Driving Lessons – FOC

I kept thinking very long about what to write to fill my blog, But then I dig topics from my life. This one is not about feelings or emotions. Its about the people who go about giving a piece of their mind unasked for Free Of Cost (FOC)
Advice!!! Everyone has an opinion about the other person’s life. Some seem to have better judgment over the person himself. What is right and what is wrong is purely a subjective perception, in reality it never occurs to people that two human beings are different.
Right!! Now the story!
Some people are so passionate about giving free tips for (supposedly) reckless drivers.


Last week I was riding my bike in a very congested market place in my area. Normally I assess my driving in situations like these and I was pretty content about how I got my way out despite the traffic. There came a middle aged uncle with his daughter behind in a scooter riding as slow as he could. No problems with that, keeping in mind the narrow path in which each one of us tried to fight our way out. Since there were people walking to my left I had to be careful not to hit anyone ;) I had to slightly turn right since the pedestrian crowd grew in number. Mind you, I turned may be an inch.
I heard a voice, but I didn’t turn back.


Traffic was still there and it was slowly clearing. Someone driving beside me said “Left la cut panna theriyanum” in a commanding tone.
I completely ignored it, used to the regular phenomenon of people’s comments on the road. I drove ahead since the traffic cleared to some extent.

“Vandi otta therinja mattum podadu ma, paathu ottanum” I heard the voice again. I was getting irritated now. I looked to see the gentleman, and it was that uncle in the scooter.
I spontaneously blurted out “Thanks uncle, thanks a lot” in a clearly harsh tone.

To my shock he literally stopped his scooter abruptly before me that I had to stop as well. I was clueless about what was happening. There was traffic building up behind me. People looked with curiosity at me, its is always fun to watch someone fight on the road, no matter how late its getting.

He said “en ma, paathu po nu dana sonnen? Sonna kovam mattum varudu?"
What the hell, I am not the one who would listen to someone’s words and be silent when I haven’t done a thing wrong.
I was half surprised and half furious about him that I replied back,
“ungala enna na idichena? Edukku theva ellama pesareenga?”

Clearly not expecting me to give him a reply he said,
“appo idicha dan sollanuma? Ungalukkulam advice panna pidikkade!! Ozunga ottanum nu dana solrom”. I don’t know if it can be called Concern for me, as he had a daughter himself. He seemed to me more like the men who purposefully give free lessons about driving as a principle. He was determined to make me regret for what I said.

I replied him sharply, “Ok uncle. Adha naan paathukaren. Naan epdi ottanum nu kathukaren. Neenga kelambunga!” and started off without another glance.
I could see the girl clearly embarrassed about the whole incident. I felt pity for her.


The point is, all these men prefer girls as their targets and not a guy. The scene would have been if there was a guy. There are two possibilities. Either he would have asked the person to shut up and mind his business. Or, the guy would have kicked off from the place in the maximum possible speed right in front of the person who dared to advise.
Perhaps to avoid the insult, girls are preferred to offer free driving lessons relying on their listening skills.


Narrating the whole incident is not to make people reading feel that am an arrogant girl repulsive to advices or that I drive badly (which is not true ;))!! I do take genuine advice from genuine human beings. I have silently taken driving lessons from anonymous men about switching off the headlight before turning off the bike, not to use the sidestand and stuff. (I am unsure about these terms when it comes to bikes. It serves my purpose of taking me places and that’s all I am aware of.)
It tests my patience to listen to some third person, on the road, when I have done nothing wrong, just because I am a girl! Generally we don’t speak out, ignore such comments and turn a deaf ear, not to hurt anyone. Though not always!! I don’t entertain this for a person who goes about advising for the sake of it!


I am thankful to all those who offer these little suggestions to girls specifically. Honestly, we are better off without them.
For others, Thanks and keep up the good work.