Colorful streaks outside the vehicles in India!!! Know what these are?

 

One can notice such colourful streaks on the outside of many of the vehicles in India. Do you know what these are?

The colourful streaks

Streaks indicating liquid flow down in different colors such as red, yellow are seen on the outside of many of the public as well as private vehicles in India. These are spits (plain or after paan-chewing) or vomits of the passengers of the vehicle or the driver of the vehicle.

Streaks on side of car due to paan spitting (Source: Self)

Read here on The ills of Vipassana!

Reasons for such colourful streaks

1.       The disgusting but common and popular habit of eating gutka and paan (betel-nut leaves). People who eat these cancer-causing substances keep them on one side of the cheek and keep spitting out often after that. It is an addiction and the government policies and laws and regulations related to control the consumption of these harmful substances have been ineffective.

2.       Common habit of spitting in public places and from vehicles in typical Indians including the educated class.

3.       Vomiting out of the vehicle windows by people with motion sickness while travelling

4.       People washing dirty hands from the windows of the public transport vehicles instead of using tissue paper or towels to clean their hands.

5.       Throwing of liquid-containing containers such as teacups, fruit juice cans and packets out of the moving or standing public transport vehicles.

6.       Lack of civic sense amongst most Indians.

7.       Vehicle owners not cleaning the vehicles regularly. Their inside and outside remain un-cleaned for weeks together.

These characteristics continue unabated in this population both in cities and in villages. The difference is that people in rural areas are more skilful in spitting. They spit with force and in more quantity so that the spit forms a straight and powerful jet during the process of spitting!

Dehradun-Delhi bus route, driver spitting out of bus (Courtesy: Self)

Are they ashamed of this bad habit? No. Are they worried about others around them? No. Will they stop if told? No. Will they stop if anti-spitting laws are made? No. Will they stop if they are fined for it? No. Are there any attempts from their side to improve? No. Will they stop yelling at those who tell them to stop this habit? No.

What should ideally be done?

1.       Stop the habit and addiction of eating gutka and paan-chewing

2.       Do not spit anywhere and definitely not outside the moving vehicles.

3.       Education has some chance of improving them. But it should be frequent and proper.

4.       Do not wash hands or throw liquid or solid items out of the vehicles.

5.       If you have a tendency for motion sickness, always carry plastic bags or sickness bags with you. Vomit into it when you feel like it and strap it shut. After dismounting throw away the secretions into a garbage bin.

6.       The bus people can keep some plastic bags with them which they can provide to the people in times of need when they feel like vomiting. In Nepal, when I was travelling from Kathmandu in a bus and the road was windy (near Kalanki on Prithvi Highway), the bus conductor provided us with plastic bags which we can use when we feel like vomiting.

7.       Regular and proper cleaning of buses.

8.       Teaching in schools on sanitation and hygiene.

9.       Carry tissue papers and disposable towels with you for hand cleaning during bus travel.

10.   Enforcement of hygiene methods from the government. Mere taxing people a cleanliness tax on every purchase they make will not serve the purpose!!! Efforts from people and the public would be fruitful to see a cleaner nation and world!