Team-BHP - Bad Drivers - How do you spot 'em

Quote:

Yes, the 'educated' lot are the most dangerous ones, because they can fight back at you in English. Atleast the driver class people have some respect and fear if you shout at them, but educated ones - they care a damn. Even though they incur damages in their cars, they would be filthy rich to buy a new car itself. Hate people with such mentality.
:deadhorse

Going OT but still , I feel one of the issues,is that the education in India is largely limited to books and doesn't real focus on developing an individual's character.

Also, India as a "driving" nation is still pretty young. Just 2-3 decades ago , cars were considered a luxury and was not too easy to procure one. Large number of drivers learned driving during a period when traffic lights , multi lanes and vehicular queues were just part of foreign movies. Driving was - and to a large extend ,still is - considered limited to controlling the vehicle to reach a destination. Rules and etiquettes are just there for the sake of being there.

Unfortunately, the driving instructors , whether professional/ relatives or whoever were (and are still) not equipped to impart a futuristic view to driving etiquettes. When spending power of individuals increased and owning a vehicle became more feasible , the old drivers never changed the way they drove and the new drivers followed the cue. And it became the norm. Add to that the aforementioned exuberance of adolescence and the societal ego and we have our traffic wonders !!!

Our cars have improved , our infra has improved , but the driving attitude , mentality and laws are still lagging 3-4 decades behind.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeMichael (Post 3136550)

[QUOTE
Yes, the 'educated' lot are the most dangerous ones, because they can fight back at you in English. Atleast the driver class people have some respect and fear if you shout at them, but educated ones - they care a damn. Even though they incur damages in their cars, they would be filthy rich to buy a new car itself. Hate people with such mentality.
:deadhorse

Going OT but still , I feel one of the issues,is that the education in India is largely limited to books and doesn't real focus on developing an individual's character.

Also, India as a "driving" nation is still pretty young. Just 2-3 decades ago , cars were considered a luxury and was not too easy to procure one. Large number of drivers learned driving during a period when traffic lights , multi lanes and vehicular queues were just part of foreign movies. Driving was - and to a large extend ,still is - considered limited to controlling the vehicle to reach a destination. Rules and etiquettes are just there for the sake of being there.

Unfortunately, the driving instructors , whether professional/ relatives or whoever were (and are still) not equipped to impart a futuristic view to driving etiquettes. When spending power of individuals increased and owning a vehicle became more feasible , the old drivers never changed the way they drove and the new drivers followed the cue. And it became the norm. Add to that the aforementioned exuberance of adolescence and the societal ego and we have our traffic wonders !!!

Our cars have improved , our infra has improved , but the driving attitude , mentality and laws are still lagging 3-4 decades behind.

Fantastically put by Joe. Also, a lot of people here have very closed minds, which means that they are not open to learn new ideas and accept changes. They just want to roll with whatever they know, treating it to be the best.

Also, safety typically comes after luxury in India, I don't know why. May be because an individual needs to exhibit to the society about his well being and hence they will rather buy a 7 lac rupee Sedan with no safety equipment and not even look at the similar priced hatchback which is loaded with all safety features.

It's difficult to expect care & safety towards the other people on road from such people who do not care for themselves!

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeMichael (Post 3136384)

And now the interesting part - a few minutes after I resumed , I see the beat parked on the side and the guy asking for a hike from bikers with a Coke bottle in his hand. I stopped near him and asked him if he needs some help and he asked me if I could drop him to a petrol station. I said "sure" and as soon as he started walking towards the car I screamed "in your dreams" and drove off. I know it was not classy from my side - but the look on his face was a picture to behold and that was such a relief and a mood enhancer. The funniest thing is that this guy skipped atleast two petrol stations in his bid to irritate me.

Understandable. You were on the receiving end of immature, annoying behaviour. Maddening. More might have been achieved, though, by talking to this guy: just possibly he might have learnt a lesson if a few things were explained to hi,.

But, I know... we are but human and not saints.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fordfreak (Post 3136421)

Quite a few road-users don't seem to understand the concept of a queue. Similarly at toll-plazas, I have seem a number of people trying to cut in to lanes right where the booth starts. Mind you, it isn't only mini-trucks or cabs. I have seen private vehicles with seemingly 'educated' looking people at the wheel do this as well!! Makes my blood boil.

So true.

I have experienced this mostly in the NH4 toll boths in Maharashtra, between Pune and Kolhapur - especially during peak hours.

