A relaxed Sunday afternoon, the only day of the week when I get to sit back with the newspaper and read all my favourite columns in peace. It often happens with most of us that every morning we skim through the newspaper pages, shortlisting a few articles to revisit. Not to blame the busy schedules of the 21st century, seldom do the shortlisted articles get lucky enough! In an article around the editorial, the author was narrating a scene where an elderly couple make several attempts to cross a road in the bustling Bangalore traffic, finally give up as they did not dare to challenge the roaring machines or the heartless humans behind the steering wheels, who refused to yield.
This reminds me of my first day in the US where I was on a official trip several months ago. An eighteen hour flight and a six hour lay over in an alien airport had taken a toll on my body. He wasn't spared yet, but had to fight the jet lag. It was 6 pm, in the evening as I settled down and freshened up at the one bedroom suite that my company provided. Sleep never descended and I decided to take a walk along the haunted streets of California. A few hundred meters and I hit the first traffic signal. I hit the pedestrian crossing request on the pole and was promptly given a chance to cross in less that ten seconds. The pole that beaconed green, stood mid way as I crossed, with a small portion of the road still left for me to cross without any pedestrian signs. As I stood on the pavement in between the road way, I looked around to see if I need to hit another request button to cross the rest of the stretch. There weren't any, but I read the word "YIELD" in really huge letters painted on the road. I stood confused, but the "Indian" in me prompted to rush through and cross the rest of the stretch. I turned to my left, to see no traffic and marched onto the road. With one foot already on the road, did I realize that the traffic in the US comes from the right. I saw a car just about to turn on to the road on which I stepped. I jumped back to the pavement seeing the car. The car was at a safe distance, almost thirty feet away from me, but it came to a stand still and the man refused to proceed, even as i cleared his way and stood on the pavement waiting for him to pass by. He signaled back asking me to go ahead and cross the road. That moment I was happy for his patience and courtesy, as I crossed and continued my way. A few days later I understood what the "YIELD" on the road actually meant and why the gentleman was so generous to me the other day. Its true that the motor driving rules in their state was not all that lenient with them as it does back here in India. In case of an accident involving a pedestrian, they will heavily penalized. But on a road that was not at all busy, the man could have easily driven off as I jumped back on the pavement. Isn't it kind of him that he waited and gave me a chance to walk across the street. Never would that happen, on any of the streets in Bangalore. Would some one ever bother to yield?
The question has been in my mind ever since, "How often are we taught to yield?". Imagine how narcissistic the generations ahead would get if we failed to realize the importance of yielding to our fellow human beings. From their childhood we teach our kids to be self centered. Stay ahead, be the first, the only thought that is instructed is to go race and fight the competition. Staying ahead and being the first is equally important, but hardly any parents teach the kids the right way to rise ahead and be the first. The child is only forced to learn illegitimate means of going ahead to be the first. One learns to be insensitive to others and often inhumane as he is only concentrated on reaching his goal. No doubt, healthy competition is the right way to go. Shouldn't we be a little more sensitive to the human race. Life is neither a race nor a war, lets make it a pleasant journey. Its time we think... why not "YIELD".
This reminds me of my first day in the US where I was on a official trip several months ago. An eighteen hour flight and a six hour lay over in an alien airport had taken a toll on my body. He wasn't spared yet, but had to fight the jet lag. It was 6 pm, in the evening as I settled down and freshened up at the one bedroom suite that my company provided. Sleep never descended and I decided to take a walk along the haunted streets of California. A few hundred meters and I hit the first traffic signal. I hit the pedestrian crossing request on the pole and was promptly given a chance to cross in less that ten seconds. The pole that beaconed green, stood mid way as I crossed, with a small portion of the road still left for me to cross without any pedestrian signs. As I stood on the pavement in between the road way, I looked around to see if I need to hit another request button to cross the rest of the stretch. There weren't any, but I read the word "YIELD" in really huge letters painted on the road. I stood confused, but the "Indian" in me prompted to rush through and cross the rest of the stretch. I turned to my left, to see no traffic and marched onto the road. With one foot already on the road, did I realize that the traffic in the US comes from the right. I saw a car just about to turn on to the road on which I stepped. I jumped back to the pavement seeing the car. The car was at a safe distance, almost thirty feet away from me, but it came to a stand still and the man refused to proceed, even as i cleared his way and stood on the pavement waiting for him to pass by. He signaled back asking me to go ahead and cross the road. That moment I was happy for his patience and courtesy, as I crossed and continued my way. A few days later I understood what the "YIELD" on the road actually meant and why the gentleman was so generous to me the other day. Its true that the motor driving rules in their state was not all that lenient with them as it does back here in India. In case of an accident involving a pedestrian, they will heavily penalized. But on a road that was not at all busy, the man could have easily driven off as I jumped back on the pavement. Isn't it kind of him that he waited and gave me a chance to walk across the street. Never would that happen, on any of the streets in Bangalore. Would some one ever bother to yield?
The question has been in my mind ever since, "How often are we taught to yield?". Imagine how narcissistic the generations ahead would get if we failed to realize the importance of yielding to our fellow human beings. From their childhood we teach our kids to be self centered. Stay ahead, be the first, the only thought that is instructed is to go race and fight the competition. Staying ahead and being the first is equally important, but hardly any parents teach the kids the right way to rise ahead and be the first. The child is only forced to learn illegitimate means of going ahead to be the first. One learns to be insensitive to others and often inhumane as he is only concentrated on reaching his goal. No doubt, healthy competition is the right way to go. Shouldn't we be a little more sensitive to the human race. Life is neither a race nor a war, lets make it a pleasant journey. Its time we think... why not "YIELD".
No comments:
Post a Comment