[rks]

Originally Posted by Fiero

Actually , it is because very few dare to ... Reason is simple ... You DONT' get away with it there ... People aren't idealistic ... Their behavior patterns have been altered by years of aggressive IMPLIMENTATION of STRICT LAWS.

I agree. Respect for the rule of law and strict implementation are essential.

Originally Posted by Fiero

The present and past govt are the ones who've created the mess ... NOT THE COMMON MAN.

Here I disagree. The common man created the mess by electing such govts. The common man in India couldn't care less about the issues discussed in this thread. And if the govt. attempted to become too progressive for the common man and seriously started addressing such issues, it will be voted out. The example of Chandrababu Naidu's govt. in Andhra Pradesh comes to mind.

Here is a simple question. Why do you think our roads are in such poor shape with massive potholes in the monsoon season? Even brand-new roads are poorly constructed with third-rate materials and poor workmanship (maybe with a few exceptions like the Mumbai-Pune Expressway). Everybody who drives vehicles hates the roads and wishes that the govt. would maintain them properly. But the fact is that roads are a low priority for the govt. because the common man doesn't care about them, and it is the common man who will elect govts, not the elite.

[Surprise]

Originally Posted by GeekSrik

as an example in my city, for a few years now, i ve always given way to pedestrians and some times other vehicles to go first, just based on the thought that they too need to cross the road or on the thought that them going first will solve a possible traffic jam.

I learnt it from my friend, "THE BEST" in our group according to my school of thoughts. I always stop to let others pass in intersections & crossing. I dont mind waiting for even 50 seconds ( but the actual waiting time would be maximum 10 seconds). After these acts, always felt happy. Dont know why.

If someone tries to overtake or honk constantly, I ensure that they pass me asap. Hence I brake and let them pass i.e no tension & no need to alter your driving style to keep them in check

Few other friends have been driving for years together. They learnt all techniques & skills, but miserably failed in driving sense. I try to divert my attention when they were on the wheels as these educated guys do all sort of stupid things (continous honking, bad mouthing the cyclist, disrespecting the ones who are waiting to cross the roads etc etc). And they always make fun of my other friend as term him as "MR.NEGATIVE"

Originally Posted by rlather

the responsibility of people sitting in the cab to force the driver to drive normally and try to follow traffic rules.

Yesterday, I was discussing my colleague who uses the night cab services regularly. He says that most of the employees are asking the drivers to make it fast & even few of them are learning driving with other employees on board.

Originally Posted by dadu

Do you treat others around you as EQUAL, do you give them equal respect irrespective of his/her status in the society ???

Good one.

[rks]

Originally Posted by Surprise

I learnt it from my friend, "THE BEST" in our group according to my school of thoughts. I always stop to let others pass in intersections & crossing. I dont mind waiting for even 50 seconds ( but the actual waiting time would be maximum 10 seconds). After these acts, always felt happy. Dont know why.

My philosophy is here is that right of way should be respected. It is not a good idea to stop on the main road for 50 seconds to let somebody in from a side road. Because you will create a traffic jam on the main road. If the guy in the side road is already on the move and can cut into the main road before you reach the intersection, let him get in. Otherwise he has to wait for a suitable opening to be created before he can get in.

Conversely, if I am in a side road, I never try to cut into the main road by making somebody brake. That is against my second, equally important philosophy of never making other road users brake because of my driving.

The third important principle that I follow is courtesy. If somebody is in the wrong lane and throws the indicator ahead of me to get into my lane, I let him get in. On the other hand, if somebody bypasses the queue at a toll gate and throws the indicator to get in ahead of me, I don't let him get in. He has to wait in line like everybody else.

Originally Posted by Surprise

If someone tries to overtake or honk constantly, I ensure that they pass me asap. Hence I brake and let them pass i.e no tension & no need to alter your driving style to keep them in check

This brings me to another principle -- lane discipline. I do not follow this. When in Rome do as Romans do. I cut lanes and overtake frequently. I don't honk excessively, and I am particular about not making anybody brake because of my lane-cutting or overtaking. I generally try to stay ahead of slow traffic because I want a clear view of the road and do not want to frequently and unexpectely brake behind slow-moving vehicles.

In a recent trip to Mahabaleshwar, I had the opportunity to go up the ghat roads in mostly third/fourth gears when the road was clear. Unfortunately I had to shift to second when I encountered slow vehicles who crawled along ahead of me and did not give way. Unnecessary waste of fuel plus strain on the car. I illustrated this point to some of my family members who wanted me to go slowly up the two-way ghat roads without any overtaking -- good driving is not necessarily slow driving.

[Fiero]

Originally Posted by rks

The common man created the mess by electing such govts.

By not choosing the lesser evil among many tyrants ?? Maybe ...

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by rks

Conversely, if I am in a side road, I never try to cut into the main road by making somebody brake. That is against my second, equally important philosophy of never making other road users brake because of my driving.

rks, maybe you need to relocate to Bangalore. You would be stuck on the side road for ever. No one here gives way to anyone, unless you nudge your way through.

[Surprise]

Originally Posted by rks

My philosophy is here is that right of way should be respected. It is not a good idea to stop on the main road for 50 seconds to let somebody in from a side road. Because you will create a traffic jam on the main road. If the guy in the side road is already on the move and can cut into the main road before you reach the intersection, let him get in. Otherwise he has to wait for a suitable opening to be created before he can get in.

The roads that I mentioned is not on heart of city with heavy traffic flow, where any way those timed signals exists. Its on the outskirts with almost 70% of the city traffic. As I mentioned it takes hardly 10 secs to let others pass from the side roads & never ever it has resulted in traffic jams.

