On The Rule Of The Road (Prose)

Unit 6 – Prose

Lesson: On the Rule of the Road

Author: A. G. Gardiner

Warm Up

a. From the pictures given below, identify the actions that may cause inconvenience and discomfort to others. Discuss.
b. Classify these pictures to show what they depict – Personal freedom / Public liberty.

Personal freedom	Public liberty
colouring the hair red

Prose Text: On the Rule of the Road

A stout old lady was walking with her basket down the middle of a street in Petrograd to the great confusion of the traffic and with no small peril to herself. It was pointed out to her that the pavement was the place for pedestrians, but she replied:

“I’m going to walk where I like. We’ve got liberty now.”

It did not occur to the dear old lady that if liberty entitled the pedestrian to walk down the middle of the road, then the end of such liberty would be universal chaos. Everybody would be getting in everybody else’s way and nobody would get anywhere. Individual liberty would have become social anarchy.

There is a danger of the world getting liberty-drunk in these days like the old lady with the basket, and it is just as well to remind ourselves of what the rule of the road means. It means that in order that the liberties of all may be preserved, the liberties of everybody must be curtailed. When the policeman, say, at Piccadilly Circus, steps into the middle of the road and puts out his hand, he is the symbol not of tyranny, but of liberty.

You may not think so. You may, being in a hurry, and seeing your car pulled up by his insolence of office, feel that your liberty has been outraged.

“How dare this fellow interfere with your free use of the public highway?”

Then, if you are a reasonable person, you will reflect that if he did not interfere with you, he would interfere with no one, and the result would be that Piccadilly Circus would be a maelstrom that you would never cross at all. You have submitted to a curtailment of private liberty in order that you may enjoy a social order which makes your liberty a reality.

Liberty is not a personal affair only, but a social contract. It is an accommodation of interests. In matters which do not touch anybody else’s liberty, of course, I may be as free as I like. If I choose to go down the road in a dressing-gown who shall say me nay? You have liberty to laugh at me, but I have liberty to be indifferent to you. And if I have a fancy for dyeing my hair, or waxing my moustache (which heaven forbid), or wearing an overcoat and sandals, or going to bed late or getting up early, I shall follow my fancy and ask no man’s permission.

We have a whole kingdom in which we rule alone, can do what we choose, be wise or ridiculous, harsh or easy, conventional or odd. But when we step out of that kingdom, our personal liberty of action becomes qualified by other people’s liberty. I might like to practice on the trombone from midnight till three in the morning. If I went onto the top of Everest to do it, I could please myself, but if I do it in my bedroom my family will object, and if I do it out in the streets the neighbours will remind me that my liberty to blow the trombone must not interfere with their liberty to sleep in quiet.

A reasonable consideration for the rights or feelings of others is the foundation of social conduct. It is in the small matters of conduct, in the observance of the rules of the road, that we pass judgment upon ourselves, and declare that we are civilized or uncivilized.

There are a lot of people in the world, and I have to accommodate my liberty to their liberties. We are all liable to forget this, and unfortunately we are much more conscious of the imperfections of others in this respect than of our own.

The great moments of heroism and sacrifice are rare. It is the little habits of commonplace intercourse that make up the great sum of life and sweeten or make bitter the journey.

About the Author

Alfred George Gardiner was a British journalist and author. He was a prolific essayist and his style and subject matter easily qualified him to be categorized as what the English would call a very civilized gentleman. His essays include ‘On Habits’, ‘On Being Tidy’ and ‘On Talk and Talkers’. ‘On the Rule of the Road’ was included in one of Gardiner’s compilations titled ‘Leaves in the Wind’ and was published under his pseudonym “Alpha of the Plough”.

Glossary

Word	Meaning
insolence	rudeness
confusion	mess
peril	risk
pedestrians	persons who walk on the streets
chaos	confusion
anarchy	lawlessness / rebellion
preserved	maintained
curtailed	reduced
tyranny	autocracy
interfere	hinder
contract	commitment
indifferent	unconcerned
fancy	desire
shandy	lemonade
ridiculous	comical
conventional	normal
accommodate	fit in with
consideration	scrutiny

Comprehension Questions

1. Answer in one or two sentences each

a. Why did the lady think she was entitled to walk down the middle of the road?
b. What would be the consequence of the old lady’s action?
c. What does the ‘rule of the road’ mean?
d. Why should individual liberty be curtailed?
e. How would a reasonable person react when his actions affect another person’s liberty?
f. Define ‘liberty’ as perceived by the author.
g. According to the author, what are we more conscious of?
h. What is the foundation of social conduct?
i. How can we sweeten our life’s journey?
j. What does the traffic policeman symbolize?

2. Answer in three or four sentences each

a. What is ‘liberty’ according to the old lady?
b. How would ‘liberty’ cause universal chaos?
c. Why is there a danger of the world getting ‘liberty drunk’?
d. “Curtailment of private liberty is done to establish social order” – Do you agree?

