KARACHI: Besides the two wheels to ride on, bikers need some other things, too, which are quite necessary for their safety on the roads. The roadside stalls selling some of these are a welcome addition to our footpaths. They are doing more good than encroaching.

“For bikers helmets are a must. They just shouldn’t be riding without a helmet,” says Ikramullah sitting under a makeshift tent to keep out the sun next to his little roadside stall. “I have brand-new helmets that aren’t too expensive as they are made in China. Starting from Rs400 they cost up to Rs1,200 and Rs1,800. I also sell second-hand helmets as sometimes someone likes a new one from here and exchanges his own old one to acquire it at a slightly cheaper cost. The second-hand ones may be as cheap as Rs100.”

What will it be today: lubricants, helmets or shades?

But Javed Niazi, a motorcyclist who stopped at one such roadside stall to check out a new pair of sun glasses for himself, says that sunglasses are fine but he wouldn’t wear a helmet. “First of all, it gets too hot. Usually no one has an issue with my not wearing a helmet but when there is a drive under way for promoting helmet-use I just bribe the traffic constable who may stop me with Rs20 or Rs50,” he shares.

“The helmets are expensive, too. These Chinese helmets are not the real thing as you need extra padding, a layer of aluminium, too, inside the helmet in order to save you from head injuries. Such helmets cost far more. Besides, I believe if you ride at normal speed and don’t show off on the roads, you’ll be fine,” he says as another buyer right behind him shakes his head.

Repairing old helmets.

“I’m here to buy a kid’s helmet for my daughter, who rides with me to school every day. It costs the same as a helmet for grown-ups but it is important as life after all is invaluable. These helmets may not be too thick inside but something is better than nothing. They do the job,” points out the wise gentleman. “As for your thinking that riding carefully yourself is enough, you are wrong. There is always some rash driver out there. You need to take measures against all calamities,” he says.

“Sunglasses are important especially for motorcyclists as they don’t have a windscreen in front. You can get all kinds of things in your eyes so it is better to wear glasses or pull down the helmet visor. You also need to block the sun’s glare,” says the salesman selling a variety of sunglasses of which he says that reflectors happen to be most popular. The sunglasses cost from Rs50 to Rs250 and are all made-in-China.

Life is invaluable — no helmet can be too expensive.

Also there on the footpaths you’ll find stalls selling lubricants such as brake oil, gear oil and engine oil. Most of it is for motorcycles and rickshaws but they also have the car varieties. “Well, everyone remembers fuelling their vehicles but no one remembers changing the oil. Then suddenly they see us here and a bulb lights up inside their heads. They remember. That’s when they stop and buy before the amnesia could set in again,” laughs Mohammad Afzaal, who sells lubricants by the roadside. “I have open oil as well as packaged. There is something to suit all pockets,” he says.

“Selling oil here on the footpath, I have seen it all. I see engines seize because the oil has dried up and the indicator on the dashboard wasn’t working. I have seen vehicles leaking oil and stopping again and again at one stall after another to bring the level up to normal again until they get a chance to have the leak repaired.”

Selection can be tricky when faced with such a vast choice.

There are bright-coloured parachute jackets swaying on hangers as well. “Motorcyclists wear jackets. Though bikers in the West are known to wear leather jackets, here the jackets are usually made of parachute material. The bright colour is for getting spotted from a distance and the jacket itself is to maintain the ironing of the clothes worn inside. The parachute material also saves from splashes or rain,” a jackets salesman explains.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2015

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