Senior citizens who complain about the youth

I was driving home this morning on a divided road and traffic in the other direction was backed up a little bit for a traffic light. As often happens in India, a motorcycle cut across at the next break in the road divider and started driving straight at me on the wrong side of the road. I was expecting this to be a college kid, but it happened to be an older person - probably in his late 50s or early 60s. He was hoping I would swerve to my left and let him pass on my right. I stopped my car right in front of his motorcycle, rolled down my window and with extreme politeness, suggested that he turn around. (Sumeet, I learned this from your posts on Abhi Safai - thanks). Perhaps taken aback by my politeness, he started to give me gyan about how I could just let him pass. Traffic built up behind me and they were all asking him to not make a scene. Traffic on the other side of the divider also started to tell him he was in the wrong. It probably became a prestige issue for him; for he shut his engine and said he could wait all day. At this point a couple of people started to drag his motorbike to the side of the road with him on it.

I couldn't resist a parting shot. "Grandpa," I said, "the next time you complain about the ineptitude and insolence of today's youth, I hope you will remember this event."