Traffic buddy
I started writing this particular blog sometime in January of 2012 but my general laziness has postponed its publication.
It all started with a cycle, one of the coolest things in my list of possessions.
The cycle became the one place I loved spending time in (or rather on), it became an escape from the boredom of travel, the perfect substitute to a health regimen (I'd never have followed it even if I made one) and the alternative to sharing sweat with fellow bus and train commuters of the 'beautifully' sultry Chennai.
The bike ( my motoring friends laugh at the use of this word) transformed me, it made travel much faster to the point soon I began gauging distances by the minutes it'd take to cycle it. It became a great place to think contemplate, pant, sweat and, even though its dangerous, listen to music. In one of these reveries or possibly inspired by some pretty girl in the traffic I was wading through, I thought to myself "Why don't people meet in traffic".
So one of those mornings in Jan while I was cycling to work, appearing quite strange, dressed in formals on a black and green cycle I was faced with the situation of the countdown of the red traffic light versus managing my the bulging contents of my pockets (ipod and wallet and mobile are the conspirators in making tight formal trouser pockets even tighter). I was dealing with this predicament when I was excuse-me'd or tapped on the shoulder, I cannot remember, by a scooterist.
She inquired (obviously the "she" part surprised me first) about my out of place attire. While i fumbled with an explanation the lights turned and I wished her a good day as I sped off (she did catch up and reciprocate however)
Though the whole incident was but a blip on the endless plane of life, it was probably the only time I've exchange words with a stranger in traffic that had no relation to the traffic or directions to somewhere. This throws light on just how insecure we are nowadays about the society that it seems so strange to talk to some one you don't know, it could be because the world we live in is becoming more and more full of 'bad' people but it could also be because we're changing as nicer persons. It doesn't have to be the middle of the jam or a cricket match where one can talk to someone new. Its baffling to realize that I know the names of so many people I don't know, but there are some people I've talked to and we wave hello to or get my cycle fixed from whose names I still don't know.
On the optimistic side there are so many people I did gather the courage to chat up who I cant understand why I doubted speaking to, one of them even being another innocent cycling chap who I was trying to overtake in traffic (he overtook me after that). There are just so many cool people out there who you have no idea about!
In conclusion I'd just like to say hi to all you chaps out there I don't know who are really awesome.
Maybe we will have a conversation someday and I'll wonder how I could have not known you earlier.
Also traffic's not such a bad place... sometimes.
It all started with a cycle, one of the coolest things in my list of possessions.
The cycle became the one place I loved spending time in (or rather on), it became an escape from the boredom of travel, the perfect substitute to a health regimen (I'd never have followed it even if I made one) and the alternative to sharing sweat with fellow bus and train commuters of the 'beautifully' sultry Chennai.
The bike ( my motoring friends laugh at the use of this word) transformed me, it made travel much faster to the point soon I began gauging distances by the minutes it'd take to cycle it. It became a great place to think contemplate, pant, sweat and, even though its dangerous, listen to music. In one of these reveries or possibly inspired by some pretty girl in the traffic I was wading through, I thought to myself "Why don't people meet in traffic".
So one of those mornings in Jan while I was cycling to work, appearing quite strange, dressed in formals on a black and green cycle I was faced with the situation of the countdown of the red traffic light versus managing my the bulging contents of my pockets (ipod and wallet and mobile are the conspirators in making tight formal trouser pockets even tighter). I was dealing with this predicament when I was excuse-me'd or tapped on the shoulder, I cannot remember, by a scooterist.
She inquired (obviously the "she" part surprised me first) about my out of place attire. While i fumbled with an explanation the lights turned and I wished her a good day as I sped off (she did catch up and reciprocate however)
Though the whole incident was but a blip on the endless plane of life, it was probably the only time I've exchange words with a stranger in traffic that had no relation to the traffic or directions to somewhere. This throws light on just how insecure we are nowadays about the society that it seems so strange to talk to some one you don't know, it could be because the world we live in is becoming more and more full of 'bad' people but it could also be because we're changing as nicer persons. It doesn't have to be the middle of the jam or a cricket match where one can talk to someone new. Its baffling to realize that I know the names of so many people I don't know, but there are some people I've talked to and we wave hello to or get my cycle fixed from whose names I still don't know.
On the optimistic side there are so many people I did gather the courage to chat up who I cant understand why I doubted speaking to, one of them even being another innocent cycling chap who I was trying to overtake in traffic (he overtook me after that). There are just so many cool people out there who you have no idea about!
In conclusion I'd just like to say hi to all you chaps out there I don't know who are really awesome.
Maybe we will have a conversation someday and I'll wonder how I could have not known you earlier.
Also traffic's not such a bad place... sometimes.
conversations in traffic - 30 seconds to talk..
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