When in Karachi- The Good Side

Story Time!

So, I am sure you have heard a million stories of Karachi not being safe for not just women but for men as well. With the snatching and robberies none of these assumptions are wrong either. It really takes a toll on quality of life and feelings of safety. You know, for all the negative stuff you hear about safety in Karachi, there's definitely another side to it that doesn't get as much attention. One thing I've noticed reading between the lines is how friendly and helpful the people here seem to be.

I've been driving around this city for years and I swear, every single time something comes up on the road there's always locals right there offering to help. Doesn't matter if it's a flat tyre, car trouble or what - someone will pull over no problem. And I'm not just talking about the big stuff neither. One such incident happened today as well that was very wholesome.

So, me and my sisters were chilling at home today trying to figure out what to do for Eid. Next thing you know we're all like "Let's do a lil shopping sesh!". We decided to rush to the mall but Karachi traffic is absolutely crazy around Eid time, so we knew we had to move fast. We barely had time to get ready or do anything, got our car keys and left the house.

We had only been driving for about 30 minutes on our way to go shopping for Eid when the car started acting strangely. Loud noises started coming from the tyre that continued to get louder as we drove. My sisters and I became worried and scared by the sounds, since we didn't know what was causing the issue. For safety, we pulled over to the side of the road so we could take a look and try to figure out the problem. When we got out to check the tyre, we saw to our surprise a large nail was embedded deep in one of the tyres. It was stuck in there good. The three of us tried tugging and pulling on the nail to remove it but we struggled for a solid five minutes without much success.

Thankfully, as always, some kind people noticed us struggling with the nail on the side of the road. They came over to ask if we needed any help. I explained our situation and they immediately jumped in to lend a hand. In a very short time, they were able to get the nail out of the tyre, guided us to the tire shop, which was fortunately just a few meters ahead of us. The tyre shop guys worked quickly and within 20 minutes, they had the punctured tyre patched up good as new.

_{The roadside tyre shop}

_{Changing tyre}

_{The Process}

Getting help with our flat tyre got us talking about other experiences. I mentioned it wasn't my first-time getting assistance on the road in Karachi. My sister then shared how, in her view, people here tend to be more helpful than in other places she's been. She told us about some recent trips overseas where she needed help, but people were rude and straight up ignored her. Some people that did stop only did so to immediately demand money after lending a brief hand.

While experiences will vary person to person, I firmly believe people in Pakistan, especially Karachi, are way more giving of their time and efforts than we often acknowledge. Getting assistance with problems like our flat tyre just serves as another example of the good spirit most locals seem to have when helping strangers without expecting something in return. While I've personally experienced unsafe situations like pickpocketing and snatching before in Karachi, only focusing on the negative aspects and not also acknowledging the good things isn't a balanced view. Every place has problems but also positive qualities, and it's unfair to my hometown to ignore how during difficult times, people rush to help those in need without hesitation.

I want to say "Esa hai mera Karachi" in a good way but don't wanna jinx it :D

Your Truly,
@kinzaghauri