Traffic and life on the road in Chennai

[sterlingjames]

Originally Posted by Gilead

I drove from Annanagar to Guindy via T Nagar today. Only damp roads and small puddles of water. No sign of rain the whole day as well. My new car is going for registration today. I hope the rains staya way.

congrats! what car is it?..i got my Ritz about 2 months earlier and i was damn lucky to get a two digit number without paying anything. give the RTO exec at the dealer point a few buck and he will help you with getting a good number. cheers!

[esteem_lover]

Originally Posted by sterlingjames

congrats! what car is it?..i got my Ritz about 2 months earlier and i was damn lucky to get a two digit number without paying anything. give the RTO exec at the dealer point a few buck and he will help you with getting a good number. cheers!

There is no way you can get a number without paying the legal fee. Else you will be allotted the running number at the end of the day. Only once the numbers will be generated for a day & depending on the first letter of your name, you will get a number. Maybe you can post pone the regn by a few days and wait for a new series to start, but thats all.

[sterlingjames]

a further observation after nearly a year of driving the route from anna nagar to perungudi.
if you have a bike/cab/auto/van/bus/truck/car with the numbers starting with TN 05 xxxx either infront/beside/behind you PLEASE steer clear of these guys/gals. they have mastered the art of leaving their brains at home as they head out on the road and then somehow manage to put it back on when they reach their workplace!!!...i have seen that most number of accidents/minor accidents/dings are authored by vehicles bearing this magic registration area code!!!! dont believe me? next just keep an eye out for vehicles with this registration area code and get back to me!

alternatively, one can safely assume that RTOffice of TN05 is the most corrupt when handing out driving licences or maybe all the road weaving(in and out) loonies and acrobats or plain traffic ignorant morons originate from this side of town. hmm, interesting line of thought, eh?

[aargee]

Ok James, will keep watching for TN05's & thanks for guiding to me to think in this wavelength. I'll keep a watch out for more TN05's & addition.

But what has RTO got to do with people who're riding careless?

[Gansan]

I can't remember which RTO is this TN 05. Can someone enlighten me?

And James, long time no see! Any improvement with TN 22 nowadays?!

[aargee]

Looks like North Chennai
Sources - http://www.tn.gov.in/sta/a2.pdf & List of RTO districts in India - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Search for "TN-05")

No wonder; I've already started thinking that James is correct in his observation.

[sterlingjames]

Originally Posted by Gansan

I can't remember which RTO is this TN 05. Can someone enlighten me?

And James, long time no see! Any improvement with TN 22 nowadays?!

dear Gansan,
actually TN 22s are getting a lot more disciplined these days and i am actually beginning to warm up to them, including cabbies! the morons seem to have migrated to TN05, i guess...cheers!

[sterlingjames]

Originally Posted by aargee

dear aargee,
But what has RTO got to do with people who're riding careless?

the other RTOs are more careful when handing out driving licences these days. not so with TN05....

[rr_zen]

Originally Posted by Gansan

I can't remember which RTO is this TN 05. Can someone enlighten me?

TN-05 is Chennai North RTO. Here is a useful link to know the daily running numbers in each RTO across Tamilnadu.

Transport...Driving_LLicense_Edit_Confirm_List_Pag e

[sterlingjames]

Originally Posted by rr_zen

TN-05 is Chennai North RTO. Here is a useful link to know the daily running numbers in each RTO across Tamilnadu.

Transport...Driving_LLicense_Edit_Confirm_List_Pag e

did you notice TN02 is missing?

[Gilead]

TN 05 is Perambur. lol Hey Anachronix, you listening? Apparently your brains are at home when you drive.

Gansan, I am still very wary of TN 22.

TN 02 is Annanagar. Not sure why it's missing.

[anachronix]

I am driving without my brain!? That would add to some weight reduction? lol

That's the most funny thing I have read here anyway!

@ james, it must be some bike/car with the TN-05 plates that got you frustrated to this level. Would you mind sharing a few of the experiences here?

In Chennai, I have always found the traffic to be relatively more disciplined compared to Bangalore. I lived in Bangalore for 5 years odd and I feel extremely comfortable driving in Chennai.

I do encounter morons with different regn. plates in Chennai and if you are driving through OMR/ECR then its the 'L' board racers who try & sit on my nerves everyday. They feel safe driving in the middle of the road in the already narrow OMR/ECR!

[haithereitsme]

Off late I see pedestrians and cyclists walking/walking besides the road medians. It gets to the nerves trying to negotiate with people who lack sense and have no regards to the value of their own life.

I used to pick up fights with police vehicles dis obeying traffic rules, stopped it now. It really irritates and saddens me to see them do this. And not to forget the state transport busses, well traffic rules dont exist to them. They honk till you clear the way even on a red light.

[spyking]

hehe!

What do you guys think of college buses?

Nobody wants to mess with them and the drivers really think they are the kings of the roads!

and the speeds!

I happened to look at the speedo of my college bus the other day.. the guy was doing 110 on airport road. IN A BUS!

[aargee]

Originally Posted by anachronix

@ james, it must be some bike/car with the TN-05 plates that got you frustrated to this level.

Yes probably.

Originally Posted by anachronix

In Chennai, I have always found the traffic to be relatively more disciplined compared to Bangalore. I lived in Bangalore for 5 years odd and I feel extremely comfortable driving in Chennai.

Looks like you've great tolerance level to have withstood for 5 years; I experienced this once during last September on a Saturday morning the traffic drove me nuts. Sorry to my friends in Bangalore, I don't intend to offend, but this is my opinion. Last month when I went through NICE towards Mysore, every KA vehicle (sorry again, notice that in Chennai too), irrespective of motorcycle or car are riding/driving crazy.

Originally Posted by spyking

What do you guys think of college buses?

Worst nightmare; I ride to office around 6:45 for about 45 minutes & the way these guys drive man, they beat ZMA/R15 to dust.

Originally Posted by spyking

Nobody wants to mess with them and the drivers really think they are the kings of the roads!

Yes, who would want to mess up with JPR/Sathyabama or Panimalar

Originally Posted by haithereitsme

And not to forget the state transport busses, well traffic rules dont exist to them. They honk till you clear the way even on a red light.

Very true; I don't pick up fight as it spoils my mood; I simply don't move without the light turning green, if they honk, I just keep quiet. But on persisting further, I just show them the signal with my hands. I don't budge to give them way, at the same time, I ensure that I don't interfere with them, means, if they stand behind me I don't yield, but I ensure that I don't squeeze to stand in front of them with an intention to block.

IMO, another 10 years is sufficient for us to retire driving from road. Driving in city is going to become horror.