Road Rage, a Baseball Bat and Personal Safety

Road Rage, a Baseball Bat and Personal Security, I know not many will be able to interconnect these three phrases to exactly make some sense. But for me at times these words are really intertwined to each other. Road Rage I know is now a global phenomenon, and for people who drive on Delhi roads this term really make sense, DAILY. New Delhi, the capital of India, was recently voted amongst the most unsafe cities to drive around. Well, that was not an eye opener at all. In fact, I was amused why such things take so long to crop up. To add to the frustration level of my fellow drivers the Delhi roads nowadays looks like moon’s surface full of craters thanks to ongoing CWG construction work. 

That reminded me of an incident of road rage that happened with one of my cousin brother last month. He was badly beaten by five men in drunken state after he had a heated argument with them on the road. All these five men were using rough Haryanvi dialect and had hockey sticks with them in their Toyota Qualis. As per my assumption they might have been cab drivers from a nearby village in Gurgaon who are often on a fun drive in midnight after boozing excessively. These men dragged my cousin out of his car and started assaulting him with hockey sticks. The more shocking thing was that not a single car passing by stopped to help him. This incident took place at 11 pm in night on Chiragh Delhi road. After having beaten him up black and blue they threatened with dire consequence if this matter ever goes to the police. It’s been two months since the incident and my cousin is still recuperating of his injuries. Even though he managed to note down the Toyota Qualis’s number his family member understandably forced him not to go to the police.

This road rage incident led to a debate between me and my friends. What if we ever find ourselves in such awkward situation? What about personal safety and how to protect ourselves on Delhi’s roads? Can we fight back? I know it only happens in an action flick where single man overpowers twenty men. But this is real life we are talking about and fighting five men single handedly is not a joke. In fact it is beyond human limits. So when I asked them for solution one of them quipped, “That is why I always keep a baseball bat beneath my car’s seat.” I knew this guy as a spoiled brat who always had his father’s business as a backup if he couldn’t study properly. “Yes, I know nowadays lot of young guys keep baseball bat inside their car for protection. But why baseball bat”, I asked. “Arrey dumbo, it is handy, heavy and effective and no cop sees it as a weapon. Even in the case of your cousin those men used hockey sticks to beat him up. Remember,” he replied acting smart. This was not going well with me. It was okay to keep baseball bat but how will an elderly citizen or woman driver will ever be able to use it.

But this guy’s suggestion had a magical effect on rest of my friends as most of them bought a baseball bat the very next day. They started flaunting it as if it was a latest fad. One day few of them took me for a night out in a pub. When we were going back home most of us were tipsy after having a few shots of Tequila. Three of my friends drew out the baseball bats and started swaying them in circular motion while hanging out of the car’s windows. They were abusing and teasing the passer byes gave me déjà vu feeling of those five Haryanvi men who had assaulted my cousin. That feeling made me uneasy and I shouted, “Stop this childishness.” After a brief silence I again yelled at my friends and said, “You people got these baseball bats for your own protection but I am seeing you turn into rowdies like those idiots who assaulted my cousin. We are back to square one.” After this I got out of the car and took an auto to my home. Since then road rage, baseball bat and personal safety seems to be common terms to me.

Vikas Sharda

Beggar By Choice

Beggar by Choice

As per the Court’s directive in Delhi, any person found giving alms to beggars at traffic signals across Delhi may have to shell Rs 1000 fine. But I say why target just the common man instead of eliminating the root cause, the very act of begging. I know the government is trying its best to make capital beggar free, or to phrase it better, cleanse the city before the much-awaited Commonwealth Games. And if the Government thinks getting rid of beggars is so easy, a average Delhiite can tell you, No sir!, its hard nut to crack.

On that note, I want to share with you one of mine own interesting experience with a female beggar. Well, I was not directly involved, but just heard a little conversation between an educated lady and female beggar at a traffic signal in Delhi.

The incident took place two years ago. I was on my way back home on my motorcycle after finishing the day’s work at office. Stranded at a traffic signal near Moolchand flyover I was waiting for the signal turn green. Suddenly, a lady beggar in her mid-twenties approached two elderly women sitting in an autorickshaw parked on my right. The lady beggar had a half-naked newborn in her lap and with one of her breasts popping out she shamelessly approached them.

