The two wheeled paradox
Are they a species? Does swarm intelligence govern them? Or do they adhere to the ‘survival of the fittest’ theory?
Each time I set my eyes on them-and it is almost the whole day long- I am fascinated.
Not birds, not bees but the ubiquitous ‘2 wheelers’-mostly motorcycles- of Chennai work themselves into my psyche in a macho whirr.
From my third floor balcony I get a glimpse of the main ‘village’ road below. Earthmovers, water tankers, city buses, school buses, mini vans, cars, bullock carts, bicycles…and 2 wheelers ply non stop. If all are driven, as in a driven haste, to reach their destinations; the 2 wheelers seem to be in the throes of some karmic rendez-vous. The helmet clad, the helmet-hung-on-side types, the more ‘don’t care’ non-helmetted ones…all on their Mission of Life. They twist themselves, overtake relentlessly and simply rush. ‘Give us an inch and see us zoom a mile’ they proclaim. Chennai 2 wheelers have a unique double personality; whether on a small road or a highway, they think wrong is right and forge ahead, against traffic, or even on pavements(that rarity!).They zip and zoom from left and right and everywhere. and when one is looking for a piece of free road to walk on, there they are, neatly stalled, their owners busy attending nature’s distress call…
As if they are not a phenomenon by themselves, Chennai bikers have bands and groups, and organized racing on busy roads. Some, or maybe many, think of their bikes as their better halves. Why not? The vehicle gives them a sense of power, goes the way they will and is generally not talkative…who is better than the Chennai chain snatcher to endorse the stealthy efficiency of the two wheeler!
The pillion riders are a class in themselves. The man balancing long metal rods or half a dozen Moderna chairs, the one talking on the mobile on behalf of the rider, the flowery woman, in flashy fake ‘pattu’, holding her rider man tight, the school going kid neatly balancing himself and his load, the substantial mami doing full justice to the space available, the amazingly relaxed mother cajoling her baby while the vehicle rushes all around…The ‘sandwich family’ fascinates me no end, father, mother and their whole brood in between them, stuck like cheese slices.
Bikers seem to be born to dodge and defy-traffic rules, speed breakers and humanity. And yet when I call up the technician expected for more than an hour, he says he is stuck in traffic. The ingenious Chennai excuse! Chennai it seems has the highest number of 2 wheelers in India (21 lakhs says today’s paper). God save us!
Caught in peak hour traffic jam, I am irked by the sheer savoir-faire of the bikers, their maneuverability and their apparent immunity from all rules and regulations.But .. a fleeting recollection of the day’s newspaper headings change my feelings : 15 year old 2 wheeler rider hit from behind by a lorry, crushed under its wheels. What a moving paradox of power and vulnerability! Of the human condition itself! I silently wish the mother- baby duo a safe journey home.
Each time I set my eyes on them-and it is almost the whole day long- I am fascinated.
Not birds, not bees but the ubiquitous ‘2 wheelers’-mostly motorcycles- of Chennai work themselves into my psyche in a macho whirr.
From my third floor balcony I get a glimpse of the main ‘village’ road below. Earthmovers, water tankers, city buses, school buses, mini vans, cars, bullock carts, bicycles…and 2 wheelers ply non stop. If all are driven, as in a driven haste, to reach their destinations; the 2 wheelers seem to be in the throes of some karmic rendez-vous. The helmet clad, the helmet-hung-on-side types, the more ‘don’t care’ non-helmetted ones…all on their Mission of Life. They twist themselves, overtake relentlessly and simply rush. ‘Give us an inch and see us zoom a mile’ they proclaim. Chennai 2 wheelers have a unique double personality; whether on a small road or a highway, they think wrong is right and forge ahead, against traffic, or even on pavements(that rarity!).They zip and zoom from left and right and everywhere. and when one is looking for a piece of free road to walk on, there they are, neatly stalled, their owners busy attending nature’s distress call…
As if they are not a phenomenon by themselves, Chennai bikers have bands and groups, and organized racing on busy roads. Some, or maybe many, think of their bikes as their better halves. Why not? The vehicle gives them a sense of power, goes the way they will and is generally not talkative…who is better than the Chennai chain snatcher to endorse the stealthy efficiency of the two wheeler!
The pillion riders are a class in themselves. The man balancing long metal rods or half a dozen Moderna chairs, the one talking on the mobile on behalf of the rider, the flowery woman, in flashy fake ‘pattu’, holding her rider man tight, the school going kid neatly balancing himself and his load, the substantial mami doing full justice to the space available, the amazingly relaxed mother cajoling her baby while the vehicle rushes all around…The ‘sandwich family’ fascinates me no end, father, mother and their whole brood in between them, stuck like cheese slices.
Bikers seem to be born to dodge and defy-traffic rules, speed breakers and humanity. And yet when I call up the technician expected for more than an hour, he says he is stuck in traffic. The ingenious Chennai excuse! Chennai it seems has the highest number of 2 wheelers in India (21 lakhs says today’s paper). God save us!
Caught in peak hour traffic jam, I am irked by the sheer savoir-faire of the bikers, their maneuverability and their apparent immunity from all rules and regulations.But .. a fleeting recollection of the day’s newspaper headings change my feelings : 15 year old 2 wheeler rider hit from behind by a lorry, crushed under its wheels. What a moving paradox of power and vulnerability! Of the human condition itself! I silently wish the mother- baby duo a safe journey home.
posted by meera @ 9:33 AM
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