3. Paragraph writing (100–150 words)

a. What do you infer from Gardiner’s essay ‘On the Rule of the Road’?
b. Explain in your own words, “What freedom means?”
c. “My right to swing my fist ends where your nose begins.” Elucidate with reference to ‘On the Rule of the Road’.
d. Civilization can only exist when the public collectively accepts constraints on its freedom of action – Explain.

Vocabulary

Pronunciation – Functional Stress

Many English words with the same spelling are pronounced differently. When the first syllable is stressed, the word is a Noun; when the second syllable is stressed, it is a Verb.

Noun	Verb
'contract	con'tract
'conduct	con'duct
'object	ob'ject
'subject	sub'ject
'present	pre'sent
'desert	de'sert
'project	pro'ject
'refuse	re'fuse
'address	ad'dress

British vs American English

British	American
pavement	sidewalk
pull over	?
waistcoat	?
chips	fries
flat	apartment
ground floor	first floor
underground	subway
queue	line
wind screen	windshield
indicator	turn signal
timetable	schedule
post	mail
holiday	vacation
autumn	fall
lift	elevator
nappy	diaper
full stop	period
loo	restroom
sweets	candy
bin	trash can

Spelling Differences

American	British
odor	odour
program	programme
parlor	parlour
apologize	apologise
color	colour
check	cheque
theater	theatre
gray	grey
behavior	behaviour
humor	humour
labor	labour

Listening

Listen to the story and choose the correct option:
1. According to the father what kept the kite up?
a. the kite itself b. air c. the string d. father’s skills

1. The string helped the kite to
   a. withstand the pressure b. break free c. crash d. soar high

2. To realize our full potential, we should
   a. obey our elders b. follow a set of rules c. work hard d. plan well

3. A train should go on the ___ to reach its destination.
   a. track b. line c. road d. path

4. Taking freedom in our own hands will lead to
   a. self-discipline b. chaos c. a code of conduct d. freedom

5. The main idea of the passage is
   a. the art of flying kites b. father’s advice to his son c. the importance of discipline d. the right to freedom

Speaking

Pair Work

Road Safety Campaign Ideas
- Speed thrills but kills
- Don’t drink and drive
- Wear helmets & seat belts
- Follow traffic signals

Reading: Cyber Safety

Key Points

• Avoid interacting with strangers on social media.
• Never meet strangers in person after online chats.
• Avoid using personal photos as profile pictures.
• Download apps only from trusted sources.
• Verify facts before forwarding messages.
• Keep webcam covered when not in use.
• Use secure browsers (https://).
• Never share passwords on public Wi-Fi.

Parents’ Role

• Set fixed internet hours.
• Place computer in common area.
• Install parental control antivirus.
• Check browsing history regularly.
• Be friends with children on social media.

Online Gaming

• Encourage outdoor games.
• Watch for addiction signs:
• Decreased academics
• Less family time
• Loss of interest in hobbies
• Headaches / sore eyes

Grammar: Subject–Verb Agreement

Rules Recap

1. Singular subject → Singular verb
   - Every citizen has duties.

2. Plural subject → Plural verb
   - All citizens have duties.

3. Collective nouns
   - The team is united. (as a unit)
   - The team are arguing. (as individuals)

4. Uncountable nouns always singular
   - The furniture has been sold.

5. Each / Every + singular noun → singular verb
   - Each boy and each girl was rewarded.

6. Either…or / Neither…nor – verb agrees with nearer subject
   - Either Rahim or his brothers have to come.
   - Neither his friends nor Victor is aware.

Writing: Describing a Process

Sample: Cleaning a Flask

1. Take a pinch of non-abrasive washing powder and put it inside the flask.
2. Pour hot water, close the flask and shake well.
3. Clean the inner surface with a gentle brush.
4. Rinse 3–4 times and let it dry.
5. If odour persists, add a pinch of sugar and rinse again with hot water.

Task 1: Preparation of Apple Juice

Four or five apples are taken and washed well. They are wiped dry and cut into medium pieces. The seeds are removed. Then the apples are put into the mixer. Some milk is added. The apples are crushed and a fine liquid is obtained. This liquid is filtered and the juice is stored in the refrigerator. It is taken out whenever needed, and after adding sugar, it is served in cups.

Task 2: Installing a Computer

1. First open the box and take out the computer parts.
2. Set the computer on a table or flat surface.
3. Connect the CPU.
4. Connect the keyboard and mouse.
5. Plug both the computer and the monitor with a power cord.
6. Before turning on the power, check that all parts are connected to the CPU.
7. Finally turn on the power.

Task 3: Describe in 100 words

1. Preparing your favourite dish
2. Organising a birthday party in your house
3. Sending a letter by courier service
4. Obtaining a demand draft from a bank