[Vyas]

I keep a 12” Khukri in my door pocket.

Woah, just curious, Is it even legal to carry such a large knife?

[Raghu M]

Originally Posted by Strider24

So this happened with me last month in Pune, after a long office day I was going to Westend mall to catch a movie. I started off at 6.30 pm from my home and took the road with least expected traffic toward Aundh via Pashan-Baner link road.

An old Maruti Dezire car was ahead of me driving at snail's pace for some time. What was more flustering that there was plenty of space ahead of it, but oncoming traffic was making it impossible for me to overtake. It seemed that the Dzire driver was talking on phone while driving leisurely.

Sir, you did the right thing by not taking the bait. Had you got down, anything could have happened. You never know how these crooks behave. Let's just assume he has done some jail time or is not new to being in and out of the hands of law, it would just ruin your time, money and maybe health too. It's always wise to keep our ego aside and just keep moving. I have observed that a good way to avoid such brushes is to not stare or look at such drivers. It de-escalates the matter quickly and the opposite person doesn't feel intimidated. I sometimes run high on emotions too but I just look at the Baba idol in my car and try to cool my nerves. It is absolutely foolish to get into brawls with such people. Keep calm, drive on and do not let your emotions get the better of you.

Btw - the music along the video was done pretty well. I sat up and watched the video when the background music got a little serious!

[raghukodali]

Originally Posted by boohooper

So just imagine that you had a gun and pulled it out and cocked it as he finished that sentence....and you go "Zara phir se kahoge?" (Will you repeat what you said?"). Wet pant moment for the guy, for sure.

What to do, these idiots exist all over the world!

I don't think pulling out a gun in a civil society is a solution for anything. Imagine the other guy pulling out a gun as well.

[raptor_diwan]

Originally Posted by elampumpkin

On a serious note, is it legal to scare someone like that using a fake gun?

It is definitely not a good idea to scare anyone. If it is captured on CCTV or any video form, it can be used against you as evidence and result in a threatening or even a criminal charge. If the other person has a good lawyer, it might get even worse as they may try to link you with other criminal activities. Moreover, I feel like Indians usually don't get scared by guns even if they are real. Guns are not commonly used by people in India and therefore only a knife might be effective in scaring someone. However, I strongly advise against attempting to do so, as this action could potentially turn someone's life upside down.

[CarNerd]

Originally Posted by Strider24

What followed after this is captured in the Dashcam Video below.

The way this driver chased me without caring for his or anyone else's safety on road was scary. It was sure that he was either a criminal or Drunk or both. He was provoking me to stop my car so that he can start a fight or something.

When the guy was in front of you for such a long time, why didn't you think of slowing down and taking a turn somewhere to lose him?

[Hulk]

Originally Posted by gaurav_3000ad

I keep a 12” Khukri in my door pocket.

I’ve never gotten into a road rage incident. Just having it by my side keeps me calm and sane in traffic.

.

That's a very very bad idea.

1) The weapon can be used against you in a fight
2) Possession of the weapon can be used against you in the courts
3) Even if you somehow succeed in the fight, you'll end up in jail

There's no world I can imagine in which it makes sense for a normal person to roam around with a 12" blade knife (Maybe only for goons who have nothing to lose anyway). I hope you'd re-evaluate what you'd do with that Khukri in an actual fight. Use pepper spray for deterrence.

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by Strider24

I am seriously thinking about going for stage 1 engine tuning soon to be prepared. All suggestions are welcome if Corolla Altis's 2ZEFR NA engine is suitable for tuning or not, so far I hsven't found any examples of a corolla being tuned in India.

While I do not know about the remap possibility, I would suggest you check the Air filter and throttle body.

A clogged air filter affects midrange and inturn affects the throttle body. Replace the air filter and clean the throttle body and see if that makes a difference to the midrange pickup

[gaurav_3000ad]

Originally Posted by Hulk

There's no world I can imagine in which it makes sense for a normal person to roam around with a 12" blade knife (Maybe only for goons who have nothing to lose anyway). I hope you'd re-evaluate what you'd do with that Khukri in an actual fight. Use pepper spray for deterrence.

Totally agree with you there Hulk.

I wish I would always get to drive in a sane place where everyone obeys traffic rules, idiots don’t indulge in road rage, miscreants don’t attack you when you are driving late at night.

Anyways I’m not advocating the means, as I mentioned in my last paragraph. There is no scenario where I could even contemplate using it except in dire circumstances.

