“ROAD TO NOWHERE”

Lyndon B. Johnson, the late President of U.S., used to narrate a story to highlight; general negativity, and sluggishness of some persons.
In a remote township, a visitor was lost in the web of several roads. He queried a passerby,
“How do I reach, the Mall in the town from here?”
An FAQ, by any visitor, to the locals, in the town.
Unfortunately for the visitor, the local ,. was totally sozzled up, and was on his way home from the pub. He was enthusiastic to offer help promptly.
“ Hey chum, you take the first right, then go straight down the road for about half a kilometer then left and finally the right at the next bend. “
“ No, not that way, you take instead, the first left, then straight, and then right and then… No, that way also, you can’t reach the destination. Let’s try another route; go straight for half a kilometer, then take the second right, then left, and straight down the road. Left right etc. “
By then the visitor was thoroughly confused. Then came the final blow;
“ Hey friend, methinks, you simply can’t go from here to the Mall, there is just no way. Forget it. Goodnight.”
The audience would laugh their guts out at this guffaw, and sympathise with the hapless visitor.
Frankly, the scenario, depicts the present state of roads, in Pune, aptly.
The roads are taken up for repairs, widening, pre-monsoon maintenance, flyover-construction, all at once. The alternate routes are dug up, for telephone/power-supply cables, water/ sewage pipelines, drainage, cementing, asphalting, dividers et ala.

I embarked on a journey to travel on GK road to University circle. There I encountered the first diversion. Was directed to take the alternate route, via DP. Road Aundh. At the next chowk there was a barricade. I tried another alternative, to go via Baner road through Pashan. It was decreed; "no entry". Someone advised me to travel to Mumbai via the Highway and attempt to reach the destination in Pune, on the return journey . For sometime I considered this as a possible choice, but did not pursue it. (Petrol hike?)
I encountered some outlandish route through the village. Another roadblock. I was held up as the asphalting work was in progress.
The traffic chaps who were available in droves; at these cross roads, supplied intelligence, that the road was closed for all traffic. No offer of help as to how to get out of the labyrinth, to some known roads.
To add to the confusion, some marriage procession, with all the song and dance, and horse-driven buggy forced its way on the narrow road. They were looking scary and devilish. With all the firecrackers, and exotic ammunition in tow, I felt like being caught up in some crossfire on Gaza strip roads. I encountered some drunken louts, feverishly dancing to the deafening band. The tail end of the entourage of the marriage procession, perhaps.
The only way to get out of all this mess was to leave the car, on the road and scoot homewards, safely; and let the car face, the music.
I have left my car, in some god-forsaken place in which I landed myself in this melee of right, left, no entry, no road, no cars etc. I heaved a sigh of relief, after reaching home unscathed.
Will someone be a Good Samaritan to locate my jalopy and tow it home?

M. S. RANADE
Chairman & CEO
Placewell Consultants, Pune 411007
mranade@vsnl.com
Published in Times of India, dated 18th August,07, East side supplement.Pune.