At last someone noticed us!!!!

Cheers to all women!

I was all smiles this morning after reading a totally unanticipated report in the Delhi Times Gurgaon edition. ‘Lady drivers exempted from checking (in Gurgaon) because they are law-abiding, safe drivers ’- this was the happy news. At last someone noticed women (drivers) in the right sense. That someone must be ‘out of the world’ someone! Anyway, thanks!

After driving for almost 20 years I was stopped for the first time by a lady police, for checking my driving license and other papers, just a couple of months back. And here comes the fantastic news today. It is not fantastic simply because we can now go around fearlessly & proudly without a license, but because it’s a win over all the sneering men (educated, uneducated both) on road and there quick comment-‘ladies driver hai!’.(Can’t they see only one lady can have the steering at a time.)

It was my father’s decision to teach me driving. He was very encouraging too, but…. equally scared to teach me in his dear car. And my poor husband and his poor little car! Didn’t say anything, but I could well understand his feelings. He must have quietly said to his dil- ‘Aall izz well, aall izz well’, when I first drove out his car. Whatever the history of my learning, I always knew quite well that I am, for that matter all women, are better drivers than their husband. We are naturally safe drivers because our family is always in our mind, 25 hours a day. It does not hurt our ego if someone overtakes us. Neither are we on road to show our expertise in driving. We drive to reach the office or school or the market and get back home safely. This is our soul purpose and we do not bother about others on the road- men or anything! If I accidentally hit the vehicle in front of me, I will immediately say sorry because I know it happened because may be I was either speeding or was distracted by something. But what will be a man’s reaction? He will get down the car, go to the driver of the front vehicle and start shouting. Why did that driver stop suddenly? Arrey, what is that driver supposed to do other than braking, if the driver ahead of him suddenly brakes? Go and shout at him! And what is this driver’s (the first one in the chain) fault if he suddenly finds a big pothole on the road in front? ……Phew…men can never mistake in a men’s world! Whatever be the amount of traffic on the road, they should be the one to cross first, while women patiently wait for the traffic to clear, quietly bearing all the honkings from behind. Even my car understands this instinct of mine. I don’t have to worry about leaving the accelerator, and reaching for the clutch and brake. My (intelligent) car switches off by itself half a kilometer ahead of a cow crossing the road. Absolute non-violence!

Once again I must thank the Gurgaon traffic police for giving women drivers the recognition that was long due. I hope this order will encourage more women to come on the road. (And let the men have a lot more reason to delay going back home!)