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Do you remember our Primary School teacher once asking us, 'Who killed Cock-Robin?' We and you (our readers) had a stock answer,' I donno!" Now, in our mature adulthood, readers ask us, 'Who Created the Death trap?'

One arm of our local media is adamant that the speeding, arrogant motorist and the nonchalant, 'Who Cares? traffic cop are the joint culprits. Helpless pedestrians, mostly office workers who are rushing to beat the 'arrival and departure' electronic register's recording eye, and early morning casual job-seekers who trust in the maximum; 'the early bird gets its prey'; these and other wayside waiters, are compelled to watch the carefree motorist's blatant violation of the all-clear Green Light', just as the patient pedestrians are about to step into the Yellow Death trap.

And, all that while, the young traffic cop turns a blind eye on the pedestrians' predicament; instead focuses his attention on some sensuous sari, miniskirt or bellbottom on the opposite pavement, the adorable figure which is within kissing distance of his roving eye. Together, the motorist-traffic cop duo created the inescapable Death trap, as contended by some of these media persons. However, to its lasting credit, the First Arm readily confesses that its scribes have a soft corner for the law-abiding, young female pedestrians. "The Pedestrians' Lament:

"Oh, What a Deadly Hole we Dug - When First we Fooled the Traffic Bug!". Some media persons who belong to the 'Second Arm', bitterly contend that their sister arm is wantonly casting aspersions on, and hurling vituperations at, law-abiding motorists and duty-conscious traffic cops, only because such honest to God law enforcers, who care less for position or status of law-breaking motorists, have even taken some 'First Arm' media persons to task at some point in time, or at some point along the highway.

Or some 'accident-avoiding' young motorist, unmindful that his Pinky is perched on the pillion, had hazardously swerved to save some anti-motorist media person, but had in his fury, used some inevitable lines from the 'Mariakade' wordbook.

Naturally, those in that 'Arm' are harbouring an unwarranted revenge which shows in their writing. But readers better look at Arm' media spokesman's counter-lament (quote):" As farsighted, impartial and unbiased media persons, we are convinced that those semi-intoxicated stupids, displeased office hands, jaywalking jokers and hands-clutching young office couples (who imagine that the Yellow Line is some Lovers' Lane); these are the daily culprits who have created the 'Death trap' - some loose-nuts and hoodlums who are digging their own graves.

If a pedestrian disregards the warning Red Light on the 'stop' whistle of the ever so vigilant traffic cop, but still stubbornly walks into the Yellow 'Death tra why blame the pro-pedestrian motorist for that called for mishap? Not done in civilized society, No?" It's a hesitant Yes! and No! We vacillated .... until, perchance, we met our long-lost colleague, Reggie Fernando, Sri Lankan journalist (Lake House' Senior London Corr.) Reggie, maestro motorist, (champion) winner of many a coveted Trophy for Motor Car/Road Racing in yesteryear, and hence qualified to be spokesman for his motoring kith and kin, was honestly outspoken (quote): "I have strictly adhered to traffic rules during a half-century of driving along our national highways and those in UK and Europe. Every responsible motorist, islandwide, is aware that the S/L Traffic Police has stipulated a reasonable speed limit, as a road-safely measure.

Hence, with due deference to the many eagle-eyed traffic cops, the majority of us, speed-prone motorists, drive along the major highways at a lesser speed of somewhere around 150-160 k.p.h., particularly during dangerous, peak-hour traffic congestion. Being aware that motorists are busy people in a hurry, we are sometimes compelled to increase the speed slightly, when the 'Death trap is within sight, since it is commonsense that most 'human two foots' walk along the Yellow Line, because their otherwise-engaged better-halves have insisted that when "Hubby has nothing to do, he should get familiar with the mysterious Death trap.

'These are the idlers who blame the already browbeaten, disciplined Inter-city drivers who jam their brakes, even if they spot a frog leaping across the Yellow death trap'., even while driving at a moderate speed of around 150 k.p.h. More than that, their eyes are glued to any imminent dangers or danger spots in the vicinity.

Commuters confirm that young as they are, these I-C drivers, not to mention daredevil motorcyclists, are world-class speedsters, who observe road rules to the very letter and spirit, highly-disciplined, over-courteous, ever ready to bend on all fours, if some semi-inebriated nitwit or talkative old lady were to scold them for 'nothing at all.'

Then, imagine the plight of those sweating young traffic policemen, who never ever betray their body needs to inquisitive passers by; their humanly unbearable hunger and overnight 'desert' thirst; one eye glued to the Yellow Death trap (why worry about highway happenings?) since pedestrian-safety is paramount; the other roving eye moving hither and thither to detect mischievous young lovers who are poised for that stolen 'something', right in the middle of the Death-trap.

Throughout their several well-meaning inroads along the high roads, Traffic Police have very unjustly nabbed several innocent motorists for 'speeding' or for causing some 'minor injury', such as unwittingly felling and smashing some insignificant body part of an irresponsible pedestrian, for instance like his/her left leg. If there aren't a few bone fractures inflicted by sympathetic motorists, mostly young I-C drivers, there'd be no hippies on the highway's Yellow.

That apart, just imagine the plight of those copperless, orphaned orthopaedic sergeants and the nickel-less nightingales at the 'new lovay' and 'apey polowey' bone-repairing opera-theatres?" Now, Reggie becomes blood thirsty wild with both Police and public, as he lashes out: "Any sensible member of the public will readily agree that the Police should have sued the vehicle for such minor lapses; certainly not our harassed self-driving ilk, or the self-defending, timid I-C drivers; but more justifiably arrest the selfish pedestrian whose reckless "on to your Death-trap" walk, had caused all the havoc.

Regrettably though, everybody takes the side of the senseless pedestrian. Obviously, the people have to be on the side of the guilty pedestrian. Why? ... because they are the law-breaking pedestrians, by and large.

I make bold to say that we, large-hearted motorists, and the public-spirited traffic cops, who can never be taken for a ride, should be honourably exonerated from the invalid, baseless, inhuman charge of creating that wretched, detestable death-trap.

If the people call themselves responsible citizens, they should fearlessly 'Give the Devil its Due'; to those politically-pampered, proud as peacocks (peahens too) pedestrians who pooh-pooh the age-old adage, 'Pride goes before the Fall' and senselessly fall into the Death Trap of Their own creation; not that there aren't errant drivers' alms among our media's first and second arms. Yesterday, while we waited with fingers crossed at the Lake House main stairway to cross the Yellow barrier just in front, we saw the familiar sight of bullock-cart 'driver', Salaman Aiya, carting his usual load of groceries from Pettah to Slave Island.

For what its worth, we acquainted him in brief about the raging public controversy - the Death-trap. Without mincing words, the semi-literate friendly carter had words of wisdom which would have put King Solomon in the shade, Read Salaman (in Sinhala) quote: Sir! These motorists are, the hares. We carters are tortoises. The Traffic Cop is the cunning fox, who is hidden onlooker. The pedestrians were once our nation's Green Grass which recently has turned to Yellow, since the advent of the Death trap.

I guess all this is Greek to you. But ask someone who knows more than you do, who the winner was in the Hare-Tortoise Race? Both trod the Green Grass, while the Fox was cunningly waiting for the winner. It's like this, Sir! Fools rush past the Yellow Line, where Angels like Carters and Pedestrians fear to tread. Did you get my message-loud and clear, Sir?" We are with Salaman Aiya.

On which side are you, dear readers? - bearing in mind that a milligram of prevention weighs worthier than a kilogram .... of Cure.

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