[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by vb-san

In my recent trip to Kerala, I noticed that the roads have vastly improved, and so has the urgency of road users. The urge to reach the destination faster has gone into dangerous levels.

On visits to Kerala, I usually stay in the Alleppey area. The driving, especially the ruthlessness of bus drivers, frightens me and makes me wonder if I could ever handle driving myself there.

Spotting the Good Drivers!

Last week we stayed near the Chalakudy river, close to Athirapuilly Falls. We picked up a cab driver at Chalakuddy, and called the same guy every day except one, when we just walked. He was pretty good. He did not overtake on blind corners or bully other road users. In general, I found the quality of driving, even that of the large number of coaches on the road, to be much better than either Alleppey or my home town. Those of you who live there will probably tell me I'm wrong, but I came away with a good impression.

Mind you, there was one very scary set of skid marks on the almost-new tar surface. I hope the guy stopped: it would have been a nasty drop if he didn't!

Back to Chennai

Our Cabbie overtakes a truck on the Cenotaph Rd flyover, blind, just before the brow of the hill. He couldn't wait five more seconds?

Yep: I'm posting this... there was nobody coming the other way.

NB... Apologies for bad place-name spellings.

[selfdrive]

I have a massive axe to grind with indecisive drivers and riders. The kind who keep wondering if they should take one or the other and stay in between. Or the kind who accelerate a bit to overtake a vehicle but then give up only to start again within seconds. Or those who are not sure where they want to stop or turn.

Make up your mind and do one thing or the other! Why keep others on tenterhooks because you are so indecisive about such an issue?

[voodoochild]

Originally Posted by selfdrive

I have a massive axe to grind with indecisive drivers and riders.

I sometimes wonder how our Schumachers would fare on European roads. After a visit to Austria (and of course reading the Yetiblogs), it really scares me to think what I would do alone in a car there! Am I changing lanes correctly, overtaking correctly, behaving erratically, was that a road sign I just missed? Will I get a honk from someone? Or worse, the finger? Quite unnerving just to think about it!

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by selfdrive

Or those who are not sure where they want to stop or turn.

Well, quite often we may not be sure ...but do people have to be unsure in the middle of the road!

[arup.misra]

Spotted a Tuscany Red Linea near City Bakery Worli Junction. I was on the road going towards sea face. To those who don't know it well, there is a line of cars usually parked on one side so barely two small hatch can squeeze in between one lane that is available.

This young rockstar dude comes in behind me honking and flashing away to glory. Since the traffic was thick and no place for me to move, the smart fella decides to squeeze in the gap. In the process shaving a parked swift, nearly kissing my left wing mirror. Instead of apologizing he mouthed expletives to my deaf ear and proceeded like a possessed man.

In the end of his road race, I made it out through the sea link toll before the racer boy could, driving at normal 60-70kmph speed. I merely smiled at this dude and it worked. For the whole journey from Bandra to Andheri, this boy never once overtook me or drive like a maniac again.

[Ohh!Oxygen]

Spot bad drivers on Bangalore roads
(Driving tips from a poor and disgruntled driver in Bangalore from my last 9 years in driving Bangalore ( two bikes and two cars). Sorted in the order of lethality and you should maintain at least 100 metres distance (if possible)
1. TVS 50 moped milk/bakery/gas/water can delivery boys (They can make 0-40 in 2 seconds)
2. IT/ITES dudes on bikes with backpacks (Neatly dressed with premium Pulsars/ Yamahas and always in a hurry)
3. Dudes on Swifts ( Modded Swift with loud music, flashy lights and big alloys are like 50 Cent wannabe hip hop stars)
4. Indica/Innova/other cabbies (They pay more road tax hence they always march ahead)
5. BMTC ( They are sons of Gov. and roads are made by govt. Remember the Volvos have auto transmission and have a rear view camera)
6. Auto Wala ( Imagine Pachino's (Rajnikant) "Scent of a Women" drive on a Ferrari(auto rikshaw).)

The golden rule
Save your own A#@ and your own car (no matter whose fault it is) and most important your peace of mind.

