It has been around 5 years that I have been driving my two-wheeler and many more that I have been traveling by road. During all these years I have learnt some traffic rules that were not asked when I gave the test for my license.
Rule 1 #: Never Follow Traffic Lights
Red…Yellow…Green !!! Who will wait for so long, one might miss the credits of a movie, or will be late for meeting friends, very important stuff…more than life.
Follow traffic lights!! only stupid patriots or very ‘Aadarshvadi type’ people follow such rules. If the traffic policeman is not there then who cares…Early in the morning the traffic is less, so why follow traffic lights they are anyways not required, we can descry all dangers.
“All my friends have gone ahead, what will they feel about me, that I’m a dud, they will laugh at me for waiting for the signal to turn green.” If others are not obeying then why should I hold the flag alone, even I’m busy.”
These are colors were fine till they were on the KG text book, on roads they are for others not for me…
Rule 2 #: The smaller the city, the more rules you can breach…as nobody bothers
I always say that if anyone can drive in Agra then that person sure is eligible for a license. Seriously, it is a task. I love riding my two-wheeler but when it comes to Agra I give up totally, I would rather sit back. It is the case with Faridabad also. No road sense what so ever prevails in these cities. Actually the problem is two phased; first the traffic police are negligent; second the commuter in general is also irresponsible. Most of the times the signals are not functional, or there is no officer at the booths to monitor the traffic, and even if there is one people hardly bother, he is a mere mannequin modeling for the traffic police.
Rule 3 #: Never give signals while turning…
This I have seen, people are for some reason averse to giving indications about turning and all. They feel the other commuters have excellent sixth sense to understand where we are going when and where are we planning to hit the breaks. I have witnessed so many road accidents because the person ahead took a sudden turn without indicating…the most recent is giving wrong indicators and giving them continuously.
Rule 4 #: Speed as much as you want to, we have paid for it (taxes)…apni sadak hai.
The younger college going generation loves speeding bikes and cars, they feel that they are still playing a video game even while on road and can break speed limits drive the way they want to, zig-zag, swaying meandering in the heavy traffic. They feel they own the road, obviously, “hum tax bharte hain, apni sadak hai.”
Rule 5 #: While in traffic jam…fit in your vehicle in the tiniest place you get even if that means aggravating the jam..who cares I moved forward
Whenever stuck in a traffic jam or even signals, some people have the habit of trying to squeeze in their vehicle in to an inch of road if it allows them to forward and block the traffic thereafter. Some people are always on the look out of reaching towards the line, as if they will get a medal if they are the first ones to rush as soon as the signal turns green. Sick, they are.
Rule 6 and 7 go in synchrony;
Rule 6 #: Even if its your mistake stare at the opposite person and fight
A person on bike is always more aware than a person on cycle, and a person in a car is more aware than the person on a bike...this is a common observation that, on road people will always blame the people with a cheaper vehicle for being ignorant. A person sitting in a Merc always feels that he knows all rules and follows them and is educated, in terms of road sense and a person on a bike is always rash and lacks road sense. Even in a tiff, the person with a more exotic vehicle will always try and bully the other and blame them for the accident even if he himself is at fault.
Rule 8 #: Keep talking while driving a car or riding a bike…after all call is more important than safety.
Even repeated warming from various sources people somehow love talking on cell phones while commuting, I fail to understand which talks are more important than life. But it is a rule never disconnect the call even if it means disconnecting a more vital cord. Some people find it so difficult even to park their vehicles by the side and talk. On the contrary these days there are so many exotic gadgets as to allow you to talk even will driving comfortably…whether or not others on the road are comfortable is not an issue only.
Rule 9 #: Turn on the volume of the music player…so what if you can’t listen to horns on the road…Britney Spears, Shakira toh sunai de rahe hain na.
This is another phenomenon that we witness so often…the volumes of the stereo increases in proportion with the speed of the vehicle..I’m sure most of the people don’t even understand what music they are listening to, but they feel it’s cool to listen to all these songs…ridiculous !!!
Rule 10 #: Don’t wear helments…hairstyle kharab ho jayega…I‘ll look funny
Most of the people are so conscious about how they look that they will not where a helmet…but these days thanks to a certain John Abramin and other actors like him guys have started wearing helmets not because of safety but because that’s in fashion now…some girls still avoid wearing it…reason, I will look funny…
Rule 11 #: Don’t turn off the car engine when in traffic or signals…AC band ho jayega…garmi lagegi.
Turn off the engine…no way…AC won’t work how will we tolerate the heat…as if all of us belong to the arctic circle that we can’t survive without AC for even 2 min…but that’s the way it is. Very few realize that if the engines are not turned down harmful gases are emitted from the engine regularly also from the air-conditioners and the pollution compounds and so does global warming, leading to rise in temperature…phew!!!! too big terms why think of them when AC is the simple solution.
Rule 12 #: Throw whatever waste you can outside the car…spit on the road even while riding a vehicle.
For this rule I have no comment…

Even after learning these rules all I can say is that, while on road we are not only responsible for our own safety but also of our fellow commuters.