Last ditch 7-minute luxury taught me how much easier life could be

Working couples with school going children will agree that the morning hours are most stressful. What with getting kids ready, setting office briefcases and school bags, packing tiffin, organising and running through ‘to do’ lists, checking important messages and rushing to reach your transport in time. We are no different and go through this harried rigmarole every morning hurrying to save those precious seconds loss of which could delay you for the day.

Last week, the typical morning scramble played out as I reached my car two minutes later than usual. I got on to the road with nerves frayed and a pulse accelerating. On approaching the highway, it was evident that I was not the only one anxious about an imminent delay and most fellow drivers on the highway seemed equally stretched.

There was this enterprising tailgater (TG) who followed me a mere 2 inches behind and swerved viciously to the highway as if trying to impress a circus crowd with a death-defying stunt. All he defied however, was a scrap, only to be stopped short in his swift advance by a massive trailer that had no serious paucity of time.

Trailers, when not in a hurry, not only obstruct doggedly but also deny the view ahead leaving tailgaters no choice but to change lanes. Friend TG, without bothering to indicate, swerved again only to force a screech from a honking rightful claimant to the lane. A honk may allow you to vent your frustration, but it does not allow any space. TG having lost precious milliseconds found himself sandwiched between an irate honker and a car ahead whose driver showed no signs of urgency.

The speed of Dubai traffic does not allow you the luxury of peacefully witnessing such entertainment and you too, as a part of the rapid traffic stream, skip a few beats when faced with antics of the car ahead. I was losing time on a day when I was already struggling and cursed TG for making a mess. I, a doctor, had a 10 O Clock appointment and saw that I was now 6 minutes behind my scheduled time.

Pulse racing and frustration rising, I extricated myself from this melee and found a clear section of the highway. Meanwhile, TG had another narrow brush as he ‘created’ space between two cars and finally found an open stretch. ‘When it rains, it pours’ they say. Situations tend to aggravate when you are fighting a losing battle and to my dismay, the phone stirred, and a message flashed. Was the patient already there?

Providence has its ways of being merciful to men who observe driving etiquette and the message said that the patient would be late by 15 minutes. The feeling was one of an Olympic gold medallist who, when in sight of the finish-line as a close second, sees the runner ahead of him stumble leaving the path to his gold clear.

Now ahead of the schedule by a full 7 minutes, I was flooded with relief and suddenly the goings-on ceased to matter. I took one of the slower lanes, set a respectable speed and merrily whistled my way to the clinic. I never realised that a mere 7 minutes could swing the start of your day so positively. What a pleasure it is to be in office ahead of schedule, set things up your way, check appointments, quickly scan your mail and be ready for the patient with a settled head and a smiling face.

Small things leave a big impact. This last-minute 7-minute luxury taught me how much easier life could be, on and off the road, if I always had those precious minutes. I have decided to set my watch 5 minutes ahead and my morning routine and drive to office have turned a breeze.

One drives at complete peace and the unhurried pace avoids many a narrow brush. However, TG has learnt no such lessons and still tailgates me occasionally as I deliberately slow down on the sole lane that merges with the highway and enjoy a sporadic desperate honk of a late goer.

Dr Rakesh Maggon is a specialist ophthalmologist with an interest in literature

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