Tuesday 11 August 2009

Down a worsening path

Being part of the church’s musician team, we have to meet on Thursday for rehearsal if we are on duty for that particular week. On those Thursdays, I will have to go through one of the most chaotic traffic in town to get to my rehearsal venue. It is always, a horrifying experience.

On those Thursdays, during what is commonly known as “peak hours”, traffic rules are blatantly broken. Law and order as it should be, cease to exist.

Cutting queue, 3 lines of vehicles in a 2 lanes road, red-light deliberately ignored, multiple vehicles entering the yellow box as though they are all trying to form a jigsaw puzzle, making turns at prohibited junction just to beat the other car… when you see the level of efficiency on how these are done, you might just think that these people actually deserve a medal.

On a few occasions, I was honked at because I refused to drive into the yellow box. There was once, I was honked at because I stopped when the light turned red.

And the beauty of it all is that, while all these are happening, not a single police officer can be seen. In that few hours, those who disobey the law rule the roads.

Just to put you on the right page. I am not talking about poor transportation system which led to us needing to own a car to live thus jamming up the roads, though that is also a sad truth.

The page that I am writing on here is that the state of lawlessness in this country should be a cause for our concern. And this should not just be confined to the lawlessness on the roads, but we shall just focus on that at the moment.

5 years ago, those who cut queue and run red lights are probably those driving highly modified cars blasting some rock music with their tattooed arms resting outside the driver door holding a cigarette. Now, those who perform such stunts are innocent looking or some sweet young thing who scream at the sight of a cockroach. But yet, they are monsters on the road.

But of course, we solve these problems with our special ways. We solve this problem by buying bigger and more powerful cars. That’s our aspiration. And that is why, the whole country will be accelerating down the worsening lane.


1 year ago…
Take your pick

2 years ago…
A picture paints a thousand words?

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

We need better road planning. Traffic jams are really bad.

TG said...

I'm afraid of driving in Malaysia. Seriously afraid. Never seen something like that in Europe. No kidding O_o

Anonymous said...

it is true tht you wont see it in Europe...how sad... :(

may ling said...

Yes, it is not just the traffic jam, the cutting queue, the trying t get away with something you know shouldn't be done......the lawlessness is scary.

3POINT8 said...

On a very popular main road that I drive to work every morning, and everyday there are always one traffic police encouraging motorist to use the emergency lane.

Swee Ping said...

But I'm not like that! I hate those ppl that honked me for following the laws. Or those ppl that simply cuts the queue which makes the traffic even more jam than it already is~

Mumsgather said...

Keep on nodding at everything y ou say...And then there are those who like to drive up really close to you and flash their lights at you when you are going a bit too slow for their pace. Sigh!

pinknpurplelizard said...

Msia... Truly Asia...
A land where 2 lanes can become 3 lanes.
A land where driving civility is at its infant stage.
A land where indicators are for decor only.
A land where ppl think that noisy cars equal power.
A land where idiots and a******s are plentiful on the roads.
Exceptional Msia...

Donna said...

hi.. just dropping by..
true~
especially at KL area, sometimes i just feel like going down from the bus and walk to the destination alone, at least walking is still MOVING, not froze inside the bus for few hours. zzzzZZ

Jorji said...

we need new PM who can solve traffic issue or upgrade transportation system.


jangan pandai cakap aje,Rakayat Didahulukan.

Anonymous said...

the jam will be longer if u stick to your lane.....malaysians are smart...taking advantage of every corner...hehe

sadsarcasm said...

The only time i see a police officer is at the mamak store.

Yvonne Foong said...

Hahaha I love the ending and conclusion - buy bigger and more powerful cars to conquer the road.

Anonymous said...

very true zewt very true!!! especially this:

"We solve this problem by buying bigger and more powerful cars."

we r hopelessly doom

Seaqueen said...

Hahaha!!! That's not surprising isn't it. So typical of M'sians. You see their true colours sometimes even in the office, what more to say out on the road.

pinknpurplelizard said...

Need to add this about the seatbelt ruling. The rule is a joke coz ppl at the back are still not buckling up, front ones too.

I have a fren who is huge in size and doesnt like to wear a seatbelt. When he is stopped by cops, he tells them that the belt is not long enuf to fit him (not true coz it can) and/or he is a doctor (he really is). Usually they let him go. It annoys me tremendously.

Faisal Admar said...

what do you play? :)
kl is scary with the traffic jam :D

Anonymous said...

simple....our govt made us car-slaves! proton was the source of $$$. parking, tolls, AP, building more roads, etc generates $$$. this is all to enrich the cronies (govt use the term, to improve our economy). oh and dont even forget what the banks makes out of the interest. m'sians r suckers for cars. public transport just dont rake in much $$$. my solution, get a bike. eventhough its dangerous and u occasionally get wet in a downpour, i just love the look on the frustrated face of the car slaves stuck in jams.

everything is all about $$$. welcome to the world of CAPITALISM. do urself a favour and watch Zeitgeist, then you know how much our minds have been programmed since 0 A.D. we have been lied to and manipulated.

zewt said...

Mei Teng - and in order to get better road planning, we must...?

MKL - hahaha.. cant compare with europe...

anon @ 12/8 4.58am - not just europe, u wont see it in HK either.

may ling - hello there. indeed, it's the lawlessness that we should worry about, not the traffic.

3POINT8 - yes, i have seen that once too many.

Swee Ping - but there are more and more of such people om the road, unfortunately.

zewt said...

mumsgather - u know, they are mostly highly modified protons. and if you noticed, most accidents are them.

pinknpurplelizard - idiots and a*******s are not just plentiful on the roads.

~dolly~ - hello there, welcome to AZAIG. kudos to you for using public transport.

j or ji - rakyat didahulukan... yeah... right. anyway, life starts this weekend bro!

anon @ 12/8 5.21pm - so you're one of them eh?

vegemaster - or at roadblocks.

zewt said...

Yvonne Foong - such is the mentality of us... sigh.

anon @ 13/8 9.13am - absolutely... sigh.

Seaqueen - hahahaha... so damn true.

pinknpurplelizard - your friend is a smart guy. just hope he doesnt need the service of his comrades in the future.

faisal admar - ahhh... changed back to your original name i see :) me guitarist.

anon @ 13/8 5.54pm - i shall check out that movie. anyway, i dont mind a bike, or even a bycicle... but the air quality is a worry.

eiling lim said...

I agree with you. I'm not a very good driver as well as I tend to be impatient with people who drives too slow!!! We have to change our driving habits and because bad habits are easily cultivated, to change them would be almost impossible. All we could do now is to all educate the next generation well by starting with ourselves.

KittyCat said...

Tell me about it - I was REALLY happy walking and taking the bus in China. Now I'm back driving in Malaysia, I'm becoming grumpy again!!!

I really salute people who live in KL...we couldn't wait to get out of the city as soon as we were driven around it LOL

zewt said...

-eiling - indeed, we should all start with ourselves... not easy though.

KittyCat - tell me about it... i experienced 3 days of driving in melbourne... BLISSSSS!!!

Purple~MushRooM said...

Zewt, too bad you are coming to Beijing. The drivers here are more civilized compared to Shanghai. You should try shanghai taxis... it's like... roller coaster ride!!

zewt said...

purple mushroom - hahaha... i tot shanghai cabbies are well mannered? i heard they drive in suit and tie!