Sunday, November 20, 2005

Animals and Roads

In our city, the unsaid rule about zebra crossing is :-

"Zebra crossings are meant only for zebras.

Since we dont have many zebras here (I have not seen a herd of zebras crossing any of our roads, till now) the zebra crossings have lost significance.Ask a pedestrian about "why dont you use a zebra-crossing" , he may laugh loudly at you.

This made me think about how animals cross roads.

Animals exhibit unique behavioral patterns while crossing roads :-

a) Stray dogs, usually, are damn good crossers of road....They know a driver's mind.Especially if the driver is a 2-wheeler driver or a four wheeler driver.But they always underestimate the lorries.

b) Cows and buffaloes are really clueless...They STAND.But the best way to deal with a cow on the road, is to blast your way from behind the cow.Cows cant turn around very quickly. However, be careful when it is watering the roads, lifting its tail up :-p

c)Pigs are very confusing. You may find them in marshy places/dirty places. They confuse the hell out of you.

d)Hens and adamant roosters are the most fickle road crossers and most dangerous among animals. You got to be really careful.They can confuse even a cyclist and make him fall.

Music: Pink Floyd - Animals

8 comments:

Tejaswi said...

Pigs can be truly confusing; and they are not restricted to just "filthy" areas.

In Shimoga (which still has open drains, all over), there are as many pigs on the streets as there are dogs on Banglore roads after midnight. These pigs, their personality and all, try to predict the driver, and the driver tries to predit Mr. Swine, and we have a game theoretic situation of two benevolent (hopefully) predictors. After many gives and takes, you cross the first pig, and then, there are many more crossing the road, as the camera in a Sci-fi movie lifts up into a panoramic shot of the road and you see pigs over pigs crossing the road in a very Matrixesque style.

Have an exam, and am a little delusional.

sudeep said...

hahaha ...sisya i think you have already become DELUSIONAL.....

Srini said...

sudeepa, these songs really provide you with some context for these blogs. in my 8 yrs of driving, a pig has never crossed my path. i must be driving the wrong roads.

dude u missed the most important animal of 'em all: PEOPLE. They are much worse than these praanis.

They give much greater tension as a motorist than any of these poor creatures

sudeep said...

people ! Communication gap in people causes bad accidents....But I dont want to talk abt people because even I am a homo sapien .....

Sridhar Raman said...

>>dude u missed the most important animal of 'em all: PEOPLE
In particular kids!!! And if you were in Madras, cyclists would be the worst form of "animals"!

zee said...

I can't believe that your playlist makes you so creative :D

sudeep said...

chilli:
The problem with cyclists is that , to maintain balance they shake the handles and that distance is the radius of coverage for a cycle. That much leeway should be given by us.

venus:
:-)...thanks! but I am listening to Doors after a long time...I had almost forgotten the song which you put in the blog!

test123 said...

luna wallah imho. I have observed that the luna is an under powered vehicle, and the rider as a result avoids braking as much as possible. Inclines are where they are at their most dangerous. Hero Puchs don't fall into this category :) gnaani.