The most common thing I have observed while I visited the other cities is that their vehicles would be dented or would have some scratches. Either they have bumped into another guy’s car or some guy would have rammed into their’s. However, in our very own Mangaluru, this sight is a little rare. Only few here and there. Again, not that the way of driving here is any safer but I would like to believe that we Mangaloreans have more love towards our vehicles, and it’s most certainly a priced possession for many, even dearer than their folks!!
Now as we have come to vehicle love, the local citizens’ obsession with the stickers on their vehicles too is very unique to the region. The stickers here come in all different shapes, sizes and colours. On the rear windshield, we have often seen stickers such as ‘Amma’, ‘Thaayi devaru’, which the owner of the proud vehicles should put on the front windshield to rather remind himself that his mother is great. Is he asking us all to be grateful to his mom?
In another instance, I came across a guy who was driving so rashly that I was sure he would hit a pole or two before he reached his destination. As it is he had passed on his impatience on me, and that’s when I noticed the sticker – Drive Safe on his vehicle. Probably, he was asking us to drive home safe with him around on the road. And I was also little surprised if he had actually gauged my foul mood.
Apart from these, the stickers we commonly come across are ‘One life live it’, prompts us to think if we read it and drive, we will probably lose that one life too, and ‘Don’t touch my car’, of course we will not, you please don’t touch our’s (chuckles).
Last but the first in importance are the so-called scary stickers, Motor Driving School and L. Anyway, we still love our City and its people!
