THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS - Vol 35 | Issue 17-18 | 28 Oct 2011
PAUPER’S LOG:
Teen Bikers: Insanity is Macho
By Abu Arsh
Earlier this year near Netajee Stadium, a young boy in his teens met with a fatal accident while trying a stunt maneuver on a bike. This tragic incident took two lives. One of the boys was a fifteen year old and his friend about twenty odd years old. These boys were aping stunts performed in a reality show on a television channel sponsored by a leading Bike brand. It was a tragedy which could easily have been avoided if the boys' parents had kept a tab on the activities of their wards. For people who knew this innocent young teenager, it was a shock that has been hard to get over with. His father was on sailing most of the time and he was under the control of his mother. Darling of a doting mother being the only son as the younger sibling is a daughter. One fine dawn when school was to reopen in a few days after vacation, his grand parents were to arrive from mainland; the young teenager took the keys of his dad's bike from his mother on the pretext of going for morning prayers. His bike won't start, but the boy pushed it down a slope and after some trouble it finally did start. He went straight to where his senior friend was waiting and they started their stunts at break neck speed. Finally they decided that both of them would come from opposite directions at top speed and brake facing each other using front brakes which will lift the rear end of their bikes off the road as shown on TV. The stunt failed and the end result was twisted metal, burnt rubber, crushed bones, shredded muscles and disfigured faces with one of them spot dead. The teenager expired on reaching GB Pant hospital. His mother was lost with remorse and thoughts of guilt for letting her lone son go away in this manner.
Earlier this year near Netajee Stadium, a young boy in his teens met with a fatal accident while trying a stunt maneuver on a bike. This tragic incident took two lives. One of the boys was a fifteen year old and his friend about twenty odd years old. These boys were aping stunts performed in a reality show on a television channel sponsored by a leading Bike brand. It was a tragedy which could easily have been avoided if the boys' parents had kept a tab on the activities of their wards. For people who knew this innocent young teenager, it was a shock that has been hard to get over with. His father was on sailing most of the time and he was under the control of his mother. Darling of a doting mother being the only son as the younger sibling is a daughter. One fine dawn when school was to reopen in a few days after vacation, his grand parents were to arrive from mainland; the young teenager took the keys of his dad's bike from his mother on the pretext of going for morning prayers. His bike won't start, but the boy pushed it down a slope and after some trouble it finally did start. He went straight to where his senior friend was waiting and they started their stunts at break neck speed. Finally they decided that both of them would come from opposite directions at top speed and brake facing each other using front brakes which will lift the rear end of their bikes off the road as shown on TV. The stunt failed and the end result was twisted metal, burnt rubber, crushed bones, shredded muscles and disfigured faces with one of them spot dead. The teenager expired on reaching GB Pant hospital. His mother was lost with remorse and thoughts of guilt for letting her lone son go away in this manner.
Every year 100's of kids perish in road accidents owing to rash driving. Islanders also suffer from a syndrome where kids flaunt their parent's wealth and status. Parents provide them with bikes and cars, latest smart phones, gaming consoles and send them for tuitions even for art and crafts. Kids are always away from home rushing from one tuition to another. Life is fast paced and everyone's busy; young kids who are not of a legal age to drive are provided with two wheelers to attend tuition classes. These kids mature before others in picking up vices, be it riding vehicles at top speeds or picking up fights over trivial matters. All the while thinking insanity is macho. They assume girls are impressed by guys who burn rubber on the road, flash latest androids, dress branded apparel, play violent video games, smoke a fag and talk slang. Though papa has bought them a latest model helmet, it is not chic to put them on while riding a bike. Helmet hinders these young guns's vision, spoils their hairdo and obstructs the view of the onlooker of their handsome faces. It is also inconvenient when answering the frequent phone calls they receive while on the move. For all this traffic violation and more, traffic policeman uncle would not book them either as their dad is known to all.
Our Islands do not have enough land mass where roads can be built which are of such length or width as in big cities. Due to undulating topography roads curve every few meters and the gradient also varies with steep inclines or slopes. Port Blair has lacked basic planning since ages, building set backs are insufficient, hawkers/shops encroach on footpaths, ever increasing no of vehicles, parked vehicles on road side spaces- make the roads narrower for moving motorists. Traffic sense among motorists of private or public transport and pedestrians is non-existent creating further chaos. In conditions like these the young teenagers with no mastery over machine go all out trying to create a stunt spectacle; this is extremely dangerous for the rider, pillion, pedestrians or hawkers. Parents need to stop their wards from this indulgence until they arrive at a legal age to drive a vehicle sensibly. Road safety rules and regulation lessons are to be made mandatory for kids at an early age. Our roads need to be safer for all; we parents can assure this for our wards.
1 comment:
every1 should read dis , very gud effort sir
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