Dangerous driving
A few days, DS printed a revealing article about the spoiled children of some our privileged class, careening about town especially after dusk, showing-off their new 'toy' with friends of both sexes and terrorizing unwary pedestrians with all sorts of gadgets fixed on their luxury cars, mostly the 'howler' horns that sounds like banshees from hell.
It was probably one such 'criminal' that deliberately ran down a rickshaw near Kawab-e-Q, off Road No 11, Banani at about 7 PM on Saturday, 08 Nov 2008. The rickshaw was carrying an elderly couple (total age-140 years) who were going home after having their annual medical check-up at the hospital on Road 12, Banani. The car came at high speed from the front on the wrong side, blinding everyone with glaring lights and deafening them with blaring horns and before the rickshawala could take evasive action, it was hit, sending the gentleman flying first on to the car and then heavily on the road with the rear wheel passing a millimetre away from his nose. Rather than stopping, the car accelerated and sped away at even higher speed. Kind pedestrians took both back to the same hospital from where they were coming.
The lady occupant was lucky and got off with just a few bruises but the man sustained two fractures on the arm (still only 50% operative), a wrenched knee (still 75-80% operative), multiple cuts and bruises all over that bled profusely. Plastered and infirm, he has spent nearly two months at home, away from his work, going only to the doctors, who had given him exemplary service in promptly looking after him after the accident, including ensuring that there was no damage to his By-Pass heart operation. Cost of medical treatment and earning loss has reached over six figures, apart from the pain, discomfort and inconveniences endured. At 76, he is also the only earning member.
Over the last months, we have read in the DS, that 35-40% cars do not have fitness certificates, as many, do not pay any road tax, one-third of car-owners use fake TIN numbers when buying cars and worst of all, 60-90% drivers, hold fake driving licenses. 100% cars indulge in illegal parking on roads and all use their blaring horns and lights indiscriminately. IS IT FOR THESE 1-2% UNCIVIL 'PRIVILEGED PERSONS' THAT ROADS HAVE BEEN CLEARED OF RICKSHAWS THAT ARE USED BY OVER 50% OF DHAKABASHIS?? Let the government answer these questions and remedy this anomaly, if they can. It only requires a little will and authority to rein in these elements.
Far from feeling any remorse, the dents and scratches to the car must have been repaired by now. It is a forlorn hope that the driver/owner will ever have the decency to try to make any amends. In case you have not figured it out by now, the gentleman concerned was this humble self.
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