Rubbernecking - Panchkula style

I get rubbernecking, so I try not to judge those who indulge in it. In India they take it to a whole new level, even the tiniest of fisticuffs draw sizable crowds. But it was something else out here today.

At an intersection a car ran into another. This happened a minute or so before I got there because the crowd had already gathered. (No one was hurt by the way, it was a dent more than anything.) There wasn't much jostling on the inside which meant it was a rather civilized discussion going on at the center of the crowd. I was taking a walk around the neighborhood so I didn't stop. On my way back, about 10 minutes later, the number of spectators had increased. The crowd hadn't really increased around the car but people has gathered on the sidewalks and in the nearby shops. What really stuck me was the energy there. People were racing to get there. One shopkeeper and his assistant were racing to the accident with big grins on their faces, the social difference between them temporarily forgotten. One man was vigorously narrating the incident to another. Two students with books in their hands were running toward the site. The best sight was seeing a bunch of motorcyclists coming to screeching stops, locking up their bikes in a hurry and running to join the crowd.

Like I said, I've seen accidents and I've seen crowds around accidents. But the vigor with which people were racing to get a glimpse of the accident site, or more likely the fight to follow was something else. My theory is that Panchkula being a rather well laid-out city, you don't get a lot of accidents there, and when one does happen, it's a sight worth checking out.