We bought our first car, the humble Maruti 800, when my mother retired and the government paid her fistful of money in lieu of her service, unclaimed leave and other contributions towards the noble cause of teaching. I had no experience of driving a four-wheeler till then, so an affluent friend was requested to pilot the historic drive from the car agency to home. I learnt to drive and drive I did, very gingerly and carefully as every other vehicle was bigger in size and used to bully the little car.
Few years down the line, I started earning my salary and the Maruti started making statements of being tired as if wishing to be retired. Emboldened by the new found power of salary and eagerness of sales team and the bank loan section, I took the leap of faith and brought home an SUV. After the humble car, it seemed huge. And, there was a sudden change in the attitude of other drivers on the roads. All those bullies started behaving like lambs. I started getting the right of way whenever there was ambiguity. I surely became a bully myself and enjoyed the other people swearing under their breath whenever I claimed their space in traffic.
One fine day, in a good leisurely mood, I stopped and waited for a smart female driver to reverse her car who herself was waiting for the right moment to maneuver. Lo and behold, she smiled and nodded a thanks in my direction. It really felt good. I had that feeling of good Samaritan who made someone smile. I tried it many times in the next few days to wait or slow down for someone who wanted to pass first and to my pleasant surprise, I got back a smile, a wave or a nod every time without fail.It has become a habit now.
I hope all readers join me in this experiment, lets give way to someone who might be late for a flight,meeting or has some other emergency. In return we can have a peace of mind,lesser road rage and a feel good factor.