Random Thoughts

today i took out my cycle to take a ride around the campus. i was actually looking for a circular road where i could practice without getting stuck in traffic jams and signals. finally after searching for around 1 hour, I was successful at that, but not before i had quite a few amusing incidences.

first of all, i went straight for aound 2 kms, then turned left and i was calculating that if i were to return to the point where i started from, i would have to take two left turns again somewhere (all in all it would make it 3 left turns). so i went on according to my calculations, but somehow got lost. now i don't think i am to blame for it, however. i have spent four years at a place where cars were as rare to be seen as sunrise for a late riser. even the profs used to come and go on their cycles. and the maximum distance we could travel on our cycles was from our hostels to the department. so no wonder i have lost my sense of direction.

so again coming back to the point, i got lost. however, i went on cycling for some more time and heaved a big sigh of relief when i saw some policemen of IIM. i went there and asked them about the vastrapur (because that is where i had started from. reaching back to vastrapur would have given me a complete circular route). first of all, those policemen were not letting me enter becasue they thought i was an "outsider". and after that they really had a good laugh when they came to know that i was a second year and had lost my way to the campus on the cycle. in their opinion, one year is pretty good time to get acquainted with gali-mohallas of a place even though you spend 15 hours a day buried neck-deep in books and assignments.

in the meanwhile, before this incident happened, i was once waiting at a traffic signal for the green light and had to turn left. then suddenly i thought, aren't traffic lights only for vehicles turning to the right or going straight ? (well, forgive me for my ignorance. it has been 5 years since i drove any 2-wheeler on a city-road. ) my first instinct was to turn to the left while the light was still red. there was a policeman on the corner and if i would break any rule, he would definitely stop me. but then suddenly i remembered my earlier not-so-pleasant encounters with traffic policemen. finally good sense prevailed and i waited till the signal was green. then i sheepishly went to the trafficwalla and asked him the question. here is how the conversation went:

Me: Sir, (well, this is what an MBA degree teaches you: kabhi kabhi jaroorat mein gadhe ko bhi baap banana parta hai) i can turn to the left on a roundabout even if the signal is red, isn't it ?

Trafficpoliceman: you see this line to the left of the road? this is reserved for padestarians. not even cyclists are allowed to cross this.

Me: Sir, i know this very well. but on the rest of the road, can i turn to the left when ......

Trafficwalla : and when the signals goes to green, u will hear an announcement that (in Gujarati) kripya paidal chalne waalon ke liye jagah chhorein.

Me: sir, but what i want to ask is......

Trafficwalla: (again in gujarati) wait wait !!! do you hear the announcement ? you are a good boy, drive well, and don't drive fast.

now, i don't know whether it was my fault that i don't know gujarati well or that guy simply didn't want to hear me. but anyway, i decided that i already had taken my monthly dose of gujarati and it was time for me to move on.

the post is getting too big. i am posting the rest of the details on the next post.