Puneites make waves on social media for shunning helmets

Puneites are under attack of sorts on social media for their ‘come what may, we will continue to say no to helmets.’ With Pune Police Chief announcing to make protective headgear mandatory from January 1, Puneites quickly revived the already existing committee to oppose the compulsory helmet rule. Puneites are being openly ridiculed on social media like never before. Sample this, if you dare to check the twitter to know more on this, not just a few individuals or politicians but official handle of Legal Development Programme on Road Safety run by World Health Organization has posed a question whether denying fuel at petrol pumps to vehicle owners sans helmets would make people take #RoadSafety seriously?
 
Apart from some criticising citizens of Pune for their tough stance of wrestling against the helmet rule, some Twitterati are graciously offering suggestions for this rule or some questioning whether RTO has already zeroed in on a place to store impounded vehicles after it declared that licence and vehicle of the person wearing without helmets will be impounded. Some have questioned why the police from the State have repeatedly failed to implement helmet rule when it is being seriously implemented in many other states.
 
Famous automotive writer Adil Darukhanawala twitted, “I don’t know why Pune intelligentsia is such dodos! Some years ago in the US Bell Helmets ran an ad campaign against cheap helmets with a single line: “If you have got a $10 head, wear a $10 helmet.” These guys who have no head worthy of even that must see this! @FastBikesIndia

Amidst uncertainty in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, National Congress leader @OmarAbdullah got engaged in a detailed conversation on twitter on how wearing a helmet is not a favour done to the authorities. He shared that he has never been able to understand people who think a helmet is an avoidable nuisance and highlighted the fact that helmets save lives.
 
One Danny Patel twitted “@PuneCityTraffic I suggest every corporate should enforce helmet rule in Pune for their employees. No entry into IT parks and SEZ if not wearing a helmet. Only when these people will come in control. Heavy penalties for offenders by blocking their appraisals etc.”

While there are several tweets discussing various aspects of how wearing helmets have saved lives in past, with some of the survivors sharing their personal experience many posts on WhatsApp are nothing but tongue in cheek humour. One anonymous post writer quipped  “In many rituals, betel nut is considered a substitute for many a mandatory ingredient, in few rituals, a married man is allowed perform puja even in the absence of his wife if he carries betel nut with him. So cops should not fine two-wheeler riders if they are carrying betel nut in their pocket instead of the helmet.” 

Some caricatures showing Puneites riding two-wheelers while wearing helmets meant for cycle riders or even wearing pans used for deep frying food items are shared repeatedly with Puneites arguing that no action should be taken against them as rule did not mention that it is mandatory to wear helmet having ISI mark.

All in all, if the discussion around helmet rule is considered, Puneites are not going to easily abide by this rule, not of course when politicians will continue to play populist politics to garner a few votes and not dare to take a stand for the welfare of the people at large.