On the Rule of the Road is an Essay written by English Journalist and author, A.G Gardiner. The story of an essay begins with strong and healthy old lady who is walking on the road with her basket…
On the Rule of the Road By A.G Gardiner
Summary of On the Rule of the Road By A.G Gardiner
The story of an essay begins with strong and healthy old lady who is walking on the road with her basket, it seems like she does not know about the traffic rules. The old Lady was walking in middle of highway which was creating problem to the other riders.
Someone told old her to walk on footpath but she does not listen to him and keep walking on middle of highway. Lady replied him I will walk wherever I would like to walk and I don’t need anybody’s permission because we have got liberty. The poet says If she has a liberty to walk in middle of highway then driver also have a liberty to drive on footpath.
The poet is trying to say, unnecessary freedom can lead to the destruction of the world. Everyone will stop each other and no one would be able to go anywhere. If a policeman stops your car to let other lane’s cars go and you consider it as a symbol of tyranny then you are wrong.
Don’t consider it tyranny because it is a liberty. You maybe in higher post thought but still policeman stops your car, you should never get offended. Because we should respect everyone and their work no matter who we are. Think thoroughly, if there would be no policeman on highway then it would lead to a traffic jam which could consume lots of your time.
We ourselves have made a pact with our government that they can control some liberty of us so we can enjoy our liberty in reality. Always remember, “Liberty is not a personal affair only, but a social contract”.
Though I have a freedom to walk on highway with night dress then who would stop me ? And you have a every right to laugh at me. I also have a freedom to ignore you. I have a liberty to make my hair golden. I have freedom to wear sandal under overcoat and can sleep at 2 am and wake up at 2 pm.
I don’t need anybody’s permission to do any of these things. It is my liberty whether I like Ella Wheeler Wilcox or Wordsworth. The whole world is our kingdom and we are the king of it. We can live in it as we like.
Even after knowing all of this, why we doesn’t do it. It is because we know our liberty is qualified by other people’s liberty. I love playing drum but that doesn’t mean I start playing it in midnight and disturb others people’s sleep. We must remember that we exist because of other people.
Here poet give an example, once upon a time poet was traveling in train but before entering in train, he purchased blue-book to read in train. There was one person in train compartment who was laughing madly while talking to his friends which was disturbing poet in reading book.
His voice was so loud that I was not able to read my book. Thereafter, poet stop reading and started looking outside of window. That man’s voice is still disturbing poet’s ear even though he stopped reading.
He did not realize that he is disturbing other people’s peace in compartment while talking to his friends. He was a good person by word though but not social person. He had no social sense like how to behave among people.
We should observe the people who follows road rules because through this we can learn about their nature whether they are civilized or not. I believe when my friend who was sitting in train compartment will read this article then he won’t make a such mistake again.