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Old 12th December 2012, 13:48   #4771
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Re: Bad Drivers - How do you spot 'em

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Originally Posted by SDP View Post
Generally, there are not too many vehicles turning right at this signal and therefore once the right turning traffic clears, people use the rightmost lane to go straight as well. Now because of this smart gentleman, TWO lanes of traffic is blocked. With me blocked, people behind me start squeezing into the 3rd lane, causing more chaos behind.
I've seen cars taking that turn from the service road on the extreme left. There have been occasions when a car wants to turn right and holds up a bus. And this bus holds up the entire traffic in service road. I take service road everyday, because it is quicker than the main road, in spite of the bus stop.
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Old 14th December 2012, 16:30   #4772
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Re: Bad Drivers - How do you spot 'em

Lots of bad drivers can be spotted inside the DLF IT park, Manapakkam. But most of them only cab drivers, some 2 wheelers and some private vehicles as well. These guys drive very fast inside the IT campus and keep on honking.

In the basement parking the actual speed limit (10 kmph) and no parking signs would be clearly mentioned but these dont follow any of those. On city roads we cannot complain as everyone drives like that but atleast when they enter the campus they should maintain the speed limit. Its becoming dangerous to walk to the other buildings inside the campus.

Would be good if the cabs, autos etc. are stopped at the gate.

Last edited by vishnu.csk : 14th December 2012 at 16:32.
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Old 14th December 2012, 18:59   #4773
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Re: Bad Drivers - How do you spot 'em

How to spot bad drivers?
Go to youtube and search for "red light runners"
You will get to see bad drivers from around the world!
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Old 14th December 2012, 21:24   #4774
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Re: Bad Drivers - How do you spot 'em

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Originally Posted by vishnu.csk View Post
Lots of bad drivers can be spotted inside the DLF IT park, Manapakkam. But most of them only cab drivers, some 2 wheelers and some private vehicles as well. These guys drive very fast inside the IT campus and keep on honking.

In the basement parking the actual speed limit (10 kmph) and no parking signs would be clearly mentioned but these dont follow any of those. On city roads we cannot complain as everyone drives like that but atleast when they enter the campus they should maintain the speed limit. Its becoming dangerous to walk to the other buildings inside the campus.

Would be good if the cabs, autos etc. are stopped at the gate.
I remember getting into a car driven by a friend (and colleague) of mine and him honking inside my office campus (a big one on OMR). I asked him why would he do that. He says it is out of habit and he felt someone was going to get in his way. I did not want to offer any advice, just let him drive as he had a 1.5 hour drive back home ahead of him and would definitely not want his blood pressure to rise with a argumentative discussion. Mind you, he wasn't the first person I have seen doing that inside our office campus.

So while I think the assumption that the folks working there may not be behaving in a manner considered not acceptable feels correct, it is not always correct.
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Old 14th December 2012, 22:08   #4775
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Re: Bad Drivers - How do you spot 'em

Justice Markandey Katju said "I say ninety per cent of Indians are idiots. You people don't have brains in your heads ... It is so easy to take you for a ride,". Whether this applies to communal riots or not, but, certainly applies to drivers of India, especially at Chennai. You need to watch all sides of your vehicle and all corners of the road. Anybody can come from any side and anybody can overtake you at any side. A nightmare. Iam taught that one should drive on left side and should not overtake at left side.I am afraid any such teachings are happen now a days anywhere.
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Old 15th December 2012, 11:49   #4776
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Re: Bad Drivers - How do you spot 'em

Had a bad experience today morning.
I was driving thorough the rightmost lane. Time was 10.15am and it was slow moving traffic. When I reached the signal opposite to Saphalyam complex(TVM people know the place) the light turned amber and I decided to stop at the signal. I was driving at speeds of around 20km/hr and I was almost on the middle lane while I reached the signal because of crazy motorists and scary private buses.
A guy in his early thirties in a white Apache along with a lady pillion tailgating me crashed into my cars rear when i stopped at the signal. I didn't bother since it was at low speeds. He came to the left side of my car ( I expected a sorry from his side). Instead of a sorry he was using some abusive words and some nasty stares.His uttering was loud enough that it would pierce into my ear who was sitting inside the car with all windows rolled up. I just didn't bother to respond to this local jerks uttering. When the signal turned green I just zoomed off.
I was astonished to see such kind of behavior especially from a biker travelling with a lady pillion rider. I belong to age group of early twenties and this biker would surely be older than me by almost 10 years. I just did not reply to him because I believe in this saying "Don't pick a fight with an ugly person, they have nothing to lose ,But you have "

Last edited by VishnuNarayanan : 15th December 2012 at 11:54.
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Old 15th December 2012, 12:22   #4777
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Re: Bad Drivers - How do you spot 'em

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Originally Posted by VishnuNarayanan View Post
He came to the left side of my car ( I expected a sorry from his side). Instead of a sorry he was using some abusive words and some nasty stares.His uttering was loud enough that it would pierce into my ear who was sitting inside the car with all windows rolled up. I just didn't bother to respond to this local jerks uttering. When the signal turned green I just zoomed off.
There are such jerks everywhere. You did the right thing, by not responding - that would have driven him crazy! I would have used one of my fingers though, while not even looking at him.

