We Pakistani's generally seem to think that we are smarter than everyone, that anyone in authority is out to make a buck, and all law-makers are complete idiots. Forget the big gun politicians and those guys. I'm talking about the run of the mill government employee, and rule maker/ implementer. And even if they are all crooks and out to get you for everything, think for a minute what would happen if everyone started with that assumption and went ahead and did as they pleased. That is called anarchy.
We should all see the sense in following the law. We are a civilized people. Or so I would like to think. We are also an educated people (or at least some of us are... I'm assuming if you can read this, at the very least you are literate). And even if someone is not formally educated, they are intelligent human beings. There is a reason that there are laws. You know all that you hear in the news about the 'law and order' situation.... its because people violate the law.
But of course you and I are law abiding citizens, we would never contribute to anarchy. Its those thugs in far-away places (Karachi for example :o ) that cause all the problems... or those damn lawyers! You and I are paragons of virtue. Law abiding citizens to the core. We respect authority and understand that intelligent people have created these laws and we follow them in letter and spirit. We don't break traffic signals, or go above the speed limit, we pay taxes.
Traffic rules? What am I talking about? Traffic rules are not 'rules', they are mere guidelines, suggestions really. No need to follow them. WE know better. Of course we do. Speed limit... for aunties and old people. Traffic signals... for the boring and un-adventurous. Paying the toll at the toll-both - for fools and simpletons. All these traffic rule have been made by idiots. I'm sure no one actually thought about them. Probably designed by a 5 year old. Same goes for taxes, and so many other laws and things that we may take for granted or over-look or consider meaningless. Even if they are imperfect, and leave much to be desired and could do with serious improvement, they should be followed. They should be followed, because every time we ignore or blatantly dis-regard a law for our own perceived benefit, we are contributing to the anarchy that is becoming our country.
But everyone does it so it doesn't matter if I do it. Right? Somebody else should fix the problem, not me. Right? Its not my fault, I can't do anything about it. Right? Wrong, wrong, wrong. Nothing in life is in my control except for me and myself. So I'm not telling you what to do. I'm telling myself. Follow the traffic rules, because even if no-one else does, at least if I do, maybe I can save a life or at the very least save my car from being dented and pay to fix it. Pay taxes, even if no-one else does and even if it has no personal benefit whatsoever, at least i'm not part of the problem. Don't talk about someone else fixing the problem. At the very least don't contribute to the problem.
Almost every other day, I see a car crash or shattered glass on the road. I pray that it will never be me or someone I love. This is my city and i want to do what i can to keep it safe. this is my country. and i don't do enough. So from today I'm going to go the speed limit and stop at all the red signals. And find a traffic rule book, anyone know where i can get a copy?
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