The Road-crossing Algorithm

Despite the magnitude of evolution, and advancement in technology, the primal instincts have marked their presence in almost all aspects of our lives. and I would like to share one such experience that brings forth the true attitude lying deep within us, through, 'The Road-crossing Algorithm'

When I was little, I remember watching in the Discovery Channel that zebras had stripes because when a predator looked at a zebra herd, it could not differentiate the individual from the herd, because of the inability occuring due to the colour blindness associated with the predator.

Similarly, when a vehicle driver, sees a lot of people crossing the road together, he slows down, due to the herd like behaviour of human beings, where as when he sees a single person crossing the road, due to distinguishibility, he rarely slows down, unless the person is in a strikable distance from the vehicle.

This instinct is something that is common in all human beings, and has helped us survive through the ages. In our every day experience we come across situations where we come across accidents happening to single people crossing the road, on the contarary to a lot of people crossing the road. It is also an everyday experience, that when a single individual tries to cross the road, most of the time, the driver takes advantage of the situation, trying to confuse the person who wants to get to the other side, and in some cases, abusing the person point out to his carelessness. While such scenarios are rarely seen on the herd :P


Also, when you look at the red light provided to stop people crossing as and when they feel like, the light also serves to accumulate people to behave herd-like. Also, the presence of "Zebra"- crossing is a mere indication of what the lights signify. 

21st birthday - For once i felt special.

Birthday is that special day, where you wake up with the feeling that everything is just perfect. You feel like you own the place and every time you are wished you have that special feeling.

I have always felt that the people i travelled everyday in the bus (the college bus by which i used to travel during engineering). Every one with a different idea. Everyone with a different behavior. But when it came to the time in the bus, everyone was a team.

On my 21st birthday I did not expect anyone to remember the event, because i hadn't been wished the previous 2 years. But this day as soon as i entered the bus, almost every-one wished me. Usually we used to go and eat at the Sairams Chat at Malleshwaram. On the 6th of april also the guys insisted that I go with them. Though my birthday had passes on march 31.

None of my batch-mates were coming that day, so i decided to come up with some excuse to not go. Fortunately (rather unfortunately) it was my brothers birthday that day and I insisted strongly on not going with them especially because in the past several relatives used to visit on that day. As it turned out, AFTER 10 years I had an opportunity to enjoy my birthday celebration, and there i was fooling around.

The guys in my bus had even gone ahead and bought me a wonderful T-shirt for my birthday... I wonder how I could have over-looked it. I mean there I was, a fool not going to this chat with them. I still did not go, feeling very bad, and it happened so, that because my brother had his final exam. Even he did not get a birthday celebration that year (:P).