Last edited by clevermax : 15th December 2012 at 12:23.
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Old 15th December 2012, 12:54   #4778
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Re: Bad Drivers - How do you spot 'em

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Originally Posted by vineethvazhayil View Post
I remember getting into a car driven by a friend (and colleague) of mine and him honking inside my office campus (a big one on OMR). I asked him why would he do that. He says it is out of habit and he felt someone was going to get in his way. I did not want to offer any advice, just let him drive as he had a 1.5 hour drive back home ahead of him and would definitely not want his blood pressure to rise with a argumentative discussion. Mind you, he wasn't the first person I have seen doing that inside our office campus.

So while I think the assumption that the folks working there may not be behaving in a manner considered not acceptable feels correct, it is not always correct.
Also the pedestrans should make sure that they are not coming the way of the vehicles. I have seen a few instances where people just blindly cross. Could be one of the reasons why people honk to stay on the safer side.

Then the main question still remains. What is the need to speed inside the office campus especially cabs. I dont know if they are stressed too much?
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Old 15th December 2012, 15:18   #4779
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Re: Bad Drivers - How do you spot 'em

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I have seen a few instances where people just blindly cross.
Yesterday, I was stopped for pedestrians crossing --- and saw several walking into each other! Never mind driving, we need a thread for bad "pedestrianing"

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Could be one of the reasons why people honk to stay on the safer side.
If you think people have not seen you, and you could be a danger to them, or they to you ...honk!

It's the honking from impatience, retribution, and general aggression that we should try to give up.
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Old 15th December 2012, 16:21   #4780
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Re: Bad Drivers - How do you spot 'em

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Originally Posted by VishnuNarayanan View Post
I was astonished to see such kind of behavior especially from a biker travelling with a lady pillion rider. I belong to age group of early twenties and this biker would surely be older than me by almost 10 years. I just did not reply to him because I believe in this saying "Don't pick a fight with an ugly person, they have nothing to lose ,But you have "
you are absolutely right. We should never allow other drivers to throw their dusts in their mind on us. If we allow, it will spoil our entire day.
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Old 15th December 2012, 17:00   #4781
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Re: Bad Drivers - How do you spot 'em

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Originally Posted by vskesavan View Post
Justice Markandey Katju said "I say ninety per cent of Indians are idiots. You people don't have brains in your heads ... It is so easy to take you for a ride,". Whether this applies to communal riots or not, but, certainly applies to drivers of India, especially at Chennai. You need to watch all sides of your vehicle and all corners of the road. Anybody can come from any side and anybody can overtake you at any side. A nightmare. Iam taught that one should drive on left side and should not overtake at left side.I am afraid any such teachings are happen now a days anywhere.
This question comes to my mind often, drivers over taking from the left side is being alarmingly increasing. I even went into an argument with few of my colleagues who said; no one has taught them not to overtake from left side.
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Old 15th December 2012, 20:16   #4782
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Re: Bad Drivers - How do you spot 'em

I've said before: I give up on left-hand overtaking.

The rule is, drive on the left, overtake on the right. But, take a road like the Chennai end of the ECR. Each carriage way is two lanes, but it is simply not safe to drive in left-hand lane, so it is treated as a single-lane road, and we drive in the right-hand lane. I really don't mind if people take the odd chance to nip through on the left. Am I being a bad driver here? Preaching bad ways? I don't know.

What I can't accept is, when on the left, other drivers try to overtake even further left. Many bikers seem to think that is where they should be, even if it is between a car and a wall (potentially lethal situation for a biker). They'll try to do this even if it clear to pass on the right.

The other deadly-stupid biker left-hand overtake is on a left hand turn. They nip through the gap, with no way to know how closely the car is going to turn. Stupid. They gain a split second, if that.
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Old 15th December 2012, 21:34   #4783
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I think all this may be because of right hand drive which many people consider wrong way of driving. If you are driving in india you should be in leftmost lane so that other vehicles can overtake you from right. In short they can overtake by driving along the median while you drive close to pedestrians.

Imagine a left hand drive country like USA. You drive on the right most lane of the road towards the median or near to incoming opposite vehicle well away from pedestrians.

In short you can see and judge better in left hand side drive system.

Not sure if this explanation is correct or not but it looked carrying weight to me. Thoughts? ?
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Old 15th December 2012, 22:20   #4784
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Had a rather unpleasant rendezvous with a dangerously driven alpine white BMW E90 3 series earlier today at around 6:30 pm on the WE Highway near the domestic airport. It had gorgeous modded matt black alloys (looked like 18 inchers) and a URL sticker on the back. This guy was swerving all over the place with ten thousand lane changes and incessant honking. Also cut past me very very closely from my left at that junction forcing me to brake. Got your plates too but I'm not disclosing them for obvious reasons.

I'm not really expecting an acknowledgement here but mate let's just say if you are a BHPian, you are setting a very wrong example.

Take care and drive safe!

Last edited by Omtoatom : 15th December 2012 at 22:33.
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Old 15th December 2012, 22:34   #4785
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Re: Bad Drivers - How do you spot 'em

I have never driven in mainland Europe or USA, only UK and India, so I don't know, but, as, in right-hand drive, everything including the driver's position is reversed, isn't it, in practice, the-same-but-the-other-way-around <confused>?

I was taught to always leave a safety margin between you and others, especially the softer ones on two legs. On ECR, this would mean driving in the middle of the road, which I think would annoy everyone!

I tried this UK-training keep-left stuff, when I was a new driver here. I knocked a bucket out of someone's hand. I terrified myself with the thought, "what if it had been a child?"

(If the bucket owner is reading this: I owe you one!)
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