There is another side to this issue as well . People trying to jump queues in toll booths end up creating a continuous stream of queue jumpers, most of them unintentional. It has happened to me too. Its like this: as you approach a toll booth, the road widens to accommodate the number of toll lanes, and you usually align yourself behind a vehicle in queue. In some cases, I have seen too many lanes being formed as you approach the toll booth, and one is just not sure which one is a legal queue . I have actually ended up a couple of times in "illegal" queues. This puts one into a very difficult position, where the queue suddenly ends ahead, and people try frantically to get in line.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigzero (Post 3136902)

most of them unintentional. It has happened to me too. Its like this: as you approach a toll booth, the road widens to accommodate the number of toll lanes, and you usually align yourself behind a vehicle in queue. In some cases, I have seen too many lanes being formed as you approach the toll booth, and one is just not sure which one is a legal queue . I have actually ended up a couple of times in "illegal" queues. This puts one into a very difficult position, where the queue suddenly ends ahead, and people try frantically to get in line.

You stole my words. I was about to post my experience and I bumped into your thread. Last week I was on my way to a place called Porur from Tambaram in Chennai. I took the Chennai bypass for less traffic. Exactly as you said when I reached the toll booth I queue was quite long with lots of buses and trucks and I stuck behind a Figo. Slowly I was treading ahead when I find that I am in between the two booths. It was very embarrassing with others looking at me with disdain. Somehow managed to get back on track.
Goes on to show how we are forced to become bad drivers unintentionally.

Today I came a cross a bad driver who landed in a terrible accident. I was riding my two wheeler with helmet on. I was passing a barricade which was supposed to limit the height of the vehicle. Suddenly I heard a sound which pierced my ears. While looking at right, I can not believe my eyes. A Tata 207 (the one with cab and cargo) version has been stopped next to be with cargo mounting bolts have been come out. The guy who did not mind the height of the vehicle and tried to cross the barricade, the speed of the vehicle was enough to root the cargo out of the chassis. Also during the impact the windscreen also got shattered.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soumyajit9 (Post 3136395)

I don't understand what is the problem with following the queue at a fuel pump. I wish he would have found the next 2 fuel pumps closed or run out of fuel.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fordfreak (Post 3136421)

Quite a few road-users don't seem to understand the concept of a queue.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soumyajit9 (Post 3136497)

Yes, the 'educated' lot are the most dangerous ones,

Quote:

Originally Posted by beez (Post 3136529)

,Unlike Americans or Europeans whose default mode is programmed to form a queue, we Indians and a lot many are programmed to avoid or jump the queue.......We Indians, love chaos, more on roads!

I had a few photographs taken at a Fuel Station at Tripunithura, a Kochi suburb. The scene was when there was a two day strike call by tanker workers and people were running halter-skelter to get fuel before the stations get dried up.In this pump the owner (you can see him in the fourth photo, leaning on to a red M800) categorically told that if fuel is to be dispensed every one has to Que up and everybody did it to a tee on that day. What a disciplined lot, amazing.

I had these photograph since couple of months but did not post as I could not get an appropriate thread. (There is no good drivers - how to spot them thread) So posting here as these synch with the context here.

I witnessed this a couple of months ago,

As i was walking to the bus stop from college while going back home, there is this one road that i need to cross to get to it. So, anyways i cross it and right behind me, a woman (probably in her 20's) gets hit by an auto driver, luckily she got hit by the front corner of the auto(not the forward center wheel, God that would have been horrible) and she falls flat on the ground elbow first. The auto guy quickly takes a U-turn and floors the pedal(or in this case, twists the throttle , lol stupid: .).. the woman gets up with minor scratches and walks away humiliated by the incident. People around her, including me , were just looking , this whole thing unfolded in a couple of seconds. But the most surprising thing was that no biker thought of chasing the auto driver even though there were around 9-10 bikers watching the entire thing before their eyes.one biker talked to the lady after what happened (i have no idea what they spoke). Absolutely disgusted!

She got hit by this part of the Auto.

Bad Drivers - How do you spot 'em-autorickshawpic.jpg

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeMichael (Post 3136384)

I stopped near him and asked him if he needs some help and he asked me if I could drop him to a petrol station. I said "sure" and as soon as he started walking towards the car I screamed "in your dreams" and drove off.

What an experience! lol: Looks like God is tired of waiting till doomsday for the judgement and has decided on spot-fines!!

