Road rage: In a hurry to go nowhere

Once quiet and serene, Islamabad has given way to honking and impatient drivers.

ISLAMABAD:

Gone are the days when road rage was an experience limited to Lahore and Karachi-- ask established locals and they’ll narrate how Islamabad has changed over the years.

“There was a time when we’d go out for long drives with the family to relax. Now, I can’t even dream of it; people have become so rude and impatient [on the road],” says Ali, a local resident.

Many blame the boom in car leasing that created a sudden influx of cars on the road; others blame the general feeling of anger and frustration in the country and term the resultant rage an outlet.

Salwa was driving on Jinnah Avenue “when a taxi hit my car’s bumper, overtook me and the drive began yelling obscenities through the window”. She was so appalled by the behaviour that she forgot to stop the taxi driver for her car’s damaged bumper.

This isn’t an isolated incident. Seeing people arguing and fighting and even resorting to blows on the side of the road has become a daily spectacle. So much so that it has started affecting people’s health in some cases.

Azka, a spa salon owner, said, “I’ve lived in Malaysia most of my life. Before coming back I had low blood pressure, but ever since I had to drive [in Pakistan], my blood pressure actually soars.”

It isn’t just public transporters that behave recklessly; the educated classes aren’t far behind.

“Previously, if a woman was driving people were respectful and would go out of their way to help out. Now, it’s almost like people purposely try to embarrass you by passing humiliating remarks and blocking your way,” said Esha Ghani, a young female driver.

The situation only seems to be going from bad to worse as people begin to resort to name calling and obscene hand gestures. A city where honking was once considered a social sin has now become a city where people strive to be the first to slip through barricades and blockades.

Bad traffic and accidents are one thing, but bad behaviour and disrespect towards one’s fellow citizens is a sign of how discontent we have become as a nation.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 5^th, 2012.