Road signs

Ever been shown the finger?

There are a million interpretations of this one crude gesture, each one funnier (or cruder, to the humorless) than the other! As a teenager, fresh as a dew drop, when I witnessed the malicious 'finger', I was unaffected, innocent as I was, like a dove! However, a few days later, when curiosity got the better of me, through earlier enlightened peers, the intended sentiment was gleefully revealed!!

Recently, I've noticed people venting their anger and emotions on the road. Road rage is probably one of the easiest ailments to affect you, if driving on Chennai roads. Some drivers are simply not human beings. And the bus drivers...if you've seen Ice Age 2, you'll remember the lady mammoth (Ellie) who thinks she is an opossum and hangs from a tree. As do the MTC bus drivers. Its hilarious to see them try to slip through a 'cycle gap'!! So, given the fact that we are all racing at 40/60/80/100 kmph on roads that are overflowing with vehicles and since its difficult to convince a bus driver that he is a 'bus' driver, irate commuters have taken to 'showing the hand'!!

Not as rude as the finger, but intended in a similar fashion, the hand is a trademark, road user's finger. It could mean anything. From 'what do you think you're doing' to 'if I ever see you face to face, without the helmet'. From 'you silly goose on the bike' to 'have you told your people at home - (This is a classic Tamil one!)'. Not limited to any particular genre of people, it's freely used by men, women and children. By cyclists, two wheeler riders, auto rickshaw drivers, car drivers, bus drivers, share auto drivers, pedestrians, traffic police, just about everyone!!

Behind my shades, snug in a Wrangler helmet, while stuck in a traffic jam, watching the signal turn from red to green at least thrice, its quite entertaining to watch evolution in reverse.