Stop jay walking
At about 9.30 a.m. in the morning, I was waiting at a traffic signal in front of Alliance Franchise keeping close to the maiden to take a U turn. Suddenly, there was a knock on the window, turning around I saw a girl in uniform yelling at me. Being unable to hear anything I lowered the window and I was shocked to hear what she had to say. I politely asked her, was she walking on the footpath that I have to make way for her to pass. I was even more shocked to hear her reply. She said it is for the students of Dhaka City College.
If this is what students learn at school, I am afraid they should not go to school. I am sorry to say I could not find any difference between an illiterate person and this college going girl. People send their children to school to be educated and become good human beings and not just be a bread winner. Unfortunately, the situation is different in our country.
Fortunately enough, the traffic in front of me cleared away and I left the place with a sad feeling. Had I been stuck there for a while, probably the girl would have screamed at the top of her voice so that her college-mates on the other side of the road could hear her cry and come to her rescue. The result is pretty well known to the city dwellers, my car that I bought with a bank loan would have been smashed and set ablaze. I have been driving since 1972 without a single incident quite narrowly I avoided one that day. Whenever there is a road accident, the blame goes on to the driver of the vehicle, no one for a while ponders who is at fault. This is unfair.
To avoid road accidents Jay Walking has to stop altogether. It is surprising to note that people prefer to walk across the street instead of using foot over-bridge or underpass in-spite of the stark reality of tragic road accidents every now and then.
If the authorities concerned are unable to control the unruly people, then it is better they implement a law that whosoever shall cross the street unlawfully shall get crushed under the wheels of the speeding vehicle and it shall go Scott free.
I am sure the result will be spectacular, the authorities shall not even be able to send a single person forcibly to cross the street in an unlawful manner again.
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