Some people stare at me when I say that I do not know how to ride a bike. Yes, that's true. I have never owned one and neither have I tried to ride one. Until Two years ago, I could not even drive a car. Trust me, this was never because I did not have access to any. In fact, all my friends right from school days had bikes and even while coming into college and passing out, I was around people who had cars or bikes. I somehow never developed a fancy for either.
I do feel left out of a conversation when guys talk about this bike and that bike. I do not even know what a two stroke or three stroke means. If someone spots a Ferrari or a Merc on the road, its a WOW moment, but I couldn't be the least bit bothered. So what if it has cruise control. So what if you think the bullet is such an awesome machine. I am just not turned on by it. In school, I was pretty much satisfied with a TVS 50 that was lying home. I am sure my parents felt lucky, cause I was one boy who never begged for a bike when I turned 18. It did not bother me that my friends zoomed away on their Suzuki and Kawasaki, while I tumbled along on my rickety old TVS 50.
When I look back, I realized that all my life, my father had warned me about getting on a bike. It was totally forbidden. I would not even ride along with someone else. Of course, this rule was always broken. Just by the number of time he mentioned this, I believe I developed a fear. I believed that riding is something that is totally unsafe. Well, lets accept it. To a great degree, it really is unsafe. Majority of the accidents happen NOT because of your mistake. I don't blame my father for being so paranoid. He managed to ram his Yezdi into a bus and go under the wheels, a month or two before I was born. He survived.
My mother has never been so paranoid, but I am sure that the feelings she went through when I was in her tummy, was enough to install the fear in me. Yes, even before I was born, it was determined that I would never enjoy riding. Even before I was born, I was taught that it was unsafe and that is was something to be feared about. Something I strongly feel even to this day. I feel stressed each time I need to go out somewhere.
Since I have never driven or ridden, I spent a lot of money on autos. It was always frustrating to argue and haggle with them and give away huge sums of money to the ones that never deserve it. Recently a friend of mine asked me to take her unused Scooty. I thought about it and decided to give it a shot. It has been a little more than a month now since I have been using it. I still get worked up before I need to go somewhere, even if it is to the store close by. I try not to ride it too far of. That thing does not go fast, so there is no question of over speeding. Something I really hate. I don't have a license and have never thought of getting one.
My brother got a car a while ago and I am not excited about driving. Again I don't have a license yet, but will be getting one soon. I figured its a lot safer than a two wheeler. It's funny but I learnt driving in USA. A friend I was staying next to, forced me to learn. He literally did force me. I was glad he did. He took the initiative to literally drag me to the license office and take a license, which I got at the first attempt. Again, I'm grateful for that. Due to that, I can now drive.
At the end of it all, I am glad I am trying to drive/ride. I am sure that I would get over the fear sometime soon. I really am saving a lot of money over the autos and it saves me the arguing and haggling. So next time I am behind any of you on a bike and if I cringe when you drive fast, please understand. If you are sitting next to me or behind me and if I do not go as fast as you expect me to, please understand.
I do feel left out of a conversation when guys talk about this bike and that bike. I do not even know what a two stroke or three stroke means. If someone spots a Ferrari or a Merc on the road, its a WOW moment, but I couldn't be the least bit bothered. So what if it has cruise control. So what if you think the bullet is such an awesome machine. I am just not turned on by it. In school, I was pretty much satisfied with a TVS 50 that was lying home. I am sure my parents felt lucky, cause I was one boy who never begged for a bike when I turned 18. It did not bother me that my friends zoomed away on their Suzuki and Kawasaki, while I tumbled along on my rickety old TVS 50.
When I look back, I realized that all my life, my father had warned me about getting on a bike. It was totally forbidden. I would not even ride along with someone else. Of course, this rule was always broken. Just by the number of time he mentioned this, I believe I developed a fear. I believed that riding is something that is totally unsafe. Well, lets accept it. To a great degree, it really is unsafe. Majority of the accidents happen NOT because of your mistake. I don't blame my father for being so paranoid. He managed to ram his Yezdi into a bus and go under the wheels, a month or two before I was born. He survived.
My mother has never been so paranoid, but I am sure that the feelings she went through when I was in her tummy, was enough to install the fear in me. Yes, even before I was born, it was determined that I would never enjoy riding. Even before I was born, I was taught that it was unsafe and that is was something to be feared about. Something I strongly feel even to this day. I feel stressed each time I need to go out somewhere.
Since I have never driven or ridden, I spent a lot of money on autos. It was always frustrating to argue and haggle with them and give away huge sums of money to the ones that never deserve it. Recently a friend of mine asked me to take her unused Scooty. I thought about it and decided to give it a shot. It has been a little more than a month now since I have been using it. I still get worked up before I need to go somewhere, even if it is to the store close by. I try not to ride it too far of. That thing does not go fast, so there is no question of over speeding. Something I really hate. I don't have a license and have never thought of getting one.
My brother got a car a while ago and I am not excited about driving. Again I don't have a license yet, but will be getting one soon. I figured its a lot safer than a two wheeler. It's funny but I learnt driving in USA. A friend I was staying next to, forced me to learn. He literally did force me. I was glad he did. He took the initiative to literally drag me to the license office and take a license, which I got at the first attempt. Again, I'm grateful for that. Due to that, I can now drive.
At the end of it all, I am glad I am trying to drive/ride. I am sure that I would get over the fear sometime soon. I really am saving a lot of money over the autos and it saves me the arguing and haggling. So next time I am behind any of you on a bike and if I cringe when you drive fast, please understand. If you are sitting next to me or behind me and if I do not go as fast as you expect me to, please understand.
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