One Wednesday, a couple of months ago, I hurt my little toe. It pained a lot and as suspected, the following day it turned purple. Upon examination and a photo shoot of a kind at the radiologist, it was declared a fracture by the orthopedic. The little thing was bandaged to a comfortable, snug and immovable position, supported by a splinter enabling me to drive home and anywhere else I wanted. Now, that was a relief!
Undaunted, I wandered into a mall and all was well there. It was a weekday and, hence, not many people who would step on your toe. It was great limping about, doing your own thing and feeling good that no impediment should really come in the way of a routine.
My next stop was to a cake shop to order a birthday cake for my daughter; the celebrations were due in a couple of days. So there I was, struggling to park, and I did manage to do so because a benevolent watchman saw my plight and helped me – he was even more concerned when he saw my toe looking all ambushed! He later helped me reverse my car too, signaling vehemently to all other vehicles to abandon any thought of inconveniencing me in the least bit while I took my vehicle out! I was very impressed by his kindness!
When will the highbrow bureaucrats and leaders envisage the human difficulties in being thus hurt, impaired or even aged, as the humble watchman did? It was an eye opener for me to realise just how inconvenient our roads are. The oncoming traffic is impervious to your hobbling condition! They even speed to a demonic pleasure at your inability, especially if you are a woman and braving pain in a pair of jeans!
The streets of Bengaluru are not safe for anyone. It has to be the verve in the genes of evolution that the city dweller’s mortality rate ever sees survival! The traffic is erratic, breaking all rules, with buses speeding alongside tiny Nano cars! The autorickshaw driver is languid and preoccupied on his phone or distractedly soliciting customers, enjoying the recreational glamour quotient. The two-wheelers are like an upset anthill! They arrive from behind, between vehicles, across footpaths, over medians, and if you possess a vehicle with too much ground clearance then, maybe, from under too! They weave through traffic like there is no tomorrow!
In this scenario, has anyone given a thought to how the elderly will manage? Has anyone ever realised that had we good, tenable footpaths then there may not be so many vehicles on the road? That an efficient, non-speeding bus system could alleviate road congestion? That deferred work hours could help in this endeavour too? Cannot the so-called ‘enlightened’ companies encourage the work from home culture?
Considering our abysmal road conditions, when are we going to become responsible and read from the same page… Oh! That’s right, I forgot our literacy rate, especially of our bureaucratic babus, is poor. And to think they do not have the ‘little toe wisdom’!