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Wheels of misfortune
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With new brands of cars hitting city roads by the day, the good-old bicycle without the modern accessories to ride through the chaotic traffic, is pedalling through problems.
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WHEN IN1817 Baron Karl von Drais improved on the little wooden horse (that had a fixed front wheel and was invented in France in the 1790s), and designed a fully-wooden walking machine with two equal sized wheels, he meant it for a gliding walk in royal enclaves where one could glide along well-laid paths without bumping into anyone, least of all a fossil-fuel-guzzling metallic monster. The baron would never have foreseen the plight of modern members of the same fraternity in sun-scorched Chennai.
The ``bone shaker'' of 1865 was again made of wood but had a set of pedals (introduced in 1839 by Kirkpatrick Macmillan, a Scottish ironsmith) that could propel one along. It was too uncomfortable for the sophisticated lot (who never had to struggle for a living) to bear the rattling of bones and pampered muscles.
The bone shaker was a fad, but it didn't inspire the wealthy lot who were 137 years behind the reality in Chennai. Cyclists in Chennai face worse despite riding fairly sophisticated steel machines, some with fancy shock absorbers which nevertheless fail to insulate the riders from random jolts, more so on service lanes avoided studiously by policy makers.
In 1870 when the first all-metal machine appeared, the wheels were made larger so that each revolution of the pedals would cover a longer distance. The concept of gear ratios and mechanical advantage existed in physics textbooks but their use on bicycles was not discovered then. The all-metal high-wheel bicycle was not meant for the common man as it cost over six month's pay of an average worker. How many in Chennai could afford a cycle that cost Rs.18,000? Roads would have less bicycles and there would have been fewer mishaps - fatal or grievous.
The high-wheeled bicycles despite the inherent instability became popular among the rich European youths. The public awe was probably the same as when cellular phones pirouetted into India. (Now cell phones no longer spark glances from the have-not probably because they are have-not by choice).
After progressing from wooden to steel to hard rubber tyres, the bicycle finally got the pneumatic tyres in 1890s, thanks to the veterinarian Dr. Dunlop who wished to give his young son a comfortable ride on the tricycle. The world of cycles changed dramatically after that.
The range available now is bewildering and choosing a bicycle, some equipped with 10-speed or 15-speed gears, has never been more difficult. The standard bicycles (based on the 19th century model), old or new, used either by those who cannot afford another means of transportation, or for whom another means will be inconvenient, outnumber the fancy ones. The alterations in the standard model have been many (like the fork lock on a particular model) but whatever may have been the compulsions for inventing the bicycle, it surely gives mobility to many in Chennai. Just as many inventors have added attributes to the original velocipede (as a particular model was called), the users in Chennai too find ways to beat the speed lovers in (or on) motorised monsters. It is common to find motorists cursing cyclists who weave in and out of traffic or squeeze through the narrow gap between fenders of two cars waiting at a traffic signal. Cyclists have no option. It is impossible for them to stick to every traffic textbook rule. The only way they can beat the motorised vehicles is to take the handicap in front at a signal. What if the cyclist wishes turn right?
Blinking indicators and rear view mirrors are not standard equipment on a cycle. The not-so-rich scrape together the sum to buy a bicycle within their budget, so most cannot afford additional and fancy items, even if these can save a life at times. So a cyclist who wishes to take a right turn simply barges into oncoming traffic without offering any indication to the drivers behind or those rushing towards him.
They have to reach the right lane in the nick of time, and they have to grip the handle as they race across the road. It is unfair to expect them to signal their intentions with their arms and hands while racing across the road. Would you as a cyclist put your cycle on its stand and wave your hands to the oncoming traffic to convey your noble intention of taking a right turn from the right lane? The drivers in Chennai will rarely allow you to cross the road and reach the right lane.Traffic constables sometimes stop a cyclist and deflate the tyres. If the cycle is then pushed a long distance, the tyres may be damaged. Most cyclists are poor and may not have the resources to repair or replace the damaged tubes. Shouldn't policemen be more sympathetic?
Cyclists seem to cause a number of traffic mishaps but they do not belong to a suicide group intent on disrupting traffic. They are not crazy; they are helpless. Given the traffic density today, bicyclists are forced to take risks. Chennai (or India) does not have a union for cyclists, like the League of American Bicyclists, so the rights of cyclists are routinely trampled upon. Who can protect bicyclists who have as much right to the road as a person driving an imported sedan?
GOUTAM GHOSH
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