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STRAP THOSE SEAT BELTS !!!
mood: 
accomplished
accomplishedAnd so, you will find almost half the population here driving their cars without their seat belts on, though the latest rule by the DMV ( Department of Motor Vehicles) stresses that they do.
What baffles me is that the rule serves to safeguard the interest of the driver than the interest of the ones that implemented the rule or the ones trying to reinforce it, but nobody seems to even give that a thought !
For the lay man, its just another rule that can be ignored as long as a cop is out of sight.
Just yesterday, i was zooming with my son in our car after picking him up from his tennis class cos i was emergently required by my office to log in on my system back at home. I was hardly a furlong from home when i spotted this cop signaling me to get off the road and i was like 'Oh please! not now!' . I roll down the window and a smart looking officer tells me "Ma'm, I don't want to trouble you now, cos you have your kid in the car, but the next time round you'll have to pay a fine of Rs. 1000/- for not having your seat belt on."
I heave a big sigh of relief ( read- whisper under my breath "gawd, that was close!"), profusely thank the cop for excusing me, roll up the window, and resume on our journey. Seat belt unstrapped.
Yep, some people never learn.
As i negotiate the next bend that leads onto my drive way, i spot another cop! In a reflex action, me and my sonny immediately reach for our seat belts and pull them across.
We're home. Safe. And without a ticket. This once.
But yes, i was plagued by the sure shot question immediately.
What was actually important to me? To please the cop? or Drive safe?!!
To drive safe, of course!
And yeah, i did feel happy to ascertain that I didn't do the eyewash because i didn't care for the rule, but that having driven 'unseatbelted' for as long as i've been riding cars, i simply forget to strap that thing on !
But yes, life is too costly to be jeopardized for a memory lapse and so, right now i have a 'SEATBELT !!!' warning on a post-it note bang on the dashboard of my car.
And yeah, i'm hoping that would have been the last time someone ever spotted me and my sonny without our seat belts on.
When is the last time YOU put on your seat belt for someone other than yourself?!!