[hrag]

Originally Posted by Stanher

why some women who go out wearing maxis/nighties also wear a towel like a dupatta across the chest

Stanher, this is a thread on safety - please don't bring fashion in here.

[Mpower]

Originally Posted by Stanher

Besides, its more the free end (pallu) of the Saree that could be considered risky, which most women anyway drape around their waist when riding a 2-wheeler so that's solved!
And of course, the dupattas on salwars, which are even longer and cant even tucked into the waist unlike sarees, could also pose a threat- why some women who go out wearing maxis/nighties also wear a towel like a dupatta across the chest, so we might as well bring these under the same umbrella!

The duppata getting stuck is much safer scenario than the pallu getting stuck in the wheels. The duppatta is not attached to the salwar and so if its gets sucked into the wheels/chain its will not take you with it but just destroy itself but if the saree gets stuck it will yank the pillion and take him/her down.

While we are at it, we should probably ban exposed chains on bikes too.

[anjan_c2007]

easy to moot but very, very difficult to pass verdict/fiat, legislate and implement

[pjbiju]

Looks like every piece of clothing that we wear (men & women) has some dangerous bits to it. So the best option may be wear none at all

Jokes aside, I have read about very few people dying or getting fatally injured because the ends of their sarees or duppattas got caught in the wheels of two wheelers. At least nowhere near the number of people who die of head injuries. It's a good idea not to allow pillion riders sit facing the sides. A good saree guard should do the trick for the clothes.

[diabloo]

I am with you 100% . Today they ask to change clothes (for driving). Tomorrow they will ask to change house (for parking). When will this end?
Let them design the vehicle to suit Indian traditional dress.

Originally Posted by wolg

But I think this is an insult to Indian Culture and a conspiracy by the outside powers to take away the last bastion of our culture - our native dress. We should not allow this to happen and fight for the remnants of our endangered culture. Let's start with a signature campaign, then street dharnas culminating in daily strikes and a month long agitation to express our support and solidarity.

[avi.k]

A rule which is Very very impracticle. If the rule is to wear no sarees because it gets stuck then even the dupatta gets stuck ban them also even the pant gets stuck on the footrest ban them also in a few days. Ultimately i think we have to roam with nothing on. I think pot holes cause more accidents than the saree getting stuck in the wheel then why did the so called senseful judge not ban the pot holes on the road. Never heard of any judge or any government issuing orders to give smooth and better roads with better signals to cause less accidents. Where does the common sense go here?

In India no body wants to accept responsibility every body wants to blame others and take the easy route. If you cannot provide facilities then just take the easy route and cause trouble for others.

And if the rule is to stop people from sitting sideways then what happens to the oldies and the ladies who cannot sit across. What happens to the people having illness which prevents them from sitting across. Is the judge going to send his car every where picking up every body. Where is the common sense now?

Now about helmets; Data has shown that in all the cities that have implemented helmets the accident rate has gone up. Why doesnt anybody understand that to implement helmets you need to have a proper lane system on the roads, which i dont see is going to happen in the next 100 years in India. Helmets are OK on the highway but not in cities where every idiot cuts you breaking lanes like he is Valentino Rossi or Michael Schumacher.

Lets face it safety starts at home, you need to care for your self and family and you dont need all these stupid rules by such stupid judges. First create facilities to implement a rule then create rules and then implement rules. No body will stop you.

[kuttapan]

Originally Posted by Mpower

While we are at it, we should probably ban exposed chains on bikes too.

That would be a very unsafe thing to do. Please have a look at all the powerful bikes in the world, you will find that none of them have chain covers(some have a half cover, though). If the chain breaks and get entangled in the cover, it can be catastrophic to the rider.(100-0 in 1 second?).

I however notice that while the Bajaj Pulsar 220 does not have a full chain cover, the Karizma sports one. Wonder what the logic is.

[Thad E Ginathom]

My experience is based on Chennai, where bike riders are just dangerous, more than Kerala.

