My Krystal adventures

I was probably the last kid in my age group to learn the cycle. Don’t know why but it was something I never really found very fascinating. Maybe it had something to do with the fact my-brother-strongest had a bike n he would usually chauffeur me around…

But then one fine day, I learnt how to cycle. It took me 1 day to balance correctly. Another day to conquer a whole lane uninterrupted. Turning or rather U-turning gave me nightmares (yes, I was one if those scaredy-cat types who put their feet down, dragged the bike around n theeeeeen turned).

The cycle was the beginning of a new found freedom. All the places in the neighborhood somehow looked different when I was perched on the banana seat of the cycle. Somewhere during the journey of life, the cycle got left behind. On some subconscious level it was replaced by a love for bikes. I loved and fantasized about the absolute thrill of being on a bike (even if it was pillion) feeling the wind on my face. From a practical point of view, I loved two-wheelers for their amazing traffic maneuverability. So I decided that I wanted a two-wheeler too. Then came problem number one. How do I learn?

In order to learn a two-wheeler, I needed a two-wheeler. Or I needed a friend with a two-wheeler. Both not available. Most friends had motorcycles. Not helpful. Others had cars. No dice there either. Mumbai also had no concept of two-wheeler training schools like Pune or other small cities. So my desires remained unfulfilled for a looooong time.

Finally my prayers were answered....and I found a teacher. Two days and a few thrilling (thrilling for me, terrifying for my teacher) incidents later, I was ready to bell the cat. And since I’m the live-life-queen-size kinds, I decided to practice by buying a two-wheeler of my own. Enter my brand new cherry red Bajaj Krystal.

And so began my Krystal adventures…as I learnt the ropes of handling my way through traffic, dealing with pesky drivers/riders, using the appropriate abuses for the deserving folks, I loved every minute of it. Every time I overtook another vehicle, I could feel the power surging through my veins. I felt free – free as a bird. No more helplessness in traffic jams, no dependency on auto-rickshaws for late nights or non-profitable destinations, no shackles.

It’s been less than a year since I started riding and every time I come across an unusual character, I know I have to blog about it. So here goes…

1. The over-cautious types: These are the people I can kind-of identify with. They are usually the uncle-types (auntie-types are not known for their lack of speed) or the new-learner types. They drive painfully slowly as though God himself would come down from the heavens and tut-tut them if they cross 35kmph.
2. The speed-racer types: They are the I-rule-the-streets types. The ones who’ll sign up for every driver’s hit-list. They overtake like weeds coursing through a garden. A special variety is the extra turn-show-offing bikers…the ones who love making a helix structure through traffic.
3. The honkers association: They’re the ones who honk for every occasion known to mankind. They honk when they overtake, when someone overtakes them, when they stop, when they turn, when the traffic light turns red, when it turns green, when it doesn’t turn green fast enough, when it turns red too soon, when you are riding in front of them, when you are riding beside them, when you are 5 miles away from them, when someone else within their hearing range honks, and so on….you get the drift. If not, you’ll definitely hear the honk.
4. The splashers: This is a special breed that can be seen during the monsoons. They are the ones who love splashing through pools of water or muck in such a way that it ends up splattering the clothes of the riders/walkers nearby. Most car-drivers/autos/ bikers fall in this category. Having been at the receiving end of these people on quite a few occasions I make sure that I myself never fall into this category.
5. The indecisive walkers: This is a category dedicated to the on-foot folks. This sees a large variety of folks like the ones who wait for the traffic light to turn green before making a mad dash to cross the street (Special mention – mothers/nannies with kids in tow). Or the ones who walk in the middle of the street when there are perfectly fine footpaths for them to saunter on. (Special mention – oldies who give you drop-dead stares if you honk to tell them they’re in the middle of the street). Or my personal favorites, the cellulars – who chatter away on their phone while crossing the street, while diving into / or out of buses, while walking on the wrong side of the street. (Honking doesn’t help here and if by some miracle they do hear you, they give you bugger-off stares as if you are some psycho who’s stalking them). And yes…how could I forget the admiration society – they are the ones who give you multiple looks coz you’re a female…and more importantly…a female on a two-wheeler. The number of looks received is directly proportional to the kind of clothes worn...with salwar suits/sarees at the low end and skirts/shorts being at the high end.

Different strokes…all brought together…as part of my Krystal adventures…!!