She was all tears when I saw her in the hospital corridor. I assumed that it could be one of those meltdown moments of doctors at the sudden demise of a patient or a rude remark by a senior doctor in public. As I spoke to her over a cup of coffee, the problem was different altogether. Her day had started as usual. After getting the children ready for school, she was driving to the hospital. At a traffic signal, she started to move her car when the green light lit up. She was taken by surprise when a biker from the opposite side tried to squeeze past even though the stop red-light was on for him. At the nick of the moment, she had applied the brakes and stopped the car. Though unhurt, looking at her, the biker threw a few expletives, taught her a few techniques of driving and finally spat on her vehicle. She felt extremely humiliated at his insolent behaviour and the equally nonchalant attitude of others as they drove past them. “Even if I had made a mistake, what right does he have to disparage me? If it was a man, I am sure that he would have just apologised and moved on. We, woman drivers, are easy punchbags for them,” she burst out at me as if I was also part of the condescending toxic machismo.
Women have been fighting for equality in many aspects of life for many years. Although it has been reasonably attained in several areas, driving vehicles is a recently achieved one. Fifteen years ago, it was a rare sight to see so many women driving cars and two-wheelers, while it is a common occurrence now. In the United States, there are more registered women drivers than men. But still, when it comes to driving, women are looked down as inconsistent, erratic and slow drivers. It is common to see them being ridiculed in movies and television serials about their driving and parking skills. In contrast, statistics have shown that more than 85% of accidents are caused by male drivers.
This deprecatory mindset also makes them susceptible to threats and bullying from male drivers. Indian traffic is messy and it is often a ‘scenario of adjustment’ rather than following the rule book to the letter while driving on our roads. Vehicles continue to move even after the signal has turned red; people drive on the wrong side; one can overtake a vehicle on the left side — all these are just brushed aside when it involves two male drivers. Whereas if a female driver is involved in any of this, the sleeping patriarch in the male driver wakes up to teach her the nuances of driving in a sullying attitude. Often, women drivers would find them at the receiving end even without committing a mistake. In situations, where many male drivers would skip the incident if it has been a lorry or bus driver involved (considering the aftermaths of a dirty imbroglio), they would not think twice before patronising if it is a woman driver.
It is almost impossible to find a woman driver driving a vehicle rashly or in a reckless manner. But then what gives men the complete freedom to denigrate a woman driver? Despite the developments and achievements of women in varying fields, a woman who would be scared of driving on our roads is a big disgrace for the Indian community. While it appears like women have been let out of the captivating cages of the past, their wings have been clasped by the male co-drivers. Mahatma Gandhi once told that India will be considered free when the women feel safe to walk in the streets in the midnight. Well, it remains a distant dream but at least if women feel safe to drive their vehicles without being vilified by male drivers, it would be a partial realisation of Mahatma’s dream.
rishiortho@gmail.com
