No Horn, Please!

Ever since I began to use the “new” motor bike, I am sure about one thing: no one will ever tell me not to honk, and no one will be irritated by mindless honking the horn. What have I done that I would be quite innocent of disturbing others by using horn? It is not that I have to do something extra-ordinary to be somewhat different from other bikers; all that I have done for now is deliberately refusing to repair the horn which is not functioning. The friend who had given the bike for me to use did not tell me that the horn was not functioning, and when I began to drive on the busy streets of Kolkata, I found quite strange, and awkward to drive without the horn.

Now that I have been using the bike for some two months, I am quite happy without the need to use it. In fact, when I told my friend why the horn was not working, he himself felt quite embarassed, and asked me to get it repaired as soon as possible. When I told him that I planned not to use horn on the road, he was quite surprised. He might have thought that I was just kidding. He told me that it is impossible to drive on the city street without honking, and now I can show others, it is quite possible to drive in the megacity without the need to hork even once!

But in that case, is it that easy to drive in the heart of the city without using the horn even once? Sometimes I realize that the person who is driving in front of me is not giving me way, and if I had the horn functioning properly, I might push the horn to get the attention of the person, and pull through. Now that I have no horn, I have to wait for the person to give me way; some times I have to slow down in order to find my way through. But does it matter much to me? Surely not! If I take just a few minutes extra, and save the neighbors the ordeal of deafening horns, it is well worth it!

During mid-day when the schools break off for the day, one can hear the most queer horns honking endlessly, and still traffic coming to standstill or moving like snails. Does honking make a difference in the situation? Most often it does not; one cannot force one's way through traffic congestion. Honking does not serve the purpose, and yet many who drive have the psychological satisfaction of passing through others, and forcing the other to give way; ultimately no one cares for others. If only we care for the sick and the suffering who mightbe on the road, we might be more careful not to annoy them with honking.

Someone had said that we Indians lack civic sense; maybe that is part of the Asian baggage; the situation is no different in other Asian countries, save Singapore, which is branded as the "fine" (to be paid in currency) city. We take it for granted, we have to shout in order to get the attention of others; there are other ways of driving through the city highways and avenues. I can only imagine a day when there will be no more honking, and it would be wonderful to walk around. In much of Europe that is already a reality, and how long will it take for India to enter into that phase? I am eagerly waiting for the day when vehicles will not need to have horns!