Rest of the conversation goes as below, which I somehow was able to hear loud and clear:

Lady Beggar: Oh! Madam, may God bless you, can you please give me a 100 rupees. I have nothing to feed my infant.

Woman in Auto: (In a strong voice) First of all can you kindly cover yourself properly and stop embarrassing people around you.

Lady Beggar: Jee Memsaheb, please forgive me (adjusting her clothes).

Woman in Auto: Where do you stay?

Lady Beggar: I live just below this flyover, near the red light on the other side. We are very poor people and have to beg to sustain ourself.

Woman in Auto: (After conversing with the other women in the auto) Oh! Is that so, would you like to work?

Lady Beggar: No madam, my husband will beat me up. I can’t. You just give me something. The traffic signal will go green very soon. Hurry please!

Woman in Auto: Areey! You are young and healthy I can give you some work as a maid in my house. I live just few paces away from here. Would you like to work? I will give you Rs 2,500/- per month to work as a maid in my house. Tell me, will you!

Lady Beggar: (Suddenly there was change in expression on the beggar’s face. And with her feeble voice turning rustic, rude she spoke) Kyun tu mera subah subah dimaag khraab karti hai maayi. Nahin karna kaam mereko. Main yahin acha kamati hun. Nikal yahan se. Why are you spoiling my mood early in the morning? I don’t want to work, I earn well here. You just get lost!

Both women were shell shocked after listening to lady beggar’s response as she vanished in the traffic. The women in auto gave me stunned look as one her spoke to me, “That’s why Delhi is full of beggars and filth. They are happy begging but won’t work. Terrible I say.” And I nodded affirmatively in response.

Soon the light turned green and I moved out of there along with the traffic. But somehow I couldn’t digest what I just heard moments ago. I really had to pity on those two women and couldn’t understand why that lady beggar turned down such a nice job offer. Will she be able to earn better just by begging?

I reached home and met a friend of mine with whom I shared this incident. This guy has a cousin brother who is a constable in Delhi Police. He found the whole incident amusing and said, “You see my policewala bhai knows these beggars very well. Most of the female beggars you see on roads are not even moms. They hire newborns on Rs 100 per day charge from jhuggis. And you know they sometimes earn more than Rs 5000/- per month. It’s all about easy money my friend.” That was news for me and I thought maybe his policewala bhai must have had little share of his own from street beggars’ earnings. We all know the cops in Delhi. Don't we.

Interestingly, my friend also had his own story to share. This was about how once he was duped by a pregnant beggar. My friend is a visibly rich guy and he was traveling back home in his car with his mother sitting on the rear seat. He was waiting at traffic signal near Nehru Place, when suddenly a pregnant woman opened the car’s back door and entered it without hesitation. She sat beside my friend’s mother and yelled, “Memsahib, I am expecting and having labour pains. Please take me to the hospital.” My friend has a very mature brain and he realized that this is a trap, but he was ashamed to speak anything in front of his mother. His mother, being a mother asked him to drive the car towards the nearest hospital.

Now, realizing that its high time react, my friend turned backwards and asked the pregnant woman, “How much money you want?” To this she replied, “Nahin Chahiye saab." But after a pause she said, "Okay saab, give me Rs 2000-3000, and I will take an auto and go to the hospital myself.” My friend took out an Rs 500 note and offered it to her. “Nahin sahib, I am pregnant you see, give me Rs 2000 please.” “You want it or not, or should I call the police,” my friend spoke in a threatening voice. What happened in next few second was astonishing. She took the Rs 500 note got out of the car and ran across the road like an athlete. My friend’s mother couldn’t believe her eyes as she watched her go. May be she was not pregnant at all.

The incidents like above are not new to people traveling in Delhi. But what strikes me more is that how these street beggars take pride in the whole act of begging. Moreover I feel we Indians are too sympathetic, ritualistic and very primitive with our thoughts. All these things promote begging. That’s why I think begging is here to stay, and that too with CHOICE.

By Vikas Sharda