Mirror Magazine

Mirror Magazine Techno Page by Harendra Alwis

Getting from point A to B
It’s 5.15 p.m., and once again I am stuck at work waiting for one of my beloved family members to come and pick me up. I finished my work for the day hours ago and it’s not as if I work for a place which has strict rules about what time we leave. So then, why am I still at work? Do I have some sort of obsession that makes me want to stay at work? Or is there a cute member of the opposite sex that keeps me here? None of the above!

It’s just that I would rather sit at office bored, than use public transport.Now I know what you must be thinking… I am such a spoilt brat. I am used to hearing that one, and I would agree with you (to some extent).

But, before you judge me just stop and think, wouldn’t you also, given the choice, refrain from going by bus?See, the thing is, I have always had to depend on my family or my friends (whenever they feel generous) to take me around. And even though I honestly do appreciate what they do, what I have to endure for their ‘kindness’ is unthinkable! Most often than not, I routinely get screamed at for not being ready on time. I admit this is my fault and I deserved it, even the occasional times when I am left behind. But then, what about the times they are not on time and I am! Ah, those occasions go unnoticed, and if I complain, I am shushed with statements like, “Can you not be impatient?” or “It’s not a life and death situation.” What injustice!

But that’s not all! What about all the detours that have to be sat through? I am yet to have a day where I would head straight home when my mother picks me up. But no, there are many things to do; grocery shopping, pick up things from places, drop off things at other places, the list is endless.

But then we do endure all this misery (well, not exactly, but something along those lines) for many reasons. Take the case of my friend, who says she’d rather catch a ride with her parents when she is going somewhere because she wants to get to that place, “all nice and fresh.”

As for why I have a transport crisis… well, my mother strongly opposes the idea of me coming in a three-wheeler for many reasons. ‘Three-wheeler drivers drive like maniacs’, ‘a girl can’t go alone in a three-wheeler’, are some of the more popular objections. I could always go in the three-wheeler and pretend that I came home by bus, but my salary is such that I can’t afford to do that on a day-to-day basis. And I hate lying to my mother (you don’t have to roll your eyes).

As for the bus… my parents think this is a safe mode of transport but I happen to think otherwise! I suppose it’s a matter of me never liking the bus because it takes way too long to get to your destination, they are too crowded, there is no straight bus to where I live and then there are those ‘incidents’ that have happened to my friends, which confirm that I am better off staying away from using a bus unless I really run out of options. This is the vicious cycle that is my transport crisis.

Now that my little problem is explained, I must say I cannot forget all the times when the people who cart me around really came through for me. Last minute shopping for gifts, plays, parties… they are ‘most often’ nice enough to just drop everything and take me around. There are also those times when something is really important to me (even though they think otherwise), they would just get me there no matter what. But, I still feel it does not justify the things they put you through at times, or does it?

I suppose one day when I get my own vehicle all this would come to an end! But as so many point out, I should just enjoy the feeling of having people to chauffer me around because I am saved from a lot of headaches, like parking, for example. Whatever said and done till the day I get my own vehicle I suppose for what it’s worth I might as well endure it and wait for the day when I get to boss other people around. Would I do that? I doubt it.

Top