[selfdrive]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

I reserve the right to criticise if you will. I also seek to illustrate that the perpetrators are educated, gainfully employed folks generally.

I humbly request you to consider such morons as literate. not as educated.
while we are at typecasting, I usually find that I typecast people by cars too. I am likelier to be hopping mad (and follow with honk bursts/ throw of hands, etc) if someone in a Dzire/ i20/ Innova/ white Swift/ Pulsar tries a moronic stunt. with most other cars, I just assume its a mistake and move on.

Originally Posted by voodoochild

Eventually he stops alongside me at a traffic light. When I request him (very politely, mind you) to please switch to Lo-beam, he flips the switch dumbly multiple times, and says "It doesn't work, sorry yaar!", all the while maintaining the dumb expression, maybe from the latest Sallu flick.

Not a Salman fan, I presume!
Anyway, I had a similar incident with an i20 fellow (see typecasting comments above!) and he shook his hand to indicate it doesnt work. As he was the first off the blocks from the signal (some imaginary drag race in his head I guess), I took the opportunity to flick my car's headlights between high/ low multiple times while following him. I caught up with him at the next signal, pointed to the 'beam-stalk' in my car and indicated that it works in mine. he seemed unsure whether to laugh or throw something at me.

Edit: not really sure if Salman acted in some bike movie. Unless you are confusing him with John Abraham.
^^

[AbhishekB86]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTrugsmzXGM

I have come face to face with these idiots at Connaught Place at 4.30 am when I had gone to drop a friend at the Railway Station.

They all zoomed past my car and the pillions stared at me so as to start a race or something.

I took the next turn and went via the longer route.

P.S : These kind of idiots are everywhere. They have had their share of police action in the past but do not care to learn. I am sure every city has these goons.

Notice how one of them almost comes under a truck while performing a stunt. A part of me wished he did.

[shashank.nk]

Originally Posted by voodoochild

On a serious note, another new (and obviously dangerous) trend I've observed: Two-wheeler retards who think RVMs are TO LOOK AT THEMSELVES! Noticed this just outside my office this morning. A guy on an Activa (chappals, three shirt buttons open, Sallu-miaan hairstyle, the works!) with both his mirrors pointed to his face. And he's got the morning sun behind him, with the mirrors reflecting the glare straight at him. Squints, contorts his face, etc. but doesn't figure he can just turn the mirrors away for a few seconds! Ha! The mind of a genius!

Originally Posted by voodoochild

I had an incident with an outstation-plated R15 with the typical Sallu-inspired gelled-hair (helmet spoils the look YAAR!), three-buttons-open, blue-and-yellow-slippers, no-helmet dude riding, with his lovely lady pillion in a similarly hilarious getup (you gotta love the typecasting!). The guy was riding on high-beam behind me, blinding me continuously from both my motorcycle RVMs. Eventually he stops alongside me at a traffic light. When I request him (very politely, mind you) to please switch to Lo-beam, he flips the switch dumbly multiple times, and says "It doesn't work, sorry yaar!", all the while maintaining the dumb expression, maybe from the latest Sallu flick. A case of intentional hardwiring of the electricals?

Haha! You really don't like these 'sallu-inspired bikers' do you. While on the topic of bikers on high-beams, I notice almost all two wheeler (baring a few sensible one's) use high beam at all times.

What they don't realize is not only does it blind other road users, but he's at a disadvantage when using high-beam as he can't see the road immediately ahead of him.

I once told a person to switch to low-beam and he said his bike doesn't have any such button ! I'd to show him how he can switch between beams finally.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by shashank.nk

What they don't realize is not only does it blind other road users, but he's at a disadvantage when using high-beam as he can't see the road immediately ahead of him.

I once told a person to switch to low-beam and he said his bike doesn't have any such button ! I'd to show him how he can switch between beams finally.

WOW! He actually didn't know a switch for low/high beams exist!

The main problem here with road users in the night times are partially ego.

They say if the opposite driver has his high beams on he can't see anything as he is blind, so to compensate for that he too has to put on the high beams. A small discussion with cabbies and a few RTC bus drivers, they all say the same. If the oncoming car/bike/bus etc switches to low beam then we too will do the same. In short - Tit for Tat!

Anurag.

[voodoochild]

Originally Posted by a4anurag

They say if the opposite driver has his high beams on he can't see anything as he is blind, so to compensate for that he too has to put on the high beams.

This actually isn't an ego issue, but makes some sense. The sharp blinding effect of oncoming beams can only be countered with your own high-beams. It seems to reduce the shock effect on your eyes somehow. Plus, the other guy might might just realise his mistake when you flash your lights.

As for me, the lesser mortal with a measly Yezdi headlight, I feel like the cockroach in that Laxman-Rekha advert!

