[Stanher]

Originally Posted by edsuede

I hope this isn't a stupid question, but please bear in mind that riding side saddle is not allowed in the UK - why do female passengers normally sit facing the left as opposed to the right? Is this tradition or is there a practical reason?

To be honest, even I've always wondered about that- I was surprised when I saw pics./movies where women pillions in the west sat facing the right, as I never saw this in India:

peck_hepburn | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

I guess the reason women here sat facing the other way is because they were uncomfortable being too close to the engine with all the heat etc. (in case of Vespas atleast) and also maybe because the rider might've faced a problem kick-starting the scooter without getting off it with the pillion's legs getting in the way!

Side-saddle is not allowed in the UK?? But I thought women even there did sit that way back in the old days? Especially considering that wearing (usually) skirts was the norm for them back then, unlike now? Or is this a recent rule?

Originally Posted by issigonis

In India, a majority of women upto the 80s wore sarees and it was very inconvenient for them to sit astride. Nowadays with more and more women adopting western wear (trousers/jeans/slacks) it is almost the norm to see younger women sitting astride. Not so much women of the earlier generation.

There are still many women who wear Sarees, atleast here down south! That's mainly why saree-guards are mandatory even on superbikes in India!!

But yes, the younger women in their 20s mostly dont so they obviously dont need to sit side-saddle.

[edsuede]

Hi Stanher

As far as I understand it, riding side saddle has always been illegal in the UK. I think it is banned on safety grounds.

Women that ride on scooters/motorcycles here tend to wear trousers in any case for practicality/added protection.

A friend of mine got married this year. With an escort of fellow scooter riders including myself, he left the church on his Lambretta with his bride on the back sitting side saddle with her full white wedding dress on
Neither wore crash helmets either (a legal requirement for rider and passenger in the UK). They rode the 2 miles up the road to their wedding reception like this, causing quite a stir with passing motorists! My friend took the attitude that had the police stopped him he would put the fine down to wedding expenses

Regards
Ed

[greenhorn]

why do female passengers normally sit facing the left as opposed to the right?

I think this was logical, given we (as in the UK) , keep to the left when driving, and women would want to alight to side of the pavement and not traffic.

I imagine in the continent and the US, it was the other way round.

[ajay99]

[quote=Stanher;2131623]To be honest, even I've always wondered about that- I was surprised when I saw pics./movies where women pillions in the west sat facing the right, as I never saw this in India:

peck_hepburn | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

I guess the reason women here sat facing the other way is because they were uncomfortable being too close to the engine with all the heat etc. (in case of Vespas atleast) and also maybe because the rider might've faced a problem kick-starting the scooter without getting off it with the pillion's legs getting in the way!

Side-saddle is not allowed in the UK?? But I thought women even there did sit that way back in the old days? Especially considering that wearing (usually) skirts was the norm for them back then, unlike now? Or is this a recent rule?


There are still many women who wear Sarees, atleast here down south! That's mainly why saree-guards are mandatory even on superbikes in India!!

But yes, the younger women in their 20s mostly dont so they obviously dont need to sit side-saddle.[/quote]


shyam,
You should have said ""majority "" instead of ""many"' and also even those who are wearing other dresses sit side-saddle(more than 90%) .At least in Kerala it is like that

[SuperSelect]

Originally Posted by edsuede

- why do female passengers normally sit facing the left as opposed to the right? Is this tradition or is there a practical reason?

Regards
Ed

Hey,
I think the simplest reason for a woman to sit facing the left is that that is the pavement side in India !!! As in the UK.

Edit: Mods, I'm sorry I failed to notice greenhorn had already clarified this..
Please delete this post if not appropriate.

