Idle musings

CAR, BIKE AND THE RAINS I have a car to drive now. I learnt driving a car in the beginning of 2004, but learning to drive and actually driving one's own car are two different things ! I am now better at driving the car than when I first got it more than a couple of months ago. In my own judgement, there is some way to go before I become happy about it. My parking skills can improve and I don't have the comfort that should come when one drives a good car. .... and my car is the best in the world, of course :-)) .... Never mind the Maybachs and the Mercedeses of the world ! Apart from the psychological feeling of discomfort, the fuel bills of my car shocked me in the first month. As a result, I happily return to the motorbike during the weekends. In a way, along with me, my car gets a break during the weekends :-) .... and my motorbike and helmet, conversely, come alive during the weekend breaks ! The rains are heavy in my city this year. It is when the rain pours in the evening...

THE MINOR MISHAP I had a close shave on the roads tonight. As I opened the throttle of my bike, I noticed a moped swerving to the right on my left, coming from behind me. I had been aware that he was looking to overtake me and further slowed down to let the man in a hurry proceed. What I had not been aware of was the pillion rider. This gentleman (?) had a round, filled sack that can be best described as huge. The sack hit my bike, which wobbled and toppled over to one side. Even as I mentally cursed the driver, I was aware of shouts behind me and the screech of brakes. It was lucky that none of the vehicles were in full speed. I was also luckier that the vehicle behind me was a taxi. Taxi drivers, in my opinion, are used to any kind of interruptions. The taxi driver easily braked even as I and my bike toppled to one side. Dazed and a little panicky (but physically almost unscratched), I lifted the bike and put it into neutral. I faced a problem though : the bike still wouldn't mo...

    I have almost recovered from a viral fever that weakened me no end. It was the worst case of fever that I have suffered so far. When the fever was at its peak, brushing my teeth in the morning made me feel so tired, it felt like I had climbed Mount Everest AND completed a marathon ! What is worse, I passed on the bug to my parents. Now, while I was on the mend, my father was beginning to show the symptom of extreme tiredness and my mother was also tired. To buy medicines for them, I decided to drive and get them.     In the first week of October, we celebrated "Ayudha Pooja". This is a day when all tools (including vehicles) are spruced up and worshipped. I had begun to feel the effects of the fever on that day itself. It was with some effort that I completed the rite. Since that day, my motorbike lay untouched.     To get the bike started was an effort. It was a good two weeks since it was last driven. I needed to use the choke and t...

    On Thursday, 4-Sep-03, I thought of a simple solution to the increased traffic problem after the rain in my city : I came home driving in the rain !     It was not as simple as it sounds.     When I saw the rain outside the windows at work, I actually turned back and decided to go later. On a second thought, I felt it was better I left in the rain. If I waited for it to stop, I would be joining the majority of two wheelers who would leave after the rain reduces or stops ! Turning my back on the comfortable office interiors, I revved my bike into action and set out into the rain.     It was terrible ! The rain was actually a heavy drizzle. However, as I opened the throttle on my bike, the coldness of the rain seeped into me, numbing me in a matter of minutes. I flatter myself that I can withstand the cold as good as anybody at home, if not better. Yet, the coldness of the rain was something that I could not bear. It di...

    The traffic was bad last week on the roads. One reason for this was a pleasant one : there were regular rains in the city. Vehicle owners here prefer to wait until the coast is clear (!) before venturing out. So, everybody has the same idea at the same time, leading to traffic clogging ! This is particularly true of motor bike drivers, who don't venture out in the rain - like me :-))     The second reason why traffic was bad was not so pleasant : there was a VIP visiting town. So, there were policemen in the main roads I travel and signals that were manually controlled and worse, traffic diversions and the resultant driver confusions and road rage !     Today was the beginning of a new week. There was little rain during the weekend and the VIPs (it appears) have gone. The climate was cool in the evening when I started for home from work. Hopefully, I opened the throttle on my bike, as I hit an open stretch of the road. It was bliss : ther...