I never thought the Fast and Furious movies would be applicable to me on Chennai roads. Except in my case, it isn't the police I run from; I accelerate, brake and weave through traffic to escape from the clutches of seedy men who roam about on bikes with the sole aim of troubling women motorists.
So this is how it goes. I'm returning from a seminar on sexual harassment (oh, the irony) when two guys on a bike start following my scooter on a busy road. They yell and gesticulate and rev the engine while coming uncomfortably close to me. The area I am passing through is familiar to me and so I cut across the road and slip into a lane, heaving a sigh of relief that they haven't followed me. This is not the first time this has happened to me, but as always, it leaves me shaken, jumpy and nervous.
For someone who is highly independent, it's difficult to have to think twice before leaving home. if I'm going to be late, I have to make other arrangements. It's too dangerous for a woman to be on the road on a two-wheeler after dark. As much as it pains me to say it, I'd rather be safe than sorry.
I find that riding a two wheeler is the best and the worst way for a woman to get around in Chennai. While I'm spared the groping and stares that come along with public transport, I'm forced to contend with brutes who have bikes and not much else in terms of behaviour or respect. Really, if they want to race, they ought to pick a Pulsar, Yamaha or Hayabusa; my Activa is no match. But if they insist on honking incessantly, I do give them a run for their money (the look on their faces is priceless when they realise a woman has overtaken them).
Any woman seems fair game for these motorcycle morons. It doesn't matter if it's 8 a.m. or noon or past 9 p.m., it doesn't matter if it's a residential area or a main road or a shady lane, it doesn't matter if she's wearing a helmet or a jacket or neither of the two - they will follow you for as long as possible.
Most public spaces aren't safe for women and that includes roads. It's ridiculous to have to ask my parents to pick me up by car because I stay late at work and can't take my scooter back home when I live less than 5 kms away.
So men, here's a heads up. Spitting near my expensive shoes at a traffic signal will not make me look at you, except maybe in absolute disgust. Riding your bike without holding on to the handlebar will not make me fall in love with you. Asking me, "Variyaa?" (a crude invitation to sex) will not make me want to instantly sleep with you. Maybe it’s time you realised that.
All I'm asking for is to be able to travel without fear at any time of the day.
