When I take my bike out for a ride, I realize the world's out to get my 'steed' in some way or the other. Living in the country known for its population, its hard to avoid the number of people on the roads at any point of the day. Consumerism has somewhat contributed well enough to litter the roads with specks of shiny vehicles. And the people?... I'd categorize them as sane and maniacs.
I started this segregating business when I learnt to ride. First was the encounter with a rickshaw guy who was driving in the opposite direction and even though there were dividers between the two directions, he steered right into one intending to magically pass over to the other (that story ended up with me falling off my bike). The second time after a recovery period of two months, I rode again only to face a similar maniac. A guy froze in the middle of the street and blinked like a goat. I thought better and slowed down to a stop. But there was this biker guy ( I know because he had a helmet, jacket, spiked gloves and backpack) to whom the goat person appeared too late to apply effective braking. He braked and skid off his bike, landing squarely over the pedestrian. My mouth was open wide but not too long because the bike wheeled and hit mine leaving me with my helmet to save me. (all knees and elbows damaged with that.) As luck would have it, I didn't stop for recovery but rode on...I did fall off a lot, but now I know the ways of the road maniacs.
Sometimes they put the left indicator and turn right... or they don't turn at all. Sometimes they honk at you when they're the wrong one in the one way street. Then there are old aunties who neither can hear the indicator or see the hand signal and they try to overtake from left. A few come in the wrong way and signal with their heads for us to pass like they're doing us a favor. I hate the tiny motorcycles that give honks like a heavy truck only to snigger when we give way foolishly. There are impatient ones waiting at the signal inching over the zebra crossing inspiring others to follow.Some slow at a green signal, Some freeze at a speed brake and some... think they're Batman owning the road. Whatever the deal may be, the maniacs shove off the sane ones and screw up the mood for the entire day. And by the time you feel like the roads gotten rid of a few, people will point at you as the maniac.
So before you go out tipping people off, and bruising a few, ride with disciple and switch over to the sane side of the road runners!