...please feel free to add other categories

[arun_josie]

Bannerghatta Road, These guys don't bother blocking the entire road. When will these people ever learn that sticking to the queue moves faster than occupying the entire road and blocking the opposite traffic ?!

[Recompose]

Originally Posted by arun_josie

Bannerghatta Road, These guys don't bother blocking the entire road. When will these people ever learn that sticking to the queue moves faster than occupying the entire road and blocking the opposite traffic ?!

I think they very well realize that the queue will move faster if the other side isnt blocked. It's lack of empathy / respect to the other road users that prompts them to do it.

I think the attitude is typically 'So long, suckers!'. Invariably, there'll be some one else who'll do it and save a precious 2 minutes, why not me? They jump the queue of approx 10 cars and can get in at second if not third position. 99% of the bikes do this and most of the autos. Once in a while you get such drivers who try making such outrageous lanes on the opposite lanes - thereby inviting more bikes and autos. Vicious, I tell you.

[Binzone]

Spotted a very well qualified contender today for this thread. Am still wondering if this would be more appropriate in the close calls thread.

This happened while I was driving my Palio this morning along the vallarpadam container terminal road towards ernakulam, to drop wifey at her office.
I had just started from a signal, and being the first car and having relatively low traffic, was able to accelerate easily to a steady 80kmph, and was starting to overtake a sedate indica driving on the left lane.
I then noticed a red i10 on my rvm, approaching the indica fast on the left lane. As there was no way he could over take me from the left, I assumed he would slow down and join the overtaking lane. But I was taken completely by surprise when this person cut sharply to his right in an attempt to squeeze between me and the indica, and pushing me to almost hit the median at 80kmph. A long blast of horn from me seemed to bring him back to his senses and he slowed down, but only temporarily.
I had immediately slowed down as this maneuver had shocked us.

But his next move took the cake. Probably, angry that I didn't brake to let him overtake from left, he once again accelerated hard from the left, and this time again swerved hard to the right as if to hit my left fender.
The left lane was totally unoccupied by this time and he could have simply gone straight if all he wanted to do was overtake me, but he had to do this!

Since I had already slowed down this move didn't affect me, but his poor i10 almost rammed the median, and he struggled to bring the zig zagging vehicle back in control. We were afraid we were going to witness a crash, but somehow he managed to avoid it.

As if not satisfied with this drama, this person continued to drive, wobbling the steering like one would do on a test track to check the steering response.

I saw him trying to mow down a few bikers, with his antics. Wanted to give chase and had even started, but wife beside me and the team-bhp sticker helped better sense prevail.
Hope to never encounter this driver again.

[sohail99]

Wow! Nice video IronH4WK! Almost all of the bikes are using the oncoming traffic lane!!!

Here's a video from my ride on DG-E showing some bad drivers!
Skods superb cut me off dangerously from the left! I had to brake hard!
Bonus - a vintage merc(?) in great condition overtaking me from the right towards the end of the video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA0M6...ature=youtu.be

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by sohail99

Here's a video from my ride on DG-E showing some bad drivers!
Skods superb cut me off dangerously from the left! I had to brake hard!

Yes he did cut you from the left, but your speedo on the camera shows you between 48-50 before he cut you, and 44 after he cut you. Doesn't like like you had to brake hard.

[sohail99]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

Yes he did cut you from the left, but your speedo on the camera shows you between 48-50 before he cut you, and 44 after he cut you. Doesn't like like you had to brake hard.

Yeah! I had noticed him in my irvm and didn't speed up and when I noticed him approach from the left I was already prepared and had my foot on the brake!
That's why you don't see me surprised! I just had to brake hard for a moment!

[nkrishnap]

KA 02 MD 577 Maroon color Alto with now OVRMS was driving like an idiot from the double road to the Accenture building on Bannerghatta Road (Bang 3).

This moron certainly deserves a whip on the back side to atleast make him aware that he literally had a couple of 2 wheelers loose their balance and fall.

If you are reading this, you certainly deserve to hang you head in shame.

[500ContyCruiser]

Not exactly bad driving, but bad behavior

image source: FB

[rajeev k]

Spotted these bad drivers, one a Bolero of Navy and one in an Eon, blocking the free left turn. Notice the cyclist.