The accident

My wife and I met with an accident while driving around in our car today. The word accident undoubtedly 'understates' what happened. This understatement holds good only for reckless traffic in India. Of course, reckless defines not the traffic but behaviour.

I was behind the wheel in traffic for about two hours in the afternoon with couple of breaks during the drive. Our last stop was at a mall. We got out of the mall at 4 PM heading towards home. Being stopped at a junction, I was waiting for the vehicle before me to give way. Since I drive an automatic, I usually keep the gear in neutral with handbrake on at any signal. Today was no different.

While waiting for the signal, I failed to notice a two-wheeler - a moped to be precise - with two children trying to sneak in front of our car. The man who was riding the two-wheeler was not only utterly foolish but also extremely temperamental. The girl child's leg who was riding pillion came in contact with our 'parked' car's body. Fortunately, no damage caused to anyone. The man was anxious. His intention, it seems, was to blame me somehow irrespective of his mistake. He asked me to take reverse in a crowded junction since our car was on his way. How someone can be so preposterous is beyond me.

I rejected his insane idea of taking reverse as there wasn't any wrongdoing on my part let alone no space to drive back. It was now that he started making a scene. He stopped his two-wheeler in the middle of the road and came to my door. He gave a blow to my door's glass. I only prayed that I should maintain my cool and I did. He even opened my door and started all kinds of hand gestures. But he wasn't able to reach me. Had he hit me things would have been very different. Being foolish and unreasonable at the same time in front of your own children only teaches them how not to live. I am certain that they learnt this lesson.

Although he tried enough to gain sympathy, people around knew that he was wrong. With no support, he eventually had to leave. Curtains fell on an unwanted drama. I too learned a lesson - never to keep the doors of the car unlocked while driving.

Riding with children doesn't provide with rights to be reckless. On the contrary, it should cultivate responsibility.

Many Indians learn common sense through hard ways.