The philosophical undertones of writings on public transport

Writings on public transport are loaded with moral teachings. The origin of this practice cannot be ascertained, but public vehicles during the 1980s and 1990s were without such long writings, as far as I can recall. Other than Bhepu bajan (Honk please) or Thamun (Stop), these writings were rarely seen. But do many commuters pay attention to these writings? I myself have done so for quite a long time. Nowadays, the most common message on public vehicles is Prithibir shobcheye boro adalat manusher bibek (The world's biggest courtroom is one's conscience). Of course, we all know that the one thing in short supply is our conscience; even if it is inside us, it is in eternal hibernation.

Consider another one: Ghum bhangle shokal, na bhangle porokal (If you wake up, it's the morning; if you don't, it's the afterlife). It aims to teach commuters the importance of religion in our lives. Then, there are messages like Mohajon shaheb kinlen gari, driver shaheb charlen bari (Mr merchant buys a car, and Mr Driver leaves home). This line is obvious. Because of urbanisation and globalisation, both people and goods are moving frequently from one place to another. More and more automobiles are needed to meet this growing need. That's why the merchant bought a vehicle, and the driver left his home to come to the city and earn a living.

I once saw this one written on the back of a CNG-run auto-rickshaw: Jokhon shomoy kharap jay tokhon ghorio jiggesh kore koyta baje (When the times are tough, even the clock asks if everything is okay). When someone is in distress, are we always too busy to listen to their stories?

Another common writing is Ekti durghotona, shara jiboner kanna (One accident can cause lifelong sorrow). We all know the importance of safe driving. But blaming the drivers only for accidents will not solve the problem. It is not that some drivers are always looking for the adrenaline rush. One driver once told me that he could not sleep the night before because of a long-haul drive, and he was feeling sleepy. But he was forced to drive on another trip, and I happened to be one of his passengers. I could do nothing but sympathise with him, while hoping to reach my destination in one piece.

Messages like Apnar shontan ke school e pathan (Send your child to school) underscores the importance of formal education in our lives. It is also time to think about the quality of education not in terms of grades, rather in terms of attaining human qualities. Another message that caught my attention was written on an auto-rickshaw: Ami chhoto, amake marben na (I am small, do not hit me). Out of all the different forms of public transportation, CNG-run auto-rickshaws belong to the category of small vehicles. That's why it fears the big vehicles on the road. It reflects society in general where the powerless people feel intimidated by the powerful elites.

Some lines are funny. Some oil tankers are found to have this Hindi sentence written at the back: Mujhe pyar se dekho (Look at me with love). Some say: Chhi chhi tumi eto kache! (Fie! You are so close to me!). Some vehicles don this message, 100 haat dure thakun (Stay 100 arms' length away). Sentences like Mamu, diesel khamu (Uncle, feed me diesel), Jodi thake pet bhora, bhoy kori na desh ghura (If my stomach is full, I am not scared of roaming the country) or Jonmo theke jolchhi, ami diesel bolchhi (Burning from birth, it is me, diesel) written on the fuel tank of some of the big covered vans highlight the importance of fuel for proper functioning of our fast-paced civilisation. No matter what happens, fuel and energy cannot run out.

The thoughtful and philosophical themes of these writings surely make us ponder the ubiquity of human intellect. These writings on public transport are the reflection of social rules and norms and the harsh reality we try to escape sometimes.

Mohammad Mahfuzul Islam is an anthropologist working at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB).

Views expressed in this article are the author's own. 

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