My Dad sent me an email this morning. Like all of his emails, this one had a story too, and I just had to post it at the bar. (Yes, he knows.)
***
Once while I was driving, a friend was coming from the opposite direction. (No. Relax. I did not hit him.) I saw him gesturing something. His lips were moving and the fingers in one of his hands were moving like how children do while singing 'Twinkle, twinkle little star'. I stopped the car and asked him what he was trying to say. He said that the headlights of my car were on. Then I understood what he had been gesturing. I switched off the lights, thanked him and moved on.
From then onwards, whenever I was walking or driving, I noticed that a number of two-wheelers, while on the move, had their headlights on. Then I started repeating what my friend had done that day. This has now become a habit with me. Whenever and wherever I walk, I find that a good number of people ride their two-wheelers with the headlights on, even during the day. (I have rarely seen a car in such a state though.) So, as a good citizen, I try to gesture to them to switch off the lights.
The responses I get are of 3 types. In most cases (almost 90% of my targeted beneficiaries), they respond, switch off the lights and move on with a smiling and thankful look at me. People belonging to the second group (about 8%) fail to notice my gesturing as their eyes are fixed ahead like the beam of light emanating from their vehicles. They ride on merrily. The third group of people (the remaining 2%) get confused as to what I am trying to convey. They notice me, waver, and their vehicles sway a little, making me afraid that they would lose balance and cause an accident.
There is yet another group, that of some pedestrians. They observe me and their reactions range from giving me a queer look to a slight derision wondering whether I have gone out of my mind.
Yet, I do not want give up this habit. It gives me a little satisfaction that I am helping in energy-conservation, preventing wastage of valuable national wealth and contributing a little to reduce global-warming!!!!!!!!!! (Tall claim, isn't it?)
***
Dad, this is reason #736 why you really really need to start a blog. :)
27 comments:
gold gold gold!!
now wats the post about?
hehe ... i tried once here, in UK, was met by the 2% of looks and derision :D
My first silver!!
A small contribution by everyone of us in our day to day life will go a long way in saving our nature
Bronzzzzzzz......Himmmmessss rockkkkssss.Jai Mata Di!
actually the last time i did that was when a lady was driving alongside my vehicle. the look that she gave me made me apply for North Korean citizenship. :P
:)
Though there is an argument to be made that daylight lights on improves safety.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daytime_running_lamp has the whole debate wrt safety and environment :)
There is a fourth type of people as well - the one which thinks that the girl (that is usually me) is making a pass at them!!!
There is a fourth type of people as well - the one which thinks that the girl (that is usually me) is making a pass at them!!!
yes, I do have the same habit and get same reaction. We will continue our good deeds.
Haha...'De-lighting' indeed!
Your titles always crack me up! :)
hey,
jus a note for your dad, next time he is in Spore..in Singapore two wheelers are requried to have their headlights on even during the day..
Kindly let uncle know that :)
Switching on headlights is about safety and not wasting energy. The reason being, the human eye is trained to spot a headlight in the distance and is quicker to react defensively if need be. :-)
equally good... and as your title says... you have actually made me and my friends delighted and we have become a regular reader of your blog!
keep blogging!
Arun 2 != Arun 1 in this comment thread. Not that it matters in the bigger scheme of things. I'm sure he is as clever and witty as I am :)
Doubles our chances of getting gold, too!
-Arun the First
Member of the League of Aruns.
http://arunsmusings.blogspot.com
Couple of observations:
-> Once I did that gesture to a female riding her scooty ... and she stared at her chest and gave me the most piercing looks ever...
-> In many countries, its mandatory by law to keep headlights on so when the foreigners drive in india, they get confused when people do make those gestures to them ... many firang colleagues have funny incidents about this :)
Ha ha ha :)
Yaa.. I do the same thing.. though I convince myself that its because I care about energy.. it's mainly becuz I love doing that to people.. !! it's so much fun!!! :D and it's totally worth the sheepish smiles u get from people who realise wat we are signalling at.. :)
I do this all the time. To be doubly sure I muble "Light Light!" audibly enugh and if my other hand is free I also point at their headlights!
Another thing I do is point out to cyclists if their 'stand' is down (I feel it might cause trouble when turning that side.)
Speaking of stand of cycles, one day ( school days) when i was riding a bicycle a scooter fellow yougster, older than me) slowed down beside me and started saying "Abbey, abbey!" pointing somewhere downwards towards the rear side of my bicycle. I thought he must be warning me about my 'stand' being down. Just as I looked in pointed direction, he zoomed off with parting words "Abbey dekh tera tyre ghoom raha hai!"
:P
Another thing I notice in India is female Scooter riders/pillions and their flying dupattas..for some odd reason, a lot of them do not notice their duppatta is long enuf to reach the rear tyre.
Yeah! A good thing a day..
This is how I end up doing a good thing a day.
nice post about something that happens in all our life.
I do the same too :D and yes.. your dad really has to start sharing his writings directly
I have been on this bar for a while now but could not comment as only that particular option was blocked at you know where ;) Now tht I intend to be real active here, I dont want to miss out on an intro :) HI
hahaha.... i missed this post.
Make him read all the responses on how everyone agrees he should blog :)
Arey who cares about the 2% of the jerks?? As long as your heart feels happy doing it...Yeah?
You are the best!! :) How do you come up with such apt and absolutely wonderful titles?? :O
hey, even I do it. :-) the star gesture.
:) :) boond boond se hi sagar bharta hai... :) :)
:)
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