong side of the road. I am a bit harsh this time around. “Don’t you care about your children? Do you think they will survive if a vehicle dashes against you all?” To that, the woman says, “How can you say such a thing?” I tell her, “How can your husband do such a thing?” They ride off, narrowly missing a garbage truck. Too many starfish with a death wish and I haven’t managed to save even one yet.
Undefeated, I try once again with another fine gent who has to drop his child and maybe two of his neighbours’ to the school. It is as you’d expect, complete chaos in front of the school. It’s as if the institution (Estd 1940) sprung up just yesterday and people are suddenly caught by surprise that children have to be at the school at specific times of the day. How can an activity that is supposed to be clockwork be so unplanned? Anyway, our school dropper is riding against the traffic from a distance, mounts a sidewalk where I am deliberately standing to block his path. He mutters something and gets back on the road. But wait, there are many others behind him doing absolutely the same thing. I randomly stop one of them even when I know what the answer is going to be. He looks at me as if I am the one at fault, and blocking him from doing the noble activity of trying to get his child an education.
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So much for that stupid starfish story. I am giving up. I thought at least one two-wheeler rider will acknowledge that riding on the wrong side of the road is wrong and is dangerous and that he will mend his ways. But no. The one trying to save his life is acting irresponsibly. Reminds me of another story. A scorpion wants to get to the other side of the pond. He asks the frog if it will give him a lift. The frog says, “Look, you are a deadly scorpion, I am afraid that you will sting me.” The scorpion dismisses him of his concern and assures him he will not do so, else he will also drown. So the frog trusts him and asks the scorpion to get on his back to take him across. Mid way, the scorpion lifts his tail and stings the frog, who croaks out just before dying “Why did you do that?” The scorpion says, “I can’t help it, it’s in my nature.” Well, so that’s what we are today, and no one can do anything about it. And we’re destined to live unhappily ever after…
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