Sanity in an Inconstent State

Case 1

Was engaged in a casual conversation with one of my colleagues about the rule to make wearing of helmets by motorists compulsory.

I heard of this rule coming to effect from 1st June, 2007, about some 3 months back. Everyone knew this. When I woke up on D Day, the headlines screamed “Wear helmets from today – else face fines”. I left for office on my motorcycle, the whole road was dazzling with people wearing new helmets. New helmets have this sheen that older ones like mine lose over time.

Someone was asking me what to do if he wants to buy a helmet for his son, who he drops at school every morning. He couldn’t find the size that would fit him. He bought a bicycling helmet from a sports shop!

Then this person files a PIL – how can women and children wear helmets? There are the usual traditional hair dos and the flowers. The court raised the question of the health hazards that could crop up if helmets were to be worn in a hot country like ours.

The court’s judgment is awaited, and women have stopped wearing helmets altogether, and during the past few days even men have stopped wearing helmets.

In the meanwhile, helmet prices have shot through the roof. Good, branded helmets cost 1000 rupees (earlier 600-700 rupees) and dubious roadside helmets sell for 500-600 rupees (earlier 100-150 rupees).

The common man is buying a helmet for the first time in his life. He is paying dearly!

It gets incredibly hot inside a helmet in Chennai. One feels like dropping the vehicle on the road itself and running for cover – throw off helmets and clothes!

Now no one knows whether one has to wear a helmet or not. The police are not enforcing it; if the rule has been made void - the government is not publicizing it too. Now people don’t know what to do with their helmets!

Case 2

This is about another instance of inconsistent policy making by the government – closely related to my field of work.

School buses the world over are painted Yellow. Yellow is unique in buses – no one paints it yellow anywhere – better visibility for the buses in traffic and the highway – better safety for the children inside.

December, 2006 – The government comes out with an order changing the color of school buses in Tamil Nadu from Yellow to a color called Shell White.

No one knew about this till about February. One fine day, someone in the hinterland woke up. We were asked to repaint our buses to this new color to get them registered – but the catch was this  NO ONE IN THE GOVT KNEW THE COLOR CODE FOR THE NEW COLOR!

We ran pillar to post to find this, convinced our plant up north to produce this color for us alone. We were proudly displaying these buses, when another manufacturer coolly registers yellow colored buses.

So we decided to go meet the top guy in the concerned department to be clarified. He tells us in an offhand, casual manner that the plan to change the color has been put on hold – due to resistance from the general public!

No new order was issued in the gazette to revoke the old order. We got raped by the plant for changing the color specs twice in 2 months – which entails a day’s loss of production.