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It is a truth universally acknowledged, that past a certain stage in life, we lose the effortless empathy we once had for the very young.
As a sixty-something who has not yet stepped into grandparenthood, I find that I am jumpy around humans below two feet in height. I used to be an effortless mom (a personal opinion not always shared by my daughters) but these days, I find myself unnecessarily anticipating disasters whenever children are near. I would much rather admire them from afar, entirely free from responsibility for their diapers or their moral upbringing.
I was pondering this shift at an unlikely, chaotic spot: a notorious road crossing in busy Gudaibiya. Right where four main roads intersect near a towering hypermarket, I watched parents pushing flimsy infant strollers that looked like pogo-sticks on four wheels. These contraptions kept the babies’ nostrils at level with vehicle exhaust fumes, well below the line of vision of most drivers. Nearby, older kids crossed alongside adults who were too busy texting or talking, to supervise their offspring. And, don’t even get me started on the unaccompanied, totally zoned-out adults making zombie-like dashes across the asphalt.
The entire Gudaibiya junction is a giant, messy tangle of jaywalkers who airily cross from all directions, completely ignoring the traffic lights and rules. Picture this: you are approaching Hoora from Andalus Garden, having just passed Gudaibiya Palace.
The signal ahead is a brilliant emerald green. This means automobiles have the right of way, right? Not here. As you step on the gas, you are met by 20 people representing all generations and nationalities, doing a collective lemming dash. Recently, these pedestrians have been joined by electric scooters and cycles that whizz through the walking masses – inevitably travelling the wrong way up a one-way street.
Our MPs and municipal officials have been urging that electric two-wheelers face strict driving licence requirements, especially one too many tragic accidents in recent months. That is a step in the right direction, but we need broader, tighter regulations to save lives.
For starters, we need strict fines on jaywalking; motorists are penalised for breaking a red light, so why shouldn’t pedestrians face consequences? Similarly, cyclists and scooter riders must follow the flow of traffic, wear designated safety gear like helmets and reflective jackets, and stop pretending they are pedestrians the moment a sidewalk becomes convenient.
While we are at it, how about standardising safer baby strollers? We strictly regulate child car safety seats, so why do we let infants be wheeled around in flimsy contraptions? Strollers must comply with minimum structural safety standards. Before you dismiss this as wishful thinking, remember that seatbelts, motorcycle helmets and keeping children in the back seat all started as ‘airy recommendations’.
Finally, a plea to our roadworks planners: let us see dedicated two-wheeler lanes at busy intersections. It will make commuting vastly safer for everyone – regardless of the number of wheels we ride.
meeraresponse@gmail.com
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