01. If there is respect

Since I have mentioned Mazda, it is appropriate to deal a bit about the refinements of automobile driving. Driving modern vehicles is easy if one is only thinking about mastering the controls. However, it is a big responsibility to drive a huge machine through the roads, wherein other human beings, animals and so many other things also move about. A training in this should not limit itself to the parameters of a driving license, in feudal language nations. Actually giving a driving licence, especially such powerful licences like a commercial vehicle driving licence to persons who do not know English is a very clumsy level of idiotism.

A person, who does not know good English and has no capacity to learn it, has no business to drive a commercial vehicle in a nation like India. May be in some European nations, where the language is planar like English, this may not be insisted upon. Driving a lorry, a truck, a taxi car or auto-rickshaw etc. are deeds of great responsibility. A person who does not have the capacity to learn the simple English language should not be considered as able enough to operate such vehicles. I do not speak here about the minimum ability to turn the steering rod, manoeuvre the clutch and gears and to apply the brakes. These things, any youngster can do.

Once a person learns English, a higher level of social refinement enters in him. It proposes to him that there is a more refined manner to understand precedence, and to interact with others. Such offhand methods as of honking to elevate one’s social stature have no meaning in English. However, the greater refining effect would be seen on others when an at-home-in-English person drives a vehicle. His words and actions would not be prompted by the spurring of cantankerous emotions of a feudal language.

However, when this person is rebuked and disturbed by an at-home-in-a-feudal language driver, he would also get offended. However, when all the drivers are at-home-in-English persons, there shall be a lot of tranquillity on the streets and roads. A feeling that everyone are of equal dignity would set in. However at the moment on the Indian streets, almost every driver is distressed when having to interact with other drivers who stand at various levels in the virtual code arena and indicant word level. A mere word can disturb. Most of the times, driver interactions are aimed at distressing.

DIGRESSION: It is not easy to offer this information to the majority people of India. For, it is very easy to spur them to antagonism by telling that they are being denied the right to drive commercial vehicles by this theme. The actual fact is that what is being mentioned that every one of the people here have the right to learn English, and that the government has the duty extend this opportunity to the lower class people here. Instead the cunning rulers and the academicians here would tell them to demand thus: ‘English is a foreign language. We don’t want it’. END OF DIGRESSION

One reason for this is that a person’s innate virtual code levels (and also indicant word levels) does get changed with driving a vehicle. A socially small person driving a big truck suddenly gets a feeling of elevation in the indicant words. However when he interacts with others, he may not be able to convey the same emotion in the words. For, innately he is not of that level.

For example a lowly educated lorry driver when having to interact with a college professor, may either have to don a subordinate pose or to show an elevated pose. The elevated pose can be understood as impertinence by the professor, who wouldn’t want to speak with respect to the ‘lowly’ driver. Or the driver being not able to deal at a higher level would use a lower indicant worded interaction with the other as a vibrant means to hide his own inferiority. Or the professor in his own insecurity of how to snub a person he feels is lowly would resort to a low indicant word dialogue. All these can lead to powerful distresses on the road.

Other emotions like being fair, polite and courteous to other drivers won’t appear on a feudal language speaking driver’s mind, unless he is disposed to view all other drivers with respect. If this respect is there, he would be polite, considerate and courteous to other drivers.

If there is respect:

1. He would allow any vehicle trying to overtake to do so. The other mood would be to immediately block that action by stepping on the accelerator.

2. Allow an oncoming vehicle which is overtaking another vehicle to come forward without attempting to stop it in that endeavour. The feudal language stance is to immediately accelerate and block it in its attempt.

3. Wouldn’t use lower indicant words to other drivers without provocation.

4. Wouldn’t unnecessarily show off physical and muscle strength by provocative speech when none is required.

5. Dim his headlight for the oncoming vehicle in the night.

6. Off the headlight for the oncoming vehicle to see this vehicle clearly, when space is limited.

7. When coming down a slope, slow down or stop to allow the up-coming vehicle more space and area to move up.

8. Make limited use of horn. And not to use it to display physical power.

9. Allow right of way on to the vehicles on the Right.

10. Treat pedestrians as persons of equal right to dignity and respect.

Now it would not be correct to say that all feudal language speakers do act cantankerously on the road. And also to say that all native-English speakers are equally polite in the similar positions. What is just being mentioned is that feudal languages do have codes that spur people to be remarkably impolite to others when there is a feel of relative disparity in social positions. Especially when driving huge machines.

At another level, a lot of at-home-in-feudal languages persons driving in English nations can erode quality behaviour on the streets in English nations. I am not sure how it is being managed over there. However, as changes come slowly, it would not be noticeable as everyone slowly adapts to react to such provocations in the same coin. The frill elements of national refinement go haywire, with no one being aware of it.

Beyond all this, in a nation like India, with an immensity of state languages, if a commercial vehicle driver knows English, then he would be able to understand Sign Boards that are written in English. Otherwise he would have to know the language of each state to understand them as he drives through that state. Beyond that he can insist on the policemen to behave in a more courteous manner. This can spur the policemen to be learned in English. Which would really improve the nation and its governance.

Now would it be a very difficult proposition that all commercial drivers should be proficient in English? Well, not much. For, it does not take much time to master English, if a person really desires to do so. Proficiency and that too very good proficiency in English should be made a mandatory requirement for Commercial Driving Licence. At present what is mandatory is a willingness to be obsequious to the low calibre officials of the Road Transport Department, who want only bribes and not quality behaviour.

It would be a wonderful street scene in India, when all commercial vehicle drivers are good and great in English. Not just spoken English, but in its powerful profundity!