Traffic kare Behaal

Footpaths or mud tracks… Deep Ditches or overflowing gutters... nothing stops the Mumbaites from taking the route that would make sure he gets to his destination at least a minute early. At an impatient traffic signal, pizza and death delivery boys fidget with their helmets, cabbies glancing at the mirrors just to get a peek at his fares, drumming fingers and necks straining to see ahead, to find an inch of space where a two or a four wheeler can squeeze itself. Blaring horns, cursing voices (Chal be...Dikhta nahi kya?) and a girl in a cab will add, “Oh Bhaiya... Sambhal ke"

Then, a great initiative will change all — a clean entry spot, deft manouveurs, driving along hawkers, pedestrians and double parked cars, will get someone right in front of the cars, autos, trucks, buses and slow-witted bikes. Not to worry, the traffic cop won’t chase him. After all, it’s nothing out of the ordinary… for him or for the cop :-) Plus, as our brave traffic spartan leads at least 15 other someones would’ve followed suit. Yes. Even if there’s a maddening jam on the road, traffic flows freely in these roadless by-lanes. —“Adjustment” at it’s best.

It seems as if all the world comes together, bursting at its seams with people, Vegetable Bhaiyas, cauliflower stalks, beggars, flower sellers, wadapav walas, ricksaw smoking beedis, marwadi pan shops, parked Santros and Carts… BEST buses trying to get to the bus-stops where people have queued up to get atleast one foot inside, artisans waiting with their tools for someone to give them a call,newspapers trying their best to draw attention to whats going on in and around them, all just wanting one common thing - a desperate need to squeeze into that wee bit of space we proudly and Oh so lovingly call Mumbai.