[Stanher]

Originally Posted by ajay99

shyam,
You should have said ""majority "" instead of ""many"' and also even those who are wearing other dresses sit side-saddle(more than 90%) .At least in Kerala it is like that

Well, to clarify the part of my earlier post that you had outlined in Bold, I would've said 'majority' had it been say, 20-30 years ago!
In today's context, I'm afraid it wouldnt be the case if you take the whole of India. Delhi and B'bay are going more cosmopolitan and in the North, the salwar is far more common than Sarees. Now even in the south (even Kerala!), it isnt the majority with my generation (30 and below) onwards atleast!
'hope that justifies my use of the word 'many' rather than 'majority'.

Anyways, I guess ravi is right about the left-facing pillion theory- it didnt occur to me that it could've indeed been the reason!

BTW, we actually have pavements on our roads??! Hehe!

[Mitch]

Guys, any chance you can give me some background to the TWO registration plates I had on my Allwyn before I registered it in the UK?

The first and most recent one is DD0 8949 and the one I found underneath this, painted onto the legshields is BPS 1452.

Anything would be much appreciated

[Stanher]

Originally Posted by Mitch

Guys, any chance you can give me some background to the TWO registration plates I had on my Allwyn before I registered it in the UK?

The first and most recent one is DD0 8949 and the one I found underneath this, painted onto the legshields is BPS 1452.

Anything would be much appreciated

DDO would be a Delhi regn. and BPS would be from Bihar, a state up North. Other than this, I dont have much info. to provide, but assuming the BPS was the original regn., it would date to the early 80s, when the scooter was made.

[Mitch]

Thanks Stanher. So do you have to re-register in each state?

[Stanher]

Originally Posted by Mitch

Thanks Stanher. So do you have to re-register in each state?

Unfortunately, yes! The reason ironically being is that even though the regn. of one state is valid throughout the country, the taxes vary state to state, hence the need to re-register. (You can still however, choose to continue the old regn. legally if you pay all the taxes in the 'new' state you move to.)
Its the same case that happened with my Herald (which you can see in my display pic.), the present-gen regns. (eg. AP 10, MH 12) that were introduced after 1989 replaced the older ones with the 3-alphabet prefix. Mine unfortunately got the present regn. in 1990, which is the only eyesore on the car!

How I wish we could legally purchase period regns. as in the UK!

[harit]

Originally Posted by Stanher

How I wish we could legally purchase period regns. as in the UK!

In all likelyhood a scheme is to be implemented where one can now retain a number and transfer to a new car, but a fee will have to be paid. And the series for cars will remain for cars only, two wheelers shall remain with two wheelers only. The modalities are not clear, but this will definitely be made possible. But you cannot buy old books and transfer, you must have the car from which you seek to retain the plate registered in your name.
I believe that even in UK, where trading of numbers is an active business, the original vehicle bearing the number must exist. And in UK, you can obtain age related registration, many owners spend money for that to maintain their cars period appearance. Maybe we slowly head in that direction.
Government should have moved in that direction earlier, there is revenue in such schemes.

Cheers harit

[vintageman]

Hello All ,

I think presently the scheme for retaining old vehicle numbers exists as a advisory from the Ministry of Transport to the states , but , as the RTO is a functionary of the state government the advisory is not binding .

Further the numbering system as followed by the various states is quite arbitrary - some states have separate series for various types of vehicles , other states follow the same same series for all types of vehicles . This has led to Delhi ( a city state with 9 RTO offices ) having 3 alphabet series .

I understand there is a RTO with a vintage collection in Tamilnadu - hopefully the trend of RTO vintage lovers will increase , so that the rest of us will have a sympathetic ear when we approach the transport office for assistance.

Regards
Chauhan

[Stanher]

Originally Posted by vintageman

Further the numbering system as followed by the various states is quite arbitrary - some states have separate series for various types of vehicles , other states follow the same same series for all types of vehicles . This has led to Delhi ( a city state with 9 RTO offices ) having 3 alphabet series .

I didnt quite follow this, sorry- do you mean to say that the 3 alphabet series still exists in Delhi as of now??