Overload

We learn a lot when we indulge in journeys and travel on land. We may be travelling for varied reasons but one always gets to see something interesting. Be it a lovely sunrise, a flowing river, a kilometer long goods train at a level crossing, a cute calf in herd of cows blocking your way, a funny typo in a sign board, a tractor moving on 3 wheels... there's no dearth for variety. Anything and everything can catch your attention and bring a smile to your lips :)

Once while returning from Aihole, somewhere near Pattadkal, on a narrow road, we were following a slow moving goods rickshaw carrying a vending machine - on it was written "ICE CRIME." Another journey, we had stopped at village for tea break. As we relished our evening refreshments, a 'No Smoking' sign on the wall caught my attention. What's interesting in a simple sign? I asked my companions if they something unusual in the sign. No, nothing. Told them what I saw.. the smoking cigarette is over the cross mark. Whoever the painter was, put the X mark first and then painted a cigarette over it :) He must a smoker himself. So I asked the hotel cashier-owner about the sign. He'd not noticed it himself and smiled at us :)

Then we have another variety which necessarily may not always make you smile but definitely grabs attention. Overloaded vehicles are quite common on our roads.. bullock-carts, bicycles, motorbikes, scooters, tractors, mini-trucks. Here're few I managed to capture.

On our way to Gajendraghad, we happened to follow this bike loaded with a stack of 27 chairs. The biker pulled over at the first opportunity to let our cab overtake. This is not safe and definitely illegal but one has to admire his courage. Another time, I've seen a pillion rider holding on to three 4' diameter 20' long PVC pipes. Vertically. What all people do to save money.

Next we have a mini-truck overloaded with some kind of light but voluminous material. This was some where between Malkhed and Gulbarga. The cargo height is easily one and half times the truck height. Its quite common to see such trucks overloaded with all kind of cargo.. barrels, empty tins, plastic pots, hay, sacks with puffed rice and what not. What does the driver do if it gets windy suddenly. Scary thought!

Here's a short video of a mini-truck loaded with plastic pots seen on Dharwad-Navalgund road.

..and a truck with dangerously slanting cargo.

Many a times, while traveling in rural areas, tractor trailers loaded with hay or wheat chaff are a wide as the road itself. We'd to follow the tractor at its snail's pace for a kilometer or two until a relatively spot was found.

Well, happy and safe journeys.

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Bow Bow

Travelling in Intercity from Bangalore to Hubli, I overheard a bunch of noisy students going for a holiday to Goa. They were pulling each others' legs playing a game and the loser had to say this-

bow 1s bow
bow 2s bow bow
bow 3s bow bow bow
.
.
.
.
.
.
bow 10s bow bow bow bow bow bow bow bow bow bow

It sounded hilarious even at 5.

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Bus game

1977, St. Charles Borromeo Convent, Bhadhravathi

One day, lunch break, a class-mate and me finished lunch quickly and were walking around the play-ground. On a grassy patch patch of the play-ground, we saw some of our seniors playing bus... juniors like us were made to sit on ground in rows, like passengers seated in a bus. One of the seniors was a driver, another one was a conductor and few more were passengers. I think the conductor had a whistle in his mouth. We were watching and one the seniors asked us to board the bus... as though we were standing in a bus stop.

The driver made engine noise and the conductor would go about collecting fare and issue tickets. Whenever the bus turned the driver would bend in the opposite direction and all the passengers had to do the same... we would bend to our left when the bus turned right and vice versa. The bus would also brake suddenly and all of us had to bend forward. The bus would stop at bus stops and zoom away and screech to a halt... our bus driver was a maniac on the road!

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Hen Factory

Appaji, Gulli and I were traveling to Kurnool. It was already dark and I was at the wheel, Gulveer next to me and Appaji in the rear seat. It was near Anantapur we saw a row of square lights on to our left and that started a conversation.

Gulli: Sidda look at the train

I: that's not a train

Gulli: it's a train

I: it must be a poultry farm

Gulli: poultry farm? what does that mean?

I: place where chicken are grown

Gulli: ooh! you mean a hen factory?

I: !*?*!*? yes, hen factory!

Anyway, it was a train not a hen factory. At nights when one is cruising on a highway, a slow moving train appears like a stationary row of lights. This has happened a few times to me.
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