Driver and female partner trade blows

by Dudley Jansz

Imagine a driver at the wheel and his charming female partner trading blows at each other during the morning rush.

This is exactly what happened on Tuesday morning around 8.30 on the stretch of road near St. Anthony’s Church, Kochchikade, Colombo 13.

At first it appeared to be a heated exchange of words with the well- clad executive in tie at the wheel and the young damsel beside him. Driving in a zig zag manner, much to the consternation of other motorists and passers by, the young couple were oblivious to other road users.

A real live drama enacted on a busy public highway!

My pal, Dhanushka Perera at the wheel, was aghast at the wild spectacle and the ‘goings on’ in the flashy vehicle ahead of us. At one point, he even questioned the high-handedness of the driver in the other vehicle who continued to deal blows on his woman companion with one hand and the other on the steering wheel.

Can a man raise his hand on a woman, let alone, on anyone else was his plaintive cry.

When the car pulled up near the kerb, a public-minded passer-by opened the door of the vehicle and reprimanded them. They drove off and stopped again near St. John’s fish market, Pettah to continue the fisticuffs.

But as fate would have it, an alert traffic policeman hailed them to stop the vehicle. Nobody knows what happened thereafter as the two of us had to make it in time to our offices to start our day’s duty.

Oh tempora, oh mores.