[carzone]

I have seen many who don't actually know that they are driving on high beams.
I had a friend, who learned driving from a driving school and got a license from there.
When I did go for a ride, I came to know that he didn't know even the "abc" of road manners. No indicators, high beam, constant honking, and driving on the right lane. Thankfully, he didn't use the phone while driving!

The motor driving schools don't care a bit to teach you, its just earning bucks for them.

Yesterday, driving in a small lane, I see lights blaring in my eyes, I flash my lights thinking that he might lower his beams. He doesn't, when he gets nearer, I see that it is a motor training school driving inside a small street with adequate lighting in full high beams!
Now, what shall I expect from the people learning from these kind of driving schools!

[Thad E Ginathom]

There is a thread on high beams, but as their misuse is the current bad-driving focus, I have an idea...

It is not so many years since drivers were unwilling to use lights at all, because they had the idea that they used up electricity and would need to be replaced sooner if actually used. So let's start a rumour:

Using high beams wears out your expensive headlight bulbs and will also mean replacing your battery more often. Who knows, even the alternator might suffer. Batteries are expensive; alternators even more so. Even on a new vehicle, this will not be covered by warranty.

Mutter it knowingly into a few ears and let it spread. Not true? Who cares! What PR or advertising company ever worried about such details if they had a message to get across?

[rajeev k]

Nice idea. Perhaps this idea can change the way people drive at night. The message can even be pasted on the rear glass so that these habitual high beamers can see this too often.

[engrohit]

I have an observation (no offence meant to anyone) that most of the drivers that I encounter driving with high beam are wearing spectacles. Just an observation, could be that wearing glasses and driving at night requires that adjustment. Again repeating, no offence to anyone.

[500ContyCruiser]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Using high beams wears out your expensive headlight bulbs and will also mean replacing your battery more often. Who knows, even the alternator might suffer. Batteries are expensive; alternators even more so. Even on a new vehicle, this will not be covered by warranty.

I liked the idea. But a person who can invest in buying expensive cars and lack basic common sense of not using high beam in well lightened area, does he even care about batteries and alternators? These are all jujubhi (silly) for him.

Off-late, I am seeing more of Fortuner/XUV guys driving in high beam with those bright focus lights.

[Thad E Ginathom]

People care about the oddest of things. Also, people who spend large amounts of capital often worry about small expenses. It's worth a try

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by engrohit

I have an observation (no offence meant to anyone) that most of the drivers that I encounter driving with high beam are wearing spectacles. Just an observation, could be that wearing glasses and driving at night requires that adjustment. Again repeating, no offence to anyone.

Nope I don't think thats true. I have very high myopic power but never felt the need to switch to high beams in the night. The problem we face is a lot extra glare from the high beams of oncoming vehicles due to the glasses.

[noopster]

Originally Posted by engrohit

I have an observation (no offence meant to anyone) that most of the drivers that I encounter driving with high beam are wearing spectacles. Just an observation, could be that wearing glasses and driving at night requires that adjustment. Again repeating, no offence to anyone.

None taken but I have been wearing spectacles since even before I started driving and have never used high beams extensively. If you are implying that people with spectacles have weaker eyesight and hence require to use high beams, that is a mistaken notion since every person with glasses has corrected vision which is very close to normal 6/6 in most cases.

In fact, I wear anti-glare lenses which actually makes it a little easier to tackle oncoming headlights.

Night blindness is a totally different condition that has very little to do with why most people wear glasses, i.e. myopia or short-sightedness.

Back to bad drivers, the taxi that dropped me to the airport yesterday had a driver who was using the full high beam all the time. I got irritated and requested him to switch it off- it was aimed directly at the car ahead of us- and he did so. Some time later I saw him cast a furtive glance at me and realised that he'd switched it on again. even if he'd swicth it off, every time there was some car ahead of him, he would flash the headlight repeatedly, regardless of whether the guy was actually obstructing him or not. Most annoying.

[IronH4WK]

Originally Posted by noopster

Back to bad drivers, the taxi that dropped me to the airport yesterday had a driver who was using the full high beam all the time. I got irritated and requested him to switch it off- it was aimed directly at the car ahead of us- and he did so. Some time later I saw him cast a furtive glance at me and realised that he'd switched it on again. even if he'd swicth it off, every time there was some car ahead of him, he would flash the headlight repeatedly, regardless of whether the guy was actually obstructing him or not. Most annoying.

how did you find our F1 track to the airport? kewl, eh; with all the airport cabs racing to get there first who did you have for a driver, Vettel?

[Thad E Ginathom]

F1 Airport tracks! Two years ago I took my friend to the airport, 2.00am. Last year I requested she called a cab: at least those guys are practised at avoiding each other. Nothing short of intense policing would change this situation, and that doesn't seem to be on the cards. I guess each city must have its F1 Airport road and its F1 cab drivers