(Image via thehindu.com)
A large number of parents in Bangalore, mothers in particular, have instructed their children to call them up after crossing the Nayandahalli signal safely. The trend has taken root in the wake of the Nayandahalli signal becoming a vortex of chaos and accidents.
“Earlier, I used to ask my daughter to give me a call whenever she would safely reach Chennai or Tumkur or any other city, but thanks to the Nayandahalli circle being the way it is, out of extreme tension and worry, I’ve made it mandatory for her to give me a call or text me or at least give a missed call to let me know that she has crossed the signal safely,” said Chintamani, mother of a college-going daughter.
Like Chintamani, hundreds of mothers and some spouses have made it a habit of checking on their loved ones when they expect to cross the Nayandahalli signal. “The worry and tension is just too much to handle!” said Geeta, another mother. “My daughter has to battle unruly and erratic lorries, over-speeding BMTC buses, extreme pollution and last, but never the least, horrible, stony, muddy roads that could topple her vehicle either way! Even the most dangerous highways are probably not as bad. ”
“It has now become a common sight on the Nayandahalli circle. Scores of two-wheelers, after successfully managing to cross Nayandahalli, park their vehicles to the side, make a quick phone call and then move ahead,” said Basavanna, a bus commuter who boards his bus at the Nayandahalli bus stop everyday. “Earlier, prior to the construction of the flyovers as well as the metro line, Nayandahalli was the city’s biggest bottleneck and clean-shaven men would grow beards by the time they cleared the signal. People even saw Lagaan completely on some days, while waiting at the signal. We thought construction of flyovers would make it better – it has, but only for the people who take the flyover,” Basavanna added.
Hospitals on the Mysore Road highway have, however, been very pleased with the Nayandahalli signal. “Boss, thanks to the way Nayandahalli signal is, we’re making a fortune. People check in every day by the dozen. Peak hours of the day are the busiest hours for us too! Our hospital’s profits will drastically drop should any improvement be made to this signal,” Chatri Baddi, manager of a hospital on the Mysore Road highway told The UnReal Times.