No wonder crows are believed to represent our ancestors. (btw-I hope my mother is among those who visit me every day!)
They say the sound of vehicle horns scare the crows away. Even here they are like me!
I was amused to read in FT (April 7, 2009) Amy Kazmin’s article “Engineer makes big noise”:
“In India, one of the most used components of any motor vehicle is the horn. Drivers navigating livestock, pedestrians, animal-drawn carts and motor vehicles lean heavily on their horns to express frustration, if not to clear a path. Trucks are emblazoned with the slogan “horn please”.
Responsible for much of India’s distinctive road noise is Roots Industries, a small private company that is also the country’s biggest hornmaker…
…Throughout most of 2008, Roots ran three shifts a day, six days a week, turning out 400,000 horns a month for its home market and for export…”
Amy Kazmin should also have said- Horn is used in lieu of break.
These days my only hope while walking or driving on Pune roads is: Let vehicle driver be kind enough to honk.
Because I don’t expect him
to drive on the right side of the road,
follow traffic signals and speed-limits,
show courtesy to elders and children,
use unadulterated fuel,
have vehicle certified for pollution laws,
possess third-party insurance policy and driving licence,
keep safe distance between two vehicles,
carry no more than certified number of passengers,
showing hand or lamp directional signals while driving,
park vehicle responsibly,
use reverse horn sparingly
…
Artist: Frank Modell, The New Yorker, March 22 1958