[ACM]

Bikers have besides scratching the left mirrors on all my Cars n-number of times, they also managed to break the mirror mounted blinker of the Laura once. But that guy was poor - real poor so there was not much I could do.

I once had a biker (without helmet) hit my sationary car (that was positioned to turn) bumper at night. He got hurt on the head as he fell down -

I had to take him to the hospital - bleading in my car, pay for his treatment, pay him 15k for recovery and bike repairs, and pay another 15K to the Police so that they do not escallate this and make it worse that it is - though the scan immedately indicated that the biker was fine and just shocked and also possibly drunk. I was probably at zero fault except for having a dark coloured car that the nerd driver (who did not have a license either and also was not driving his own bike) hit due to misjudgement at his end. Yet the world is there to make those who can afford a car pay for it, and drive so as to avoid others mistakes.

Yep and besides there was another 20K as my share for the repairs under insurance as insurance companies in India do not cover plastic bumpers and lights- The Laura lights cost 15K roughly.

This thread should actually be in the Bikers section rather than the Indian Car scene.

Bikers suddenly comming in front of a speeding car at their own slow pace is a nightmare on the Expressways in Bombay as also bikers balancing mobiles between their head and shoulders as they talk and drive, and finally guys with helmets on the mirrors rather than on the head - They think the mirrors are more valuable than the coconut on top. (Yep it harsh language but that's probably the most appropriate discription for those who drive with helmets on the mirrors - especially those who remove them as soon as they pass a signal).

Yep I drive bikes too at times and always wear a helmet and drive in the correct lane.

[sandygordon]

Most bikers are rash especially younger ones with out licenses. We see at least a couple of dead guys and at least twenty injured bikers everyday in the ER. Most of them are drunk and most of them ride bikes >125cc.

[Gooney]

Originally Posted by Shan2nu

Overtaking from the left has bcom a sort of norm with most riders.

I have just given up on such bikers. I literally come to a crawl when i see accelelrating bikes in heavy traffic.

Shan2nu

+1
I feel this is the most sensible thing to do. I see a two-wheeler zig-zagging on the rear view and I instinctively slow down to let the monkey on wheels pass.

I ride a lot too and at times I am tempted to do certain antics that would have pissed me off if someone else did the same while I was in a car; this very thought generally acts as a check and helps ride proper.

But I have observed, especially in Bangalore traffic, even if you want to maintain your lane and follow the rules, it is very difficult. I ride on the Intermediate Ring road every day. I cannot stay on the left when I am on a bike because some moron would be honking or driving unpredictably. On a car I cannot stay on the right lane because again some dumbwit would be driving at 40 kmph.

I believe awareness and education is the key.

[Gooney]

Originally Posted by silversteed

Quite a few times I had to resort to some mild form of verbal abuse on such two wheeler riders when I walk on the footpath and these lesser mortals encroach upon the walking space.

Sometimes when I see someone taking their bikes onto the footpaths, I stand still, take out my mobile phone, type messages/browse/change theme etc etc, all this while the biker is honking like crazy. I don't budge and make them stay right there till the signal is green or he/she goes back onto the road.

A friend of mine confronted a guy and his friend riding a two-wheeler on some Bangalore footpath. The Namma Bangaluru hudugas beat her up.

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by Gooney

A friend of mine confronted a guy and his friend riding a two-wheeler on some Bangalore footpath. The Namma Bangaluru hudugas beat her up.

If I sense that it's going to get physical, I'll act as though I was hit by the bike and fall down, wailing. In India it's always the person with the more no of wheels who gets beaten up by the "public", regardless of who has wronged. Unless the moron is some really well known who's who of the town, the probability of him getting a "decent" treatment is very high. And that's exactly what I want.

But don't expect people to support you when you're alone and blocking a biker on a footpath. At least that was my experience.

[Gooney]

[quote=silversteed;1926837]quote]

This reminds me of a recent incident. I was about to pass a crossroad. There was this thuggish looking guy who took a very wide right turn and was tailing an autorickshaw. As I was riding straight, by default I had the right of passage and he should've yielded, but he did not and bumped into me. My bike was'nt damaged, just a bent front right indicator. I bruised my knuckles and luckily I maintained my balance and did not fall down. I parked the bike and confronted this guy.

He started giving me the choicest expletives in the little English he knew because he could make out I am not a Kannadiga. His bike sported a doctor's cross. He came across as a sub-human species to me. Do we have any hope when we let loose such creatures on motorized vehicles?

[ramkris]

Last week on friday, I was driving around 11:30 pm at night after finishing my dinner to drop off my friends.

I was driving just down from the domlur flyover in bangalore on the inner ring road on the right most lane and the traffic was very scarce. Out of nowhere a bike r comes from behind on my left and almost falls in front of my car and scrapes my front bumper. I had to brake hard to avoid driving over him. Then suddenly he drives fast and disappears. Just controlled my urge not to chase him. The scratch is quite deep and had also left some black marks which probably need to be painted to fix it. Being a light colored ozone blue its quite noticeable.

Now my swift has scrapes on 2 of the 4 corners of my bumpers. Other scrape was similar to the swift ad where I was standing on a signal and a bike guys comes and bangs from the back. Only difference, is none will come to my defence in this occasion Not too much damage, but still some marks left behind.