A funny experience with a "pedestrian" - I wanted to turn to a side road from the main road and notice this pedestrian wearing a helmet and a cover in his hand, walking opposite me (just about to cross the side road I intended to take) and window-shopping. I somehow felt I should be extra cautious, stopped the car and waited for the guy to pass. As expected, the guy deviates from his "straight-line" and clearly bumps into my car. What made me laugh was his angry gesture as if I drove and hit him! There is no point in arguing with him, explaining the whole story to someone who was drowned in a shopping fantasy!

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeMichael (Post 3121722)

Last few days were pretty interesting.

About two weeks back, was waiting at the signal near Jewels de Paragon, to proceed straight towards St.Mark's road. I was on the middle lane. Once it was green,and I passed the signal, to my horror a BMTC bus cut across from the left lane, almost kissing my fender to enter Kasturba road. Since there was a nano towards my right ,the bus guy had to brake hard and a few "pleasantries" were exchanged with the nano driver.

Finally when the bus moved, the signal had changed to red and traffic from M.G Road had already started. I could either proceed risking an accident / reverse. I chose the latter. By then, there were other vehicles at the signal and I had to stop on the Zebra Line. A traffic constable , who silently watched the entire drama by the BMTC guy, dutifully clicks a pic of my number plate and I was poorer by Rs.100/-. No logic would convince him.

Attaching a couple of (not so good) illustrations to describe better

We really need those car mounted cameras to record all these misdemeanors. Including the injustices meted out to us by our stupid cops.

One happened with me today. It was raining in our city and I was going to my office by my car. Suddenly I see a front tyre of a bike appearing in my lane through the divider! As I was driving on the rightmost lane of mine, I braked almost hard enough...came to a stop at relatively safer distance but oh! The expression of the biker was such that I have committed a mistake by driving on the section of road that lawfully belonged to me (not in terms of ownership :) ).

I thought of giving him a good piece of my mind, but let that Idiot pass, whom I noticed later was riding with an UMBRELLA in one hand!

Today while going on Residency Road (near Purple Haze pub), I see a blue hatchback car (dont remember the Make/Mode) with 6 people in it. I know its normal for 6 adults traveling in a hatch. However to surprise, I see 6th person (a girl in 20+ age) sitting on lap of a guy (front passenger) facing him (ie, her back facing front windshield).

No matter whether the girl was his gf or whatever, still they all (remaining 5 guys) risking her life. One sudden break, she will be gone for ...

Dont understand why people take so much of risk. They love "Living on the Edge"
:deadhorse

Quote:

Originally Posted by rajeev k (Post 3137135)

The scene was when there was a two day strike call by tanker workers and people were running halter-skelter to get fuel before the stations get dried up.In this pump the owner (you can see him in the fourth photo, leaning on to a red M800) categorically told that if fuel is to be dispensed every one has to Que up and everybody did it to a tee on that day. What a disciplined lot, amazing.
I had these photograph since couple of months but did not post as I could not get an appropriate thread. (There is no good drivers - how to spot them thread) So posting here as these synch with the context here.

Rajeev,

Even if such a thread existed, you may not have been able to post them there as these photos do not show whether all these people are good or bad drivers, in any way. Yes, it sync with the context but these photos actually supplement the statement I posted earlier.

I was talking about the "default" nature of Indians who try to avoid or jump the queue. Please note that the stress is on default. We do queue up at many places where we have been doing that for long (railway tickets, theaters etc.), but even then quite a few will just be restless. Countless number of times I have been approached by someone, who just walked in, with a request for extra ticket (i have denied 90% of them). In other places, such as this petrol pump, we do not queue up by default but do so either if there is an incentive or only under the watchful eyes of a stern authority (a policeman, headmaster). In this particular case it is both petrol (incentive-tankers on strike!) and that stern pump owner (authority)!

I hate this happening even in some temples (of all places!), Guruvayoor being the prime example. I once asked somebody who was creating a lot of disturbance trying to push his 6 member family to front while in queue, whether he came here to pray to God or watch some masala movie? It is also sad that certain temples treat people differently based on purchasing power by charging for queues calling it by name of VIP/VVIP queues. Now I avoid such temples.

Off-topic: I also hail from Kochi, though living in Trivandrum now!

Quote:

Originally Posted by beez (Post 3137872)

Even if such a thread existed, you may not have been able to post them there as these photos do not show whether all these people are good or bad drivers, in any way. Yes, it sync with the context but these photos actually supplement the statement I posted earlier.

I do not contradict the view put forth by you and others on this aspect; in fact, I too subscribe to it. These photos were posted by seeing the disciplined line up for a commodity which is essential and if these people knew quite well that if they venture to jump the que, their chance of success is nil. Take a look at the disciplined lot at the Bevco outlets and this aspect is vividly seen.