The Mumbai-Pune Expressway

amit · 18th July 2004, 00:37

hey all....
This happened to me more than a year back but a few threads over here on Indian road conditions brought back this night mare of a drive that I had on the Expressway.

Somwhere near Vashi, I ran into a motorcade presumably ferrying some hot shot minister. There was a bullet proof Tata Estate and a host of Amby's, Mahindra Jeeps for the cops and Maruti Gypsy's for the commando's. Some of the cops and commondo's were literally hanging outta their vehicles with their sten guns in their hands. They had spread their vehicles thru all the lanes and had blocked the entire traffic. Anyone who tried to go faster was being pushed back by frantic gesticulating of the hands, stubborn drivers were given the BIG ANGRY EYES treatement! lol. Anywaz, the distance from Vashi to Lonavla used to take me about 1 hour 15 minutes in my then santro driving at about 100 kmph. that day it took me a good 2 hours to do that distance. This hot shot minister was holding up traffic on the expressway refusing to let faster cars go thru!! I mean this is ridiculous!! I can understand that the motorcade couldn't go over 60 kmph considering that it was full of amby's , estate, and badly maintained mahindra jeeps but why should normal ppl be forced to do 60 kmph on what is touted as the fastest road in India?!?!?! [img]http://www.team-bhp.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/***.gif[/img]

Luckily, i exited at lonavla but I really felt for the guys who had to follow this motorcade all the way to Pune! What if some guy had to be in Pune to see his/her ailing relative or for some serious & urgent matter???
What the hell was this weird security protocol for? DId they think that some terrorist was gonna drive next to the Estate and fire at the minister? come on there are enuff of over bridges on the expressway for a terrorist to fire a missile from a shoulder held missile launcher and blast the motorcade outta this world.
It happens only in India!

Stratos · 18th July 2004, 00:48

lol..that minister thing happned many times to me in the city.. lol!! first those gypsys come aside u, those officers shout " Baju me lo" then a Amby with loads of antennas comes that ruins the frequency of u r FM Radio.. lol and then those minister!! They disrupt all tha traffic.!! Those guyz shud really take the skies with some private Helicopter and not ruin the roads

lamborghini · 18th July 2004, 00:50

yup that is sad
but have u ever seen any indian minister without a motorcade
during the elections , they are doing almost everything to help us and give us many promises but when the time comes , nothing happens ..........
he should have used the extreme left and middle lane , leaving the faster cars to overtake on the right

lamborghini · 18th July 2004, 00:52

hey stratos .....
i gotta agree with ya
but durin traffic u should always follow the minister ........
its much faster

Aditya · 18th July 2004, 01:00

First, they hold up the traffic and then block the road. In the city, this happens all the time with me. Luckily, I've never been held up on the expressway like you have.
I have no doubt, that a terrorist can easily blow away such a silly defense strategy and get at the minister.

shravan316 · 18th July 2004, 13:26

Its crazy....the ministers how many cas do they need?? seriously, i too feel that they must use a private helicopter.
I'm just wondering...why shouldn't the govt have seperate exclusive lanes for the ministers and their motorcade

Shan2nu · 18th July 2004, 16:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (shravan316 @ July 18 2004,21:56)]why shouldn't the govt have seperate exclusive lanes for the ministers and their motorcade

Please!!! Do you really think those guys are worth the effort??

Regards...
Shan2nu

v12 · 18th July 2004, 16:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Shan2nu @ July 18 2004,14:58)]

Quote:

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (shravan316 @ July 18 2004,21:56)]why shouldn't the govt have seperate exclusive lanes for the ministers and their motorcade

Please!!! Do you really think those guys are worth the effort??

Regards...
Shan2nu

No ways!!!!

speedsatya · 18th July 2004, 16:45

Guys,
i think v r wasting our precious time talking abt those @$@@#%@# ministers.
lets talk something meaningful.

navin · 19th July 2004, 17:35

be thankful that u dont live in delhi. it is 10 times worse there where every second person is a minister or is related to one.

shravan316 · 19th July 2004, 22:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Shan2nu @ July 18 2004,14:58)]

Quote:

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (shravan316 @ July 18 2004,21:56)]why shouldn't the govt have seperate exclusive lanes for the ministers and their motorcade

Please!!! Do you really think those guys are worth the effort??

Regards...
Shan2nu

No they are definitely not worth the effort...but, they create so much havoc, i think we deserve the effort!!

raul · 20th July 2004, 04:13

Man, is this a democracy or somebody's private kingdom? Are we in 2004 or 1604? Why can't these jokers just grow up and stop throwing their weight around and wasting tax payers money. The worst thing that can happen to anybody is to be stuck at a signal for hours an end because some self important joker wants *to travel in 30 cars with an ambulance to boot. And the way those cops behave, as if god himself has descended on earth, this servile attitude is the single reason why we continue to languish at the bottom, When will we grow up?

navin · 22nd July 2004, 17:30

al i can say is that it is "we" who vote them into power. under the guise of security they get to avoid most traffic. this is also applicable to many of those who are not in power (but who once were - ex-ministers and their kith and kin). going by the number of high value car owners we have on this forum i'd say we can have enough of a voice to be heard if we are serious about this.

otherwise all we are doing is ranting. that is not going to improve the situation.

I once was part of committee that was chaired by the wife of an MP. One day when the talk turned to traffic (while waiting for the meeting to commence) she actually said something to the effect that implicitly stated that she has never seen a traffic jam in mumbai. She was wondering what we were making a fuss about!

normally_crazy · 26th July 2004, 19:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]she actually said something to the effect that implicitly stated that she has never seen a traffic jam in mumbai. She was wondering what we were making a fuss about!