As a foolish, ill-informed foreigner, it seems utterly obvious to me that:

--- no bike should ever carry more than two people

--- all persons on a bike should wear proper helmets and secure them properly.

--- there should be a minimum age for bike passengers, and the carrying of children in arms should be outlawed absolutely.

People cry... But what will they do?

The answer is that they will die less regularly. End of story.

[prasadee]

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

easy to moot but very, very difficult to pass verdict/fiat, legislate and implement

Lots of laws get passed and they never get enforced. Babus should take a practical look at enforcement, if a law cannot be enforced, delete that law from the books.
-Rant on-
When bikes with women carrying kids/babies get close to me, my heart skips a beat. I remember it very well when my dad had dropped our scooter some 30 years back, my then baby brother, and all of us had a close shave. That did not stop my dad from taking us again on his scooter. But, in 30 years somethings need to change for sure. IMHO, safety and value for life is a joke. Sad reality.
-Rant off-
-Prasadee

[Stanher]

Originally Posted by Mpower

The duppata getting stuck is much safer scenario than the pallu getting stuck in the wheels. The duppatta is not attached to the salwar and so if its gets sucked into the wheels/chain its will not take you with it but just destroy itself but if the saree gets stuck it will yank the pillion and take him/her down.

If it comes to that some women even pin the dupatta to their kurta/kameez. So then? Therefore question is not to target one particular dress, and if the intention is to only ban women from sitting sideways, then this is not at all the right solution, as many agreed here!
Besides, odds of the saree getting stuck, as again mentioned, are very rare- firstly because more or less all bikes come with saree guards, secondly as Ive said, it depends on how the saree is draped as well, which neednt be in a risky way. Therefore this is a very minor issue compared to more obvious ones that are crying for attention!
As a 2-wheeler rider, I feel that if the government is so concerned about safety, it has all the while neglected far greater aspects, like our horrible roads which have the surfaces disintegrate in just one monsoon! and also conceal the near-fatal potholes (and equally horrendous speed-breakers) when they get flooded with water, not to mention the manholes that are let out open for the water to "drain" off the roads! In these situations while riding a bike, what difference does it make to safety whether the pillion sits side-saddle or is in a Saree? Its difficult even for the rider to maintain control astride!
@hrag, thanks for your comment. However, my mention on the "fashion" aspect was more of an ironic vein, not intending to digress into that subject!

[clevermax]

Originally Posted by Mpower

Its a silly rule. You can't force a middle aged Indian woman to wear pants etc. All that needs to be done is to mandate more functional saree guards.

The young and trendywho don't want these saree guards should not carry saree clad women.

But a middle aged woman can ride a scooty or something wearing a saree, and thats not unsafe I believe.... So the rule has to be modified if it is a complete ban!

[Stanher]

Originally Posted by clevermax

But a middle aged woman can ride a scooty or something wearing a saree, and thats not unsafe I believe....

That's right. The rule was pertaining to pillion riding (sitting side-saddle) only, not when driving the vehicles.

[zaks]

They should not outlaw wearing sarees while on two wheelers not because it is not unsafe but because it is impractical after decades of tolerance. It has to be slowly weaned away and the ban is the first place to start since we don't respect the law anyway.

[Stanher]

Originally Posted by zaks

They should not outlaw wearing sarees while on two wheelers not because it is not unsafe but because it is impractical after decades of tolerance. It has to be slowly weaned away and the ban is the first place to start since we don't respect the law anyway.

Again are we steering towards sarees and bringing up the subject of fashion here?

Frankly I feel, as have many others here, that even the purpose for which they have suggested this ban will not be served with just banning sarees! And considering the triviality of this entire issue itself, its obviously typical of our system where we are targeting ant-holes when there are holes big enough for elephants to pass through!

[greenhorn]

I feel If people are stupid, and Die as a result of them willfully disobeying laws and not using devices put into place to protect them, they deserve to die.

I mean, why mess with evolution ?
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