Sense or nonsense

It's only in India that we see formal announcements being made for the most obvious things.

Like regular announcements at railway stations requesting passengers to avoid travelling on rooftops.
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And the fact that the announcement actually offers a reason it can be dangerous to your life is equally hilarious.

Do not cross the railway tracks, as it can be dangerous to your life. Another message that goes out to tell us that common sense is just uncommon in these parts of the world.

Over a thousand people die in railway accidents every year either crossing railway tracks or falling off moving trains.

The statistics only keep increasing by the year and yet people continue to cross the tracks and travel on rooftops. The inner rebel in us just doesn't want to fall in line!

Why is it that we continue to break the law and display no qualms about it? Why do we need
an instruction manual to live a civilised life?

The same sequence is repeated at public places and on outer walls across the city. Please do not spit here. Spitting can spread diseases.
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Now isn't that another elementary aspect that mature citizens of this country are expected to know and abide by?

Decorative streaks of paan and gutka lace the walls of the city, inside and outside railway compartments and even on bus windows. Shades of mauve and burgundy look nice on canvas, but not on our walls. Spare us the rangoli.

It took the traffic department a year-long drive to instil discipline in bikers and make them wear helmets while riding.
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A similar painful campaign to make drivers wear seat belts is still underway. And of course, driving on the roads with a few drinks is just a perfect sign of maturity.
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It doesn't matter if the driver runs over a few people maiming or even killing them in the process. Despite sending culprits to jail and even suspending their driving licences, people continue to drink and drive.
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And the best bet is that even in cinema halls, a slide before the movie begins requests patrons to switch off their cellphones or turn them on silent mode.
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The fact that a well-paid Bollywood star features in an ad that propagates the same message goes on to show how big this menace is.

Obviously, a lot of people are busy chatting and disturbing others while a movie is playing. Manners? Oh, we don't need them.

So what's really wrong with us? Why is it that we continue to break the law and display no qualms about it? Why is it that we need an instruction manual to live a civilised life?

Waleed Hussain is Deputy News Editor, MiD DAY