[img]http://www.team-bhp.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/***.gif[/img]

im speechless ........

well ask them to drive without ac's with the autos, taxis,cyclists , pedestrians,tempo's , trucks, and other maniacs...on the road trying to get the better of each other...and yeah throw in some hawkers and cart pushers..

then they will understand...

cheers

18th July 2004, 00:37	#1
amit Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 3,717 Thanked: 449 Times	hey all.... This happened to me more than a year back but a few threads over here on Indian road conditions brought back this night mare of a drive that I had on the Expressway. Somwhere near Vashi, I ran into a motorcade presumably ferrying some hot shot minister. There was a bullet proof Tata Estate and a host of Amby's, Mahindra Jeeps for the cops and Maruti Gypsy's for the commando's. Some of the cops and commondo's were literally hanging outta their vehicles with their sten guns in their hands. They had spread their vehicles thru all the lanes and had blocked the entire traffic. Anyone who tried to go faster was being pushed back by frantic gesticulating of the hands, stubborn drivers were given the BIG ANGRY EYES treatement! lol. Anywaz, the distance from Vashi to Lonavla used to take me about 1 hour 15 minutes in my then santro driving at about 100 kmph. that day it took me a good 2 hours to do that distance. This hot shot minister was holding up traffic on the expressway refusing to let faster cars go thru!! I mean this is ridiculous!! I can understand that the motorcade couldn't go over 60 kmph considering that it was full of amby's , estate, and badly maintained mahindra jeeps but why should normal ppl be forced to do 60 kmph on what is touted as the fastest road in India?!?!?! [img]http://www.team-bhp.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/***.gif[/img] Luckily, i exited at lonavla but I really felt for the guys who had to follow this motorcade all the way to Pune! What if some guy had to be in Pune to see his/her ailing relative or for some serious & urgent matter??? What the hell was this weird security protocol for? DId they think that some terrorist was gonna drive next to the Estate and fire at the minister? come on there are enuff of over bridges on the expressway for a terrorist to fire a missile from a shoulder held missile launcher and blast the motorcade outta this world. It happens only in India!
	() Thanks

18th July 2004, 00:48	#2
Stratos Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Belgium Posts: 2,609 Thanked: 1,449 Times View My Garage	lol..that minister thing happned many times to me in the city.. lol!! first those gypsys come aside u, those officers shout " Baju me lo" then a Amby with loads of antennas comes that ruins the frequency of u r FM Radio.. lol and then those minister!! They disrupt all tha traffic.!! Those guyz shud really take the skies with some private Helicopter and not ruin the roads
	() Thanks

18th July 2004, 00:50	#3
lamborghini Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 6,114 Thanked: 5,763 Times View My Garage	yup that is sad but have u ever seen any indian minister without a motorcade during the elections , they are doing almost everything to help us and give us many promises but when the time comes , nothing happens .......... he should have used the extreme left and middle lane , leaving the faster cars to overtake on the right
	() Thanks

18th July 2004, 00:52	#4
lamborghini Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 6,114 Thanked: 5,763 Times View My Garage	hey stratos ..... i gotta agree with ya but durin traffic u should always follow the minister ........ its much faster
	() Thanks

18th July 2004, 01:00	#5
Aditya Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 17,845 Thanked: 77,082 Times View My Garage	First, they hold up the traffic and then block the road. In the city, this happens all the time with me. Luckily, I've never been held up on the expressway like you have. I have no doubt, that a terrorist can easily blow away such a silly defense strategy and get at the minister.
	() Thanks

18th July 2004, 13:26	#6
shravan316 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,029 Thanked: 9 Times	Its crazy....the ministers how many cas do they need?? seriously, i too feel that they must use a private helicopter. I'm just wondering...why shouldn't the govt have seperate exclusive lanes for the ministers and their motorcade
	() Thanks

18th July 2004, 16:45	#9
speedsatya Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: bangalore/manga Posts: 3,169 Thanked: 738 Times View My Garage	Guys, i think v r wasting our precious time talking abt those @$@@#%@# ministers. lets talk something meaningful.
	() Thanks

19th July 2004, 17:35	#10
navin Team-BHP Support Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 25,199 Thanked: 9,307 Times	be thankful that u dont live in delhi. it is 10 times worse there where every second person is a minister or is related to one.
	() Thanks

20th July 2004, 04:13	#12
raul BHPian Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Pune Posts: 920 Thanked: 372 Times	Man, is this a democracy or somebody's private kingdom? Are we in 2004 or 1604? Why can't these jokers just grow up and stop throwing their weight around and wasting tax payers money. The worst thing that can happen to anybody is to be stuck at a signal for hours an end because some self important joker wants *to travel in 30 cars with an ambulance to boot. And the way those cops behave, as if god himself has descended on earth, this servile attitude is the single reason why we continue to languish at the bottom, When will we grow up?
	() Thanks

22nd July 2004, 17:30	#13
navin Team-BHP Support Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 25,199 Thanked: 9,307 Times	al i can say is that it is "we" who vote them into power. under the guise of security they get to avoid most traffic. this is also applicable to many of those who are not in power (but who once were - ex-ministers and their kith and kin). going by the number of high value car owners we have on this forum i'd say we can have enough of a voice to be heard if we are serious about this. otherwise all we are doing is ranting. that is not going to improve the situation. I once was part of committee that was chaired by the wife of an MP. One day when the talk turned to traffic (while waiting for the meeting to commence) she actually said something to the effect that implicitly stated that she has never seen a traffic jam in mumbai. She was wondering what we were making a fuss about!
	() Thanks