Yet again I was hit by a speeding motorcyclist. Right from behind he knocked me down as he sped overtaking from the left side. His Two wrongs – speeding when other vehicles have stopped and overtaking from the left. If that was not enough he talked me down and said why I don’t I look carefully and walk. (I’m surprised he did not shout back “walk on the footpath you…”) I told him it was his fault and asked him did he not know why in India we have right hand drive? Idiot that is the reason why overtaking from the left is wrong. He argued how else should he have overtaken and that is when I said if he didn’t know that, why was he driving at all and who gave him a licence. All this happened 10 minutes away from home, Charni rd station right outside Goodluck motor training school. One of the many short cut ways to get a driving licence in this city. He got mad at me for saying what I did and asked me to go away before he lost it. By then I lost it and gave him sock on his shoulder. Obviously no one came forward to help me.

I am in a state of shock and my body has gone into trauma phase. It will take a while for it to subside. Two friends called promptly and one recommended AT200 a homeopathic medicine in such cases. By then I stood up with the body jolted and shaking. The cabbie who I had kept waiting too didn’t bother to rush forward and help me. I seriously am expecting people to behave the way I would have, which I know is a huge mistake on my part. I have picked up a lady and given her water to drink, I don’t expect public do this to me, but the least is to help the victim and take him/her aside and try to see if requires any medical help. These basic mandatory duties don’t exist and we should not expect is what cities in India tell you.

Yet again the accident reminded me how cheap and instant death can be, apart from the fact it is violent in such accidents. Small mercies nothing is broken and I am in a single piece. At that instance you don’t think of anything. Nothing you possess or want even remotely crosses your mind. You just fervently wish you remain safe and in one unbroken piece. Thankfully a slow man came forward after the motorcyclist sped away towards Marine Lines. He walked briskly towards me and repeatedly asked me to note down the number plate. My instant reaction was to open the WA chat of Mumbai Traffic Police and immediately filed a complaint. They promptly replied as my hands continued to shake post the accident. They asked me to call RTO helpline num, that is when I revealed who I am and said I have no strength to do so. A lady police officer called and politely said she had lodged my complaint and they have communicated via wireless message but said I should call RTO helpline so that next time whenever the vehicle owner goes to RTO, the complaint against him will show up. I called and lodged complaint. Of course it didn’t stop there, they then asked me to call Kalbadevi police station, which is when I said enough I’m done.

One can do all this if only one survives. I am right now still livid that walkers have NO space in this country. we are being forced to get off the roads. There is deliberate ignorance and indifference shown by authorities. Many like me believe in public transport and we love to walk, but have absolutely no place to do so. We want proper gaps in these never ending dividers. Clean subways, most often leave aside clean, the subways Do not exist. Give us proper zebra zones and force people to STOP. Just go to the signal at Kalaghoda, Bombay University, despite green signal for walkers, all vehicles break the law speeding past us. Why is it that police do NOT bother to book all those who break law? They can just monitor even on the cctv cameras. What are these cctv cameras for, to begin with? It is a pity we abled professionals are being thrown off the roads forcibly by law breaking citizens and it is being allowed by all authorities.

Now the imp nos.
Mumbai traffic police – WA num: 8454999999
RTO helpline : 1800220110

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