Apart from the fact that it wasn't raining!!
I got dressed in my Saturday casuals and left for office.
Everything was so good ... clear roads ... clear sky ... cool breeze ... doing a constant 60 kmph was really a nice feeling. I was singing to myself and making the most of this beautiful ride on the Mulund-Airoli bridge.
In my rearview, I could see a Maruti 800 gaining on me, and I could tell from the way it was being drive, there was a lunatic on the steering. I took the left lane, and let the car pass. By the sheer speed it overtook me, I am sure it was doing a good 100 kmph ++
I was wondering why people have to speed so much....maybe he was getting late for work, maybe he just found out about his wife running away, maybe someone near-dear is in the hospital, or maybe its nothing but need-for-speed.
At the Mulund toll naka, I saw the same car had an accident. Fortunately, the driver was not hurt. But the car was going to need a lot of time and money in the garage. I could not help myself, so I went to him and asked him how it happened; and why he was speeding so much.
It seems he wanted to reach Thane ASAP, and hence the speed. On the Eastern Express Highway, there was slight traffic, and he continued his need-for-speed. Near the toll naka, a huge tanker took a sharp right to avoid a crater on the road, and our hero was too fast to stop. So in order to avoid the collision, he steered right as well, and collided with the streetlamp. He was fortunate to not have hurt himself.
He learnt 2 lessons today, which he shared with me:
- Never over-speed even on an open, inviting road. Especially if you are in a small car. It is very difficult to control the car when your reflexes take over your brain.
- Be very, very careful with large vehicles near you. Even if they seem to suddenly come on your lane, it is scary.
Driving a tanker is safer than driving a car!
