Its that time again ...
Kind of a been there, done that feeling ... deja vu' ...
The Maharashtra Government, on a High Court Order, is making Helmets compulsory from the 1st of Feb.
To cut a long story short, some college students from the Symbiosis college here, had long ago, filed a writ petition ... seeing the number of people losing their lives in road accidents ...
The High Court had ordered the Govt. to make the helmets compulsory ... and they even had done so ... for about a week ... before some stupid people got together, and got a stay order ...
This all happened sometime in 2000 - 2001 ... if I remember correctly ...
I, for one, am totally for the helmet issue ...
I do not take my bike out without a helmet ... has become some kind of a compulsion now ...
Pune, has the highest number of two wheelers in Asia ... and I'd reckon ... the whole of the world ...
Most of the two wheelers drive rashly ... and are prone to accidents ...
Its a well established fact, the outcome of studying hundreds of cases ... that having a helmet, could have saved a person in an accident from dying, or worse, turning into a vegetable ...
Then why do people do this ?
Why can't they just acknowledge the fact, that the Govt. for once, is doing something right, and they should let them do it ...
Every other country in the world, has helmets compulsory for two wheelers ...
Then why cannot we implement it here ?
This just shows how dumb can people get ...
They have formed an organisation ... a 6 word something - Marathi name ... which translates as : "The Pune Anti Helmet Order Group"
Everyday, you'll see a notice in the newspaper, saying that the PAHOG is having a meeting at such and such place ... to come up with reasons and protests, as to quash this evil Govt. scheme ...
Then there is this smart-ass, who writes to the Editor that ...
The helmet law should not be implemented due to the following reasons :
1. A person is responsible for his own safety ...
2. When this law is implemented, helmets will become expensive ... or cheaper, subsidized stuff will be available ...
3. This will be another way in which a policeman will harass people and take bribes ...
4. The roads in Pune are so bad that two wheelers do not travel at a speed of more than 20 km-hr ... so there will no use of a helmet in an accident ...
I mean, people have all the time, and brains in the world to come up with such fantastic excuses, that I feel, its no use protecting their heads with helmets, which is functioning so poorly anyways ...
How about doing something constructive for a change ?
When I first started going to college on a bike ( 12th std - Junior College ), I had a Bajaj Sunny ( the so un-dependable ) ... and I was forced to wear a helmet by my mom ... whom I later thanked profusely when I was involved in an accident ... and lived to tell about it ...
It was a funny sight ...
I was already finding it hard to fit on a Sunny, and on top of that, with a helmet, it must have been a sight to see ...
People would often ask me ... why did I wear a helmet on a "Sunny" ?
The answer was simple ... the guy hitting you from behind, won't care a damn if you're on a sunny or a mo-bike ...
They are also coming up with the "Pillion needs to wear a helmet law" which I am not totally for ... it seems pretty unpractical ...
But, if they impose it, I'd be following it happily ...
I'll have to lug an extra helmet ... but what the heck ?
On the other hand, it could turn out to be a boon ... refusing some not so interesting people a ride ... under the pretence of not having a helmet ...
But then it can turn both ways ...
Feb 1st is the day to watch ...
Just have to see whether stupidity again wins this time ...
Friday, January 14, 2005
For a lil' bit of sense ...
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3 comments:
//"Pune, has the highest number of two wheelers in Asia ... "//
is this true dude? I thought Bombay had more twowheelers than the population of pune. that place is leaking people!
The helmet law is good. The sad thing is there is no alternative to what a traditional helmet offers. I am all for protection but we should spend some research on developing helmets which (a) doesnt make u sweat inside (b) lets u hear some honking or calling from outside
I am pretty much sure its Pune ...
Have read it earlier and confirmed it from a few of my friends ...
Bomabay has got a hell lot of people alright, but they have lots of cars ... and then they have their local trains ...
The helmets are pretty cool as of now ... could do with a wireless, bike - radio and a street-hawk type speedometer, GPS tracked Maps and other stuff integrated into the Wind Screen ...
Then it would be something :)
- Saurabh
Govt. has done quite a good deed by making helmets compulsary. Even a Pillion rider should wear a helmet. Not only that a 2-wheeler should carry only 2 riders(including himself/herself) at time & not the whole family.
Its only in Maharashtra that I am seeing that this law has been implemented after such a long time. In other states it has been implemented a ages back. Like in WB there are very less 2-wheeler because the law is very strict out here. And more over we don't have a crisis of transportation.
But what I consider the biggest setback for our sincere citizens from following this law is the Belief in "POWER OF MONEY". People here are crazy about this power. "Mamu Pakra to use Harri Patti Dikaneka Hai"(If the cop catches us just Bribe him) This is what is the ideology of most of the people out here in Pune. This is not a report from a paper but something which I have seen amongst many riders(Some of whom are my friends).
So as long as people out here believe in this harmful power of bribing the COP, there is hope of any progress.
-Gourab K
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