Thirty seconds

I am driving home and it’s a dusty night predicting a heavy rain. I am driving at an average speed and just got off the highway and entered the city roads. I am approaching the first signal and it just turns red, ya I know got to wait. Not much traffic on road as its 11: 45 PM. Suddenly car behind me honks asking me to move on a red signal. I just kept calm and started my car after the signal turned green.

I just crossed the signal and there is a lady on the street asking for lift. Unusual, shall I stop or leave and not sure if she needs some help. I stopped my car and lowered the glass on the left side door. She came close to the car door; young lady may be around 25 with a laptop bag. She said, “I just missed my office cab and no transport is available due to bad weather and I hope you are going towards the main bus station. It would be a great help if you could give me a lift as I have no choice to find a public transport at this hour.” I just opened the door and she got in the car.

I just started my car, and she said, “thank you sir, I have been waiting for long time for public transport and not sure what to do, saw your car stopping at a red signal on an empty road and I felt you are a gentleman so dared to ask for a lift.” Oh! Great a compliment I was just blushing. I said don’t worry we will be there in 10 minutes. She replied, “oh thank you, if you don’t mind, I just wanted to know why were you keeping clam at the signal when the guy in the car behind you was honking and asking you to move your car on a red signal.” I just said I do not want to argue with others and become Gandhi to reform the society. She just looked at me, “you need not become Gandhi, instead when you are following a rule, and someone is asking you to break them. You should at least respond and he would never disturb any other rule follower on road.” I was not sure what to tell, “ya, you are right!”. She continued, “it’s a matter of 30 seconds, people just rush on road and do not give proper way, do not follow lanes and saving such 30 seconds from each incident they reach hardly 5 to 10 minutes ahead to their destinations leading to so many road accidents. If they can sacrifice just 5 minutes of their travel time and follow rules on road this can prevent a lot of accidents and save many lives. So if we are following traffic rules and someone asks us to break its our responsibility to let him know that your 5 min cut down on daily travel can save someone’s life. “She was continuing, I stopped at a petrol pump and after refilling the guy at the petrol pump forgot to close the lid. I got down to close the lid and when I returned the seat was empty. I looked around and no one was there. The guy at the petrol pump was filling the next car. I asked him if he saw a lady getting down from my car. He said no sir, I believe there was no one other than you in your car.