Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Friday Review | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

Walk on the wild side

Walking is good for health and it's a way of learning about the country. But there is a certain amount of discipline pedestrians need to keep in mind, writes Rajiv Kumar V.

OBSERVATION Rajiv Kumar: By walking, we are also contributing to saving the environment

While there are those who believe that travelling by train is the best way to discover a country, I believe walking is better. I remember Peter O' Toole in Lawrence of Arabia ascribing the reason for England's greatness to "discipline". I walk not because of this piece of dialogue or because I cannot afford a vehicle or a bus pass. I walk because I enjoy walking.

So what is the point of the dialogue on discipline? It is because as you walk you realise how little discipline is there among us. Pedestrians also face problems but they should remember that there are others who use the road as well. People seem to cross roads for the express purpose of testing the driving skills of motorists.

The footpaths

Then there is this dislike to walk on pavements. One cannot wholly blame pedestrians, as there is no pavement to speak of what with parked vehicles, transformers, stalls and hawkers spilling over. Not to forget the naked wires crackling with raw power lying in wait to shock us out of existence. Are switches way out of the budget of the electricity board? Or are they traditionalists persevering with the linesman cycling every evening and lighting up the street by joining live wires with a hook? To be honest, a lot has changed especially after Anish's tragic accident. BESCOM seems to be following the prevention is better than cure adage.

There are other things to worry about such as people spitting from parked vehicles. I am pretty sure that people are not doing this on purpose. Making them realise how discipline and basic civic sense can make a difference can rectify their activities. Otherwise there will be a domino effect. It is the duty of every responsible citizen to make others realise the importance of discipline in daily life.

Pedestrians have an edge over motorists, as they are not jolted by potholes or crushed by traffic jams and can blithely walk up or down a one way as the fancy catches them.

By walking, we are also contributing to saving the environment and a brisk walk is what the doctors are all exhorting us to do.

So the next time you walk, remember the force is with you.

Do you have anything to say? About the state of the world, the city, your angst?

Pen it stylishly and you might get it published.

Don't forget to attach your photograph, either hard copy or scanned 300 dpi.

You may mail it to bangaloremetro@thehindu.co in or post it to MetroPlus, THE HINDU, 19 & 21, Bhagwan Mahaveer Road (Infantry Road), Bangalore 560 001.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail