Some
roads are killing fields – the other day, the van overtook a sewer truck,
cutting across its path – the truck driver was furious, honed the horn
violently, came dangerously close, succeeded in overtaking again, tried pushing
the van to the corner, trying to bring the van to an uncomfortable stop …… more
so, if you are in a luxury car – the truck, van, other
vehicles might try to show their fury and power ! – for what ? –directed
against whom ??
Road rage is
aggressive or angry behaviour by a driver of an automobile or other road
vehicle. Such behaviour might include rude gestures, verbal insults,
deliberately driving in an unsafe or threatening manner, or making threats.
Road rage can lead to altercations, assaults, and collisions that result in
injuries and even deaths. People often
fail to realise that they can't control
another driver's behavior, but can control their own. When another driver cuts
you off, how you react will determine what happens next. If you are able to
back off, take a deep breath, and remain calm, then you can defuse a
potentially violent situation.
In
India Cricketers are celebrities – treated royally – not everywhere perhaps, as
found out by WasimAkram in his own country.
At
Karachi, Akram, one of the greatest fast bowlers produced by Pakistan was shot at in a road rage incident; escaped
unhurt. The former Pakistan captain was
on his way to National Stadium to tutor youngsters on the art of seam and swing
when a Honda Civic with four occupants was involved in a minor accident with
his Mercedes near Karachi's Karsaz Golf Club. The mishap almost led to
disastrous consequences. According to
Akram’s version in saama.tv, “There was lot of rush and I was driving in the
middle lane. Peeche
se aakar kisi ki gaadi halkisi touch hui. I signalled the
driver to stop and pull over. He signalled that he would, then tried to drive
away which frustrated me. Maine unki gaadi ko halkasa haathmaara. An altercation followed with the driver. At
this stage, Wasim said, the owner came out, loaded his gun and pointed at him.
“The traffic had stopped. People recognized me and started saying, Yeh to
WasimAkramhai. The man then fired towards my car tyres and ran away,“ he said.
The former Pakistan
captain commented on road rage: we let our fists do the talking, not guns. If
the offender is man enough, he should come to me and I'll show him what road
rage really is. He reportedly had noted
down the vehicle's number and given it to the police. It was a 2002 Honda with
the registration number AEG-061,“ he added.Former Pakistan skipper Imran Khan,
who had mentored Akram in his early days, immediately tweeted that he was glad
to know that Wasim was safe.
Akram had a long
and chequered career stretching close to
19 years from his debut in 1985. In 104
tests he made 2898 runs with 257 not out as highest; 3717 runs in 356
onedayers. He once clubbed Chetan Sharma
for 3 consecutive sixers in 1987 taking 25 runs in an over. He took 414 test wickets and 502 one day
wickets.
There is also the
news of James Faulkner being banned from
driving for two years and fined £10,000 after he admitted the drink-driving
offence which had already led to him missing the forthcoming limited-overs leg
of Australia's tour of England.Faulkner, who was Man of the Match in the World
Cup final in March2015 and is currently
playing for Lancashire, was found to be nearly three times over the legal limit
when he gave a breath test after his Toyota hit the back of a BMW 3 Series car
in West Didsbury, Manchester on July 2.
Manchester Magistrates'
Court heard that he did not want to walk the one mile home in heavy rain
following an evening out with a friend from Tasmania, previously reported to be
team-mate Tim Paine.District Judge Mark Hadfield explained that he had reached
his decision on the level of Faulkner's fine because a community order would
not be possible given his circumstances. Cricket Australia had already
implemented their own disciplinary procedures shortly after Faulkner was
stopped by police last month while he was also fined by Lancashire. He was
handed four suspension points by CA for a level three offence which meant he
was immediately ruled out of Australia's ODI against Ireland then the T20
against England and the start of the one-day series.
Getting back – in
2009, Akram’s wife Huma breathed her last at the Apollo Hospital, Chennai following multiple organ failure. She had been admitted there after an
"emergency situation" when an air ambulance flying her to Singapore
from Lahore halted at the city airport for scheduled refuelling. At that time, Akram was quoted as saying that doctors
in India tried their best to save the life of his wife Huma and accused their
counterparts in Pakistan of only being interested in making money, days after a
Parliamentary panel directed authorities to cancel licenses of 22 physicians in
Lahore who treated her.
Later in Dec 2013,
WasimAkram announced that he had married his Australian girlfriend, Shaniera Thompson, saying he has started a new
life on a happy note.
With regards – S.
Sampathkumar
6th Aug
2015.
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