[Thad E Ginathom]

My lowlife of today.

I was being tailgated by a minivan (Winger, I think it might have been) on Harrington Road this evening from Poonamalie High Road. There was a slow moving vehicle towing a cement mixer in front as we entered the underpass. This Winger guy overtook me and the cement mixer on the uphill stretch. Near the exit of the underpass he left an oncoming biker leaning against the wall. Although he was, driving like that, going to be way off into the distance, he stopped, and caught me up again at the main crossroads ahead. He came up on the left, then took a U-turn, almost hitting a woman crossing the road.

This was not just bad or aggressive driving of the unfortunately usual kind, it was lethally dangerous driving. This man is going to cost lives.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by saadat1992

You could post this in the supercars and imports in India section as well! :P

Well, the drivers of such expensive cars usually drive them with atmost care. But, this guy seems to be an exception!

Wow. Thats what comes of a jumped up arriviste owning such a great car. Could be his chauffeur of course!

Every morning nowadays at the Koramangala BDA complex when the red lights are on, there is a long line of vehicles backed up. The moment the lights turn green, many of them, two wheelers, educated people driving cars, smaller lorries and of course, the ubiquitous autos, casually shunt across the divider to the right side of the road on the wrong side and buzz through.
Nett result, all the fools like me, patiently waiting in the left lane, get to wait through two signals at least!
I will try to capture this on the phone but am generally not quick enough to do so...

[motomaverick]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Wow. Thats what comes of a jumped up arriviste owning such a great car. Could be his chauffeur of course!

Every morning nowadays at the Koramangala BDA complex when the red lights are on, there is a long line of vehicles backed up. The moment the lights turn green, many of them, two wheelers, educated people driving cars, smaller lorries and of course, the ubiquitous autos, casually shunt across the divider to the right side of the road on the wrong side and buzz through.
Nett result, all the fools like me, patiently waiting in the left lane, get to wait through two signals at least!
I will try to capture this on the phone but am generally not quick enough to do so...

Yeah I have seen that happen even during afternoon times when the line is not so large. It also happens on the KH Road the one coming from Wilson garden. Once i nearly squeezed one biker while my car was nearly halfway through the right turn as he had taken the wrong side and wanted to get past my already turning car. I have also ridden a bike and I knew how cars turn, I dont know what these folks think.

[aditya.bhardwaj]

Originally Posted by motomaverick

Yeah I have seen that happen even during afternoon times when the line is not so large. It also happens on the KH Road the one coming from Wilson garden. Once i nearly squeezed one biker while my car was nearly halfway through the right turn as he had taken the wrong side and wanted to get past my already turning car. I have also ridden a bike and I knew how cars turn, I dont know what these folks think.

Exactly, same thing has happened with me too. And i really get pissed when i am waiting at a red light and the person behind me starts honking when there is still 10 secs left for the signal to go green !

From the next time, i will follow a Bhpian's suggestion. As soon as they start honking, i will start backing up in reverse

[Harshal.Bhosale]

The indiscipline on our roads, pertaining to two-wheelers (at least in Pune), I feel is due to none of them having an iota of knowledge about how a car is suposed to be driven. Most of the aam janta, when they buy their first family car, take the same habits and attitude into the car that they are used to on their bikes.

This 'two-wheeler' mentality then manifests itself into creating rash/ignorant/inexperienced car drivers on our roads. They think that can squeeze into gaps they are used to squeezing through on their bike. They think that RVMs are of no particular use. They think that their attention is supposed to be only on the road ahead. They forget that they have the sides and back areas to watch out for. There are tonnes of things you need be aware of when you drive a car, something most people don't understand about. Lack of lane discipline is one of the biggest bad habits picked up from two-wheeler riding experience. I've found that at least Mumbai has saner drivers, but Pune being skewed towards 2wheelers, the traffic discipline here is simply appalling. In short, they drive like they ride, no difference in attitude, no respect/responsibility for other road users.

And our system adds more such unworthy drivers onto the roads. Its so easy for anyone who can move a car 10 feet in forward direction and 5 feet in backward, without stalling the engine, to obtain a driving licence. Hell, our so-called "driving schools" never teach one how to "drive", they only teach us how to "move" a vehicle.

[selfdrive]

I have been spotting the usual lot of horrendous drivers, but I am doing my darnedest best to avoid a second glance. It takes a bit of an effort. Perhaps by humming a favorite tune, or doing part of the monthly budget calculations or just plain good old sneaking a look at pretty faces or eateries. But once we get into the habit, we focus more on what is more important. why waste our energies on habits of people that wont change? it is not our responsibility singularly anyway.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Net result, all the fools like me, patiently waiting in the left lane, get to wait through two signals at least!
I will try to capture this on the phone but am generally not quick enough to do so...

Dont worry, I am sure we all see this sight at our own friendly neighbourhood signal race. I certainly do.
These people do manage to save a few minutes of their time. I really hope they do something worthwhile with it.

Originally Posted by aditya.bhardwaj

From the next time, i will follow a Bhpian's suggestion. As soon as they start honking, i will start backing up in reverse

thats actually a great idea. I will try it sometime too, perhaps only if the vehicle is not more than twice the size of mine!

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by Harshal.Bhosale

The indiscipline on our roads, pertaining to two-wheelers (at least in Pune), I feel is due to none of them having an iota of knowledge about how a car is suposed to be driven. Most of the aam janta, when they buy their first family car, take the same habits and attitude into the car that they are used to on their bikes.