Such instances make me nervous just to drive the car inside the bangalore city.

Other thing is where the 2 wheeler guys who mostly overtake on the left hand side when we slow down for speed breakers and such. With a car like swift where there are lots of blindspots, there is a high possibility of hitting those people one day. I am planning to have a sticker like the "Sound Horn" stickers on lorries like "Blind spot - overtake on the right".

[abhinav.s]

Originally Posted by Gooney

I ride a lot too and at times I am tempted to do certain antics that would have pissed me off if someone else did the same while I was in a car; this very thought generally acts as a check and helps ride proper.

I believe awareness and education is the key.

Agree to the above. I ride as well as drive in the city though riding is my preferred mode. I evaluate how i would feel if i was in the car and a 2 wheeler does what i am tempted to do which will help me keep a check.

Awareness, education and consideration to fellow road users is the key. Every one is fighting for the few mtrs of road space available where the car wants to block the bike from taking the space and the biker wants to by hook or crook take that space endangering his own life as well as others.

I have seen my share of senseless 2 wheeler riders while i myself am riding. So I can relate to how harrowing it would be if I was in a car during their antics.

[pratim]

This happened near Bellandur on ORR, Bangalore.

There was usual traffic build up at Bellandur cross and I was following a Volvo Vajra bus at a crawling speed on my way to office. I was on the left most lane; there were some space, so a bike was also moving along. I kept checking cautiously the left rear view mirror so that the biker do not hit the car. There's a storm water drain that runs parallel along the road and there's a threshold of 2.5-3 ft width max that separates the drain from the road. Typically, there are some sparsh plantation in this narrow stretch.

Another biker was riding on this threshold stretch at a speed higher than others precariously. I saw him crossing me and within few seconds I saw him falling into the deep drain like a projectile following an arc. Bike also fell on him. It seems he could not stop his bike and hit one of those plants/small trees on that stretch and landed inside the drain. Folks got down to get him up from the drain. He was visibly shaken but seemed not too hurt other than in his legs. There were no bloods, fortunately. He had miraculous escape. Everyone moved on after a while and after relocating that guy on the side of the service road.

I still shudder to think what if he had fallen on the Volvo's side. That massive bus would have crushed him to death. I wish he had learnt the lession of his life that day and corrected himself.

-Pratim

[rjalihal]

2 wheelers can be a menace at times. I wonder why they ride the way they do. I have been hit by a 2 wheeler on New BEL Road once. I was at a junction taking a right with my blinkers on and this guy comes from nowhere, overtakes me with the intention of going straight and wham! into my right bumper. I successfully got 500 bucks from him

All things said and done the 1st time i rode as a pillion rider on a Gixxer down Mysore road, I fell in love with those hi-performance machines. You can feel your cheek fluttering away! Dream is to ride a bullet from Manali to Leh.
FYI: i still do not know how to ride bikes. Exception is Activa!

Note from Mod : I think we've criticised our two wheeled brethren enough. While some may be "senseless", lets not generalise the crowd. This thread is closed.

[dkhatau]

This happened today morning at suman nagar signal while going to town. I had stopped my car on the signal blocking the narrow stretch that the bikers generally use to go to the front. I deliberately block this narrow space because more than three times some stupid biker tried to go through that narrow stretch and scratched my car and i had to do the paint job done. It is really frustrating as to why these bikers want to just go three four car lengths ahead , what are they going to achieve a formula 1 title. When the signal started a biker came sideways and said abey ruk tero ko helmet nikal ke maroonga rasta rok ta hai? beat that, man was scared as hell and now have decided that getting the paint job done is a better option than getting beaten blue and black by some frustrated biker.

[UniqueMods]

i would rather prefer to give more space, so bikers can go their own way without any scratches to my car. mumbai bikers are pretty good in squeezing between dividers and car without any damage.

um

[ghodlur]

I have experienced the same on many occassions when bikers used to tap on the window screens asking to shift so that they can move ahead. Due to this already a scratch has appeared out of nowhere which I guess is the courtsey of some stupid bikers.

Even I fail to understand the dire need to move a few meters in front when the traffic is standstill and there's enough time for bikers to move when the signal goes green.

[lordofgondor]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

Even I fail to understand the dire need to move a few meters in front when the traffic is standstill and there's enough time for bikers to move when the signal goes green.

Well, I guess the dire need is to jump the red light. At least that's what happens in Noida all the time.

And the worst part is, those darn bikers move to the front while the traffic is stopped and when the light turns green they (who didn't jump the light) need a honk to make them move.

[Spitfire]

Most bikers in our cities are morons, dim witted and thoroughly misfit as human beings. They believe since they are smaller in size its their birthright to move through non existent gaps, over medians, cut lanes and ride over footpaths.

A lot many also think they are invincible and can get away 99% of the time.

They fail to understand, that 1% will either get them below the wheels of a truck or become the meat in a sandwich between two cages. 99% of them don't live to see it didn't work that 1% of the time.

I am a biker too and cover almost 2 times the distance on my bike as compared to my car. All city use. I prefer 2 wheels to 4.

And just so that there is parity I think car guys are almost the same at the above (maybe not the footpath riding yet). Only positive for them is they have better chances of not being roadkill compared to bikers when involved in a voluntary collision on the road with another vehicle.