Disclaimer: This post is a quintessence of my imagination running riot. All these need not be necessarily true. This is just an update. Read on, anyway.
As you have noticed I haven’t been able to dedicate time to blog here or elsewhere. Therefore, after many thoughts and after a long hiatus I’ve decided to update this space again. I reckon I’m just too busy to keep the blog up the way it deserves to be, and I must admit it feels great to blog again. Okay, to the post now.
Well, last year by the end of June, I was in Kerala along with my parents to attend a family function. When things got over I was asked to return alone as my parents stayed back saying they had some more rituals to be performed. Therefore, I made my way to the railway station all alone. I reached the station beforehand and my ticket was also booked and after having a scrumptious meal, I stood there on the platform waiting for the train. I didn’t face any problems while waiting; the train was on time. My baggage wasn’t heavy, so I didn’t have problems with that either. Things couldn’t have been better. Great! I thought. I got into the train and went on searching my berth in the entire compartment. With some assistance, I finally settled for a place. Furthermore, as I noticed, just opposite me sat a young woman or rather a dazzlingly beautiful young girl I should say, who was busy listening to music on her, I-Pod equally engrossed with a novel in her hand.
Where is my music by the way?! Abruptly, I gave the baggage a good rummage but couldn’t find it. Well, I felt pretty bad when I thought I was without headphones. I didn’t have a book to read either, at least to while away my time. How do you think one could pass the time sitting idly? I suggest you make sure you carry either of the things with you while traveling. Severe boredom can sometimes madden you, especially when you are alone and when you are in such a hapless situation. Well,it was almost like I was falling through a bottomless chasm of boredom. Quite, quite. Feeling tedious, a chitchat with someone or with the girl opposite me wouldn’t hurt I thought. Moreover, I wanted to break the ice sooner or later, so finally I decided to strike up a conversation with her.
It started off pleasantly well, and while we did away exchanging agreeable pleasantries, the conversation suddenly veered towards globe-trotting, wanderlust-ing, and the like. Halfway through and all of a sudden, she posed a pretty interesting question which I feel, almost, went unnoticed as I didn’t have much to talk about then. I pondered for some time and came up with something which I felt didn’t strike her fancy. That’s what the title is and that’s what this entry is all about.
Which side of the road is right?
Which side of the road is right? Yeah, which side of the road is right?
Sadly, even I asked to myself which side of the road was right?! When you’re driving, always keep left. Yeah, always drive on the left side of the road. However, mind you, this is not the regulation everywhere. After surfing the Internet, I’ve found that one third of the world drive on the left side of the road while two-thirds drive on the right. Well, let me get this straight then, if you are an Indian in the U.S., you will face the problem of driving on the other side of the road. The same can also happen to Americans driving in the United Kingdom, Britishers driving in Europe, Aussies driving in Germany etc. etc., you can take a good look at it here. Initially, the traffic rule was to drive always on the left side of the road worldwide, and they also had a fair reason to switch to driving on the right side of the road. What is interesting is that left-hand-traffic has a right-hand-driver’s position while right-hand-traffic has a left-hand-driver’s position, there are some exceptions to it though.
And I now reckon the girl who asked me this question should be either a born-in-India-raised-in-the-U.S. or born and raised in the U.S. type, faced with the maddening and vexing task of driving on the wrong side of the road. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have come up with this question.
Furthermore, according to the World Standards, this is what they have got to say:
If you are planning to visit the UK and happen to come from one of the many countries that drive on the wrong side of the road, the following advice, direct from the Ministry of Transport, is for you:
“Visitors are informed that in the United Kingdom traffic drives on the left-hand side of the road. In the interests of safety, you are advised to practice this in your country of origin for a week or two before driving in the UK.”
To cite an incident that’s related to this post, one evening as I was speeding along the road, all of a sudden out of nowhere came the gasp of power brakes. I slammed on the brakes as well and almost rammed into the opposite vehicle. I looked up at the blushing face of the driver, and I stared intently at him with a devastating look. He came on the wrong side of the road and fortunately, nothing happened. My heart skipped a beat and for a second or two, I felt I had my heart in my mouth.
Hey dickhead, which side of the road do you think is right?
When he was too asphyxiated to speak, it would have abashed him even more if I’d blurted out that rhetorical question? No? Well, I’m just asking…
PS: This is just a random update to apprise everyone that this blog isn’t dead yet. I’ll try to update this space more often. So stay tuned denizens, watch this space anyway. Adios for now.