In general, when people see vehicles waiting on the side roads to cross the road, they accelerate further to ensure they pass them through without letting them in. And with 100 mts of crossing they stop at teashops for smoking . If someone wanted to pass through without making others to brake, I bet he/she need to wait for 15 min-20 mins minimum, subjected to the vehicles behind them permitting to take their own sweet time to cross. In practical life, I dont know to what extent its possible

Originally Posted by rks

This brings me to another principle -- lane discipline. I do not follow this. When in Rome do as Romans do. I cut lanes and overtake frequently. I don't honk excessively, and I am particular about not making anybody brake because of my lane-cutting or overtaking.

If you are not troubling others, its a disciplined driving

Originally Posted by rks

I generally try to stay ahead of slow traffic because I want a clear view of the road and do not want to frequently and unexpectely brake behind slow-moving vehicles.

What you say is 100% right. Normally I dont overtake much and try to keep the pace inline with the vehicle in front. This results in stressful driving as more concentration is required. May be needed to alter as such if the vehicle in front is not inline with our pace, need to overtake them.

Originally Posted by rks

my family members who wanted me to go slowly up the two-way ghat roads without any overtaking -- good driving is not necessarily slow driving.

Keeping the passengers in their comfort zone is the real challenge. They should not keep their concentration on the roads with fear due to frequent overtaking/high speeds rather they need to sit back and relax

[spadival]

Originally Posted by benbsb29

rks, maybe you need to relocate to Bangalore. You would be stuck on the side road for ever. No one here gives way to anyone, unless you nudge your way through.

There are some sickos who speed up as soon as they see you coming in from a side road, just so that they can get ahead of u !!

Then there are the people on the other extreme end. Those who think that a "free left" turn in a T junction implies that they can take it with eyes and ears closed and unmindfull of oncoming traffic !! These guys take an ek dum bindaas parabolic shaped left turn..

[rks]

Originally Posted by benbsb29

rks, maybe you need to relocate to Bangalore. You would be stuck on the side road for ever. No one here gives way to anyone, unless you nudge your way through.

In that case I could wait for somebody else to take the lead by cutting in and follow through behind. Taxi drivers in Mumbai are very convenient in this respect. They do not respect the principle of not making other road users brake and simply cut in. Once the opening is created, I can move in behind them. At least I have not created a fresh instance of making somebody else brake. Of course you might complain that this makes my principle a little bit hollow, if I have to rely on others to do the dirty work. But at least my vehicle is protected from an accident due to somebody else not braking.

[Fiero]

Originally Posted by rks

But at least my vehicle is protected from an accident due to somebody else not braking.

Yup ... Protect your own car from damage ... But what if you drive a big chunck of metal ???

A dear friend of mine used to drive a Bolero , and provided it wasn't another MUV/SUV or bigger vehicle trying to unjustifiably cut accross , many a times he would honk , flash , but not back off . Most people used to give up their ridiculous move midway., and some unfortunaltely have had their right mirror folded shut on impact , giving them a shock ... or worse ... rippied off ... I'm not really for it ... But hell ... a few people on the road have learn a valuable lesson ...

Now he drives a baleno and is mising the good ol' days of 'selective bullying'.

[Fiero]

Originally Posted by spadival

These guys take an ek dum bindaas parabolic shaped left turn..

haHa .. i can very well imagine this ... a lot of times these buggers take a turn unnecessarily fast , even worse , not knowing how sharp a turn they can take at a particular speed ... resulting in huge parabolas

[varunroy]

President Bush visited Lord Bramha ( creator of our universe) to find out if USA would ever become like Japan and when ? After a few hours of calculations the Lord Said..... President bush, I have good news as well as bad news for you. Which one do you want first ? The good news is that USA would definitely become like Japan one day and the bad news is that it won't be in your lifetime. Bush was both happy and sad as well.

On hearing about this , President Kalam called on Lord Bramha and asked him if India would ever become like USA. The Lord asked him to return after amonth as he needs to do a long and complicated calculation. A month later the lord had the same answer for President Kalam. Lord Bramha told him that the good news is that India would also become like USA one day but the bad news is that it won't be in his The Lord's) lifetime.

so long....

[Monster_BHP]

Originally Posted by GeekSrik

will we never see an india where driving is quiet, noiseless and stress free?

puuff...Thats the most unpatriotic thing i ever heard.

Seriously i dont ever see anything changing in India with the current political will. Mumbai is supposed to be our greatest city and look how we have made it. Mumbai is worst than Karachi, the roads are horrible and there is absolutely no RESOLUTE WILL to build the city to its deserving world class status.

The problem lies in the source, no one ever fails driving test in our country(at least not the ones who shell out couple of hundreds) even the auto driver has to just have an LLR for a month and then go to the RTO pay up and get his DL. No one checks if that village punk learnt anything in that one month. If things have to change every body in this country have to be reissued their DL and will have to write a written exam on the rules. People who fail an US style RTO test should be given the same treatment.

This may prevent or educate the hooligan's in the road about road manners.

[benbsb29]

I was thinking about the effect proper training can make on the mess that we have on our roads. One look at how the Volvo buses have changed the scene of public transportation here in Bangalore. The drivers who graduate to these buses are given proper training as well as tests on how to handle these buses, and it reflects very well in how they drive. 98% of the time they drive responsibly, which is good. Ofcourse, we do have imbeciles everywhere, so not all of them are perfect. Getting to drive around in air-conditioned comfort with gadgets such as a rear view camera also add to the comfort and reduces the road rage effect on them, though.

[hell_rider]

i dunno about the rest of India, but in Mumbai "it won't end" until :
1. the autorickshaws in suburbs are done away with altogether.
2. All taxi drivers are forced to undergo a mandatory driving course in which the first lesson is "get your a.s.s. off the first lane if you want to putter along at 40 kmph."