[JediKnight]

Originally Posted by gaurav_3000ad

Anyways I’m not advocating the means, as I mentioned in my last paragraph. There is no scenario where I could even contemplate using it except in dire circumstances.

It is incredibly stupid to carry such a weapon in the car all the time. Just routine search by police could get you into trouble. If you want to carry something carry something like a cricket bat which you can justify to the police if every searched.

[gaurav_3000ad]

Originally Posted by JediKnight

It is incredibly stupid to carry such a weapon in the car all the time. Just routine search by police could get you into trouble. If you want to carry something carry something like a cricket bat which you can justify to the police if every searched.

Point taken. As I said earlier neither am I advocating it, nor am I justifying it. Let’s not ruminate on it.

[true_sedan]

Never get into physical altercations with auto drivers or cabbies(all yellow boards in general). They almost always have a small blunt weapon to hit you with or in worst case a knife. Just remember these guys are used to dealing with loan sharks and local rowdies and all anti social elements on a daily basis. So they are always looking for confrontations and driving rashly to create ruckus. Add to that there are yellow boards driving everywhere who will gang up on you just because they can. Yes there are professional yellow boards who are disciplined but they are far and few between. Most yellow boards are uneducated youngsters and middle aged men from poor backgrounds and all they need is an easy to get commercial license and a set of tyres to create ruckus on the roads. Your family and your safety is more important than anything in this world.

[nda992]

Originally Posted by Jekyl87

I just took this as a learning that there are people on the road just looking for a fight and it's always better to disengage even though you may be the one who is in the right.

Road rage is very common in our country & can escalate to life threatening situations in a matter of minutes.

Some plausible solutions can be (assuming it's the other side at fault) to first watch the initial reaction of the guy & then take a call of driving off, if possible. Or one may start with an apologetic tone & ask him as to how did he think it occurred, as opposed to "who was at fault". In case the person is bellowing with rage, I would say sorry with folded hands & try to settle the matter knowing that my family shouldn't be at a loss for no fault of mine.

At the higher level, our traffic police really needs to get their act together. They do not enforce the traffic rules; and when they do, the offenders are left with hardly a rap on the knuckles. Our higher-ups in the traffic police & the judiciary must understand that traffic safety is also one major contributor to the country's economy & progress.

[parthpandeyy]

Originally Posted by Strider24

I am seriously thinking about going for stage 1 engine tuning soon to be prepared. All suggestions are welcome if Corolla Altis's 2ZEFR NA engine is suitable for tuning or not, so far I hsven't found any examples of a corolla being tuned in India.

Firstly, great way of handling the situation. I have spotted several such goons in Baner and Aundh area. I have a 2013 Altis 1.8 too, the 3k-5k powerband is actually the best part about the engine, as it lacks top end. Get your engine checked at Toyota once, it probably needs some refreshment. For me its the most powerful band and gets me out whenever needed. A remap you can get is the one that came with the facelift one (in case yours is pre FL altis).

Hope that helps!

[BleueNinja]

Originally Posted by Strider24

So this happened with me last month in Pune, after a long office day I was going to Westend mall to catch a movie.

Only time when I was disappointed in this episode was with my car.

I am seriously thinking about going for stage 1 engine tuning soon to be prepared. All suggestions are welcome if Corolla Altis's 2ZEFR NA engine is suitable for tuning or not, so far I hsven't found any examples of a corolla being tuned in India.

First off I must applaud you for taking that route at 6:30 PM.

Pune & PCMC, off late have been getting worse when it comes to road rage and traffic jams. It clearly follows a mentality of “bada hai toh behtar hai”. As long as you have a SUV you will be spared of major stupidity that the city has to offer. I myself have experienced this when I drive my Polo/City vs when I drive my Harrier. The “respect” one car gets over another is noticeable.

Every other “Sheth” knows someone who knows someone and it simply isn’t worth the time and effort to engage in such incidents. I simply take my RE out when I know I will have to travel in peak traffic hours as a 2 wheeler is much more convenient, saves time and is easier to navigate.

If I have to take my car out I avoid unnecessary eye contacts or honking or flashing of lights. I leave my home with a mentality that no matter what I won’t carry the burden of someone else’s stupidity.

I have a front/back dash cam installed in my Harrier to record incidents.

[0chaos]

This post makes me realize that some of us are just NOT frustrated in life to allow such things to influence our actions. We know that we value our safety, as well as the safety of others including the road rage guys.

While it would have been pretty easy to make a PIT maneuver and make him totally lose it, I think the actual strength lies in restraint.