Driver getting old – car as good as new!

The dependable Swift on the highway to Kharagpur

Kolkata is just about 300 km from Jamshedpur by road and our usual mode of transport during our not infrequent trips to Kolkata is obviously our car.

During a recent drive to Kolkata Jaya and I decided to spend a day at IIT, Kharagpur. It was great meeting up with some old friends there. Going back to one’s Alma Mater is always a nostalgic and sentimental trip.

The Swift at IIT, Kharagpur

The road between Jamshedpur and Kolkata is in a reasonably good condition at present. The 125 km stretch from Kharagpur to Kolkata is excellent, being a part of the GQ (Golden Quadrilateral) between Kokata and Chennai. Whenever I drive on this stretch, I tend to step on the gas and maintain 100 to 140 kmph. But this time, I decided to take it easy and stuck to 80-90 kmph both while going and returning. I found this new ‘strategy’ very comfortable and much less stressful.  You see, most drivers in India haven’t figured how to drive on expressways and one often finds slow moving vehicles hogging the fast lane. So if one is doing high speeds, one either has to slow down and honk till the slow moving truck or car grudgingly lets you pass or overtake from the wrong side. Either way, a reduction in your speed is required which pisses you off.

But if one sticks to 80-90 kmph, not much reduction in speed is required while overtaking and things are more peaceful.

I’m getting old, I guess!