And the problem with the bikers is that many have no clue how a bike should be driven: they take the same habits and attitude onto the bike as when walking on the road or jumping a queue. The rest of your post can be read accordingly, moving the bike/car comparison to the pedestrian/bike comparison.

I'm convinced that this is the reasoning behind much of the really bad driving: everybody thinks like a pedestrian, and thinks that other drivers, car, bike or bus, can react just as other walkers do.

Hey, it's a theory at least!

[Harshal.Bhosale]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

And the problem with the bikers is that many have no clue how a bike should be driven: they take the same habits and attitude onto the bike as when walking on the road or jumping a queue. The rest of your post can be read accordingly, moving the bike/car comparison to the pedestrian/bike comparison.

I'm convinced that this is the reasoning behind much of the really bad driving: everybody thinks like a pedestrian, and thinks that other drivers, car, bike or bus, can react just as other walkers do.

Hey, it's a theory at least!

True. And I believe that the larger the vehicle you're driving, the more responsible you inadvertently become.

I've always admired bus drivers. In fact as a kid, when using public transport or when in our school bus, I would love to stand close to the driver and just observe; watch how his eyes would CONSTANTLY flicker up-down-left-right-front-back, taking in all the positions of the other road users and aniticipate their moves, in fact that's what makes a good driver. Analyzing and predicting others' behavior on the roads in advance and drive accordingly. That's what's needed in Indian road users. And the smaller your vehicle (or no vehicle in case of pedestrians), the more irresponsible and incautious you'll behave on the road.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by selfdrive

I
Dont worry, I am sure we all see this sight at our own friendly neighbourhood signal race. I certainly do.
These people do manage to save a few minutes of their time. I really hope they do something worthwhile with it.

thats actually a great idea. I will try it sometime too, perhaps only if the vehicle is not more than twice the size of mine!

These chaps gain perhaps 30 seconds, one minute or three. I am sure the end is not worth the means by any stretch.
I would not want to try to reverse into the fellows behind who are honking at me. Simply ignore them and keep following the rules.

[srinih75]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

I'm convinced that this is the reasoning behind much of the really bad driving: everybody thinks like a pedestrian, and thinks that other drivers, car, bike or bus, can react just as other walkers do.

Hey, it's a theory at least!

It is not theory, it is the fact. Some how its like you had read my thoughts. People use cars and two wheelers and imagine they are like a very fast moving person with/without metal shields.

How many times have you see a two wheeler trying to pass you through your left when you have put on your turn lights to the left at least 50 meters ahead of time. The dude will see me put on the turn lights (I see him nod his head) and then I see him go the left (because I have begun slowing down), I miss him now on my rear view mirror, he is on my OLRVM, then soon goes out of it too and he is now in my blind spot. Then I head a vroom and a honk to realize he is sneaking pass me where I apply my full breaks and give him a honk.

One day after dropping my daughter at the bus stop, I had to cross the road and go through a by lane (on my right). I noticed a milk man in his scooter with cans all over the place was coming in my direction from behind about 40 feet away. He had to stop at a hump and then catch up to me and it will take at least a minute. I had put my right turn lights, started moving to the center of the road (all this while he is still about 10 feet away from me). He started speeding towards me as though to cut me. By then I had reached the other side of the road (its about 60 ft wide road) and crossed into the by lane. This dude is screaming from outside "hoy hoy enappa" (hey hey man). I barely heard him even with my windows down until someone in front pointed me to that scooter guy and told me "al nodi" (look there). He had dropped the scooter and is trying to get attention of the people around. Lucky me this dude had seen me cross even before he reached anywhere near me and he asked that dude to shut up and get lost!

[srinih75]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

I will try to capture this on the phone but am generally not quick enough to do so...

You don't have to worry about their pictures not getting taken, the cop standing in that area already would have shot a video and send them a violation letter (I call them love letters). I have seen this every day when I wait near the Forum signal (towards Raheja arcade etc). Every major signal now there is now a cop armed with a digital camera. They just keep taking video and create a still image and send to violators. This is as per their current motto - less interaction with violators, more violations they can capture!

[rajeev k]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

And the problem with the bikers is that many have no clue how a bike should be driven: they take the same habits and attitude onto the bike as when walking on the road or jumping a queue.
I'm convinced that this is the reasoning behind much of the really bad driving: everybody thinks like a pedestrian,

This is not just theory but what is happening practically in the crowded road-space where one can come across many who do not know how to even walk properly. And these are exactly the blokes who create the mayhem on the roads always.
These bad pedestrians graduate to bad riders and bad drivers.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Even in my mother country, where there is infinitely more respect for road rules, I could never understand why our Highway Code was not routinely taught to all in schools. After all, we all use roads, even if only with our feet.

Education is the answer. I don't know if that happens there these days, it certainly doesn't happen here. Road deaths and injuries is India's real scandal, and yet media, etc etc, is just not interested.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Even in my mother country, where there is infinitely more respect for road rules, I could never understand why our Highway Code was not routinely taught to all in schools. After all, we all use roads, even if only with our feet.

Education is the answer. I don't know if that happens there these days, it certainly doesn't happen here. Road deaths and injuries is India's real scandal, and yet media, etc etc, is just not interested.

Thad. We were indeed taught road rules when we were growing up in the 1970's in various residential schools in the hill areas like Ooty.
The same applied in some schools in Bangalore and Madras right up to the mid 1980's in my experience.

However this was never a formal subject in the curriculum and there were no 'exams' etc on road rules...

[W.A.G.7]

That is a risky way to transport scrap material.


2 full grown children, with their mother; thinking of when to go to 'Manoranjan Nagari' As usual no one is wearing any helmet at all.