[LithiumSunset]

Originally Posted by priyo

In the US, horn is use mostly to say ' bye ' when you leave a friend's house , you honk and your host, standing outside his door, waves . Just two short ' honk-honk' .
Sometimes you honk indicating your arrival at a friends house if they are expecting you - one short honk. As you are driving thru a neighbourhood and you see a friend
, it is ok to honk , to which your friend responds by a wave of his hand. Using the horn otherwise is considered bad manners. Certainly not when you pass pedestrian
ladies. In cities , like New York, where the influx of drivers from South Asia have cornered the market as taxi cab drivers, they start by being rash and noisy drivers but quickly are forced to give up the use of the horn because no one else uses it and they are frowned upon or even shown the bird if they do. I have had to replace dual tone horns in three of my cars - why, because they just went bad because of non-use !

Oh and then I am blessed (or rather cursed) by a neighbour right next door who calls for someone from his family to open the main gate not by a sweet short honk but a continuous one till someone comes out and of course time of the day or night doesn't matter. A simple missed call from his mobile would easily suffice. We are a nation of selfish inconsiderates.

[joybhowmik]

Originally Posted by priyo

In the US, horn is use mostly to say ' bye ' when you leave a friend's house , you honk and your host, standing outside his door, waves . Just two short ' honk-honk' .
Sometimes you honk indicating your arrival at a friends house if they are expecting you - one short honk. As you are driving thru a neighbourhood and you see a friend
, it is ok to honk , to which your friend responds by a wave of his hand. Using the horn otherwise is considered bad manners. Certainly not when you pass pedestrian
ladies. In cities , like New York, where the influx of drivers from South Asia have cornered the market as taxi cab drivers, they start by being rash and noisy drivers but quickly are forced to give up the use of the horn because no one else uses it and they are frowned upon or even shown the bird if they do. I have had to replace dual tone horns in three of my cars - why, because they just went bad because of non-use !

True. And yet, here in India, the problem seems to be that people have become immune to honking due to a surfeit of aural stimuli.
The honk is not regarded as a way to say goodbye, or hello, or even to warn someone. It's used as a way to establish one's presence in a world where a cacophony exists at every turn. And why one may ask? It's because one has to ensure survival - of self, property, status among other things. So, it has become a habit, to be mechanically followed, like breathing.
Our country has tried Stickers "Do Not Honk" but they are like so much water on a rhino's hide! No disrespect to our animal lovers here!!

Can this behavior be changed? Perhaps. But it will need radical measures and enforced with brutal impartiality. I am sure, that many people will find this implementation distasteful, and hence objectionable. And yet, the way to a civilized society, may lie in doing exactly that.

As history has shown, India was at its best behavior for about 20 months - from June 1975 to March 1977. Things worked like the proverbial clock!

[N.A.GTC]

Originally Posted by joybhowmik

As history has shown, India was at its best behavior for about 20 months - from June 1975 to March 1977. Things worked like the proverbial clock!

Just a correction, Emergency was of 21 months.

Originally Posted by silversteed

Another example of "Money can buy many things, but definitely not traffic sense":

Attachment 1194567

With the way he drove off, it makes me wonder why he doesn't have any pending violations on this car!

Are you sure traffic police will book him, taking the image you posted as proof? It does not show rules being violated.

[appu.bhandari]

Originally Posted by silversteed

Mr.Laura-man is in a hurry. He cannot wait behind the stop line at Forum signal. He inches forward. Hurray, the signal is green for traffic to turn right from Raheja Arcade side towards Adugodi - after all it's a green, why wait now!

I have my store in raheja arcade and this is a daily menace. I make it a point to stop before the zebra crossing and almost all the time I see vehicles either cutting across and getting ahead or keep irritating with endless horn to make me move ahead. The traffic police are of no use, they are busy collecting fines from gullible motorists who enter into the wrong side of the one way of the parallel road (ie: Punjab Grill road).
Slight ot but I always see customers vehicle parked by the valets in a no parking area with the consent of the local police.

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by N.A.GTC

Are you sure traffic police will book him, taking the image you posted as proof? It does not show rules being violated.

I don't know. It's up to them to decide. It can be seen that the Laura is not behind the stop line, and his signal isn't green - you can see that there's no traffic from where I was standing (yes, I was on foot). Moreover, there's still traffic in the opposite direction.

Originally Posted by appu.bhandari

I have my store in raheja arcade and this is a daily menace. I make it a point to stop before the zebra crossing and almost all the time I see vehicles either cutting across and getting ahead or keep irritating with endless horn to make me move ahead. The traffic police are of no use, they are busy collecting fines from gullible motorists who enter into the wrong side of the one way of the parallel road (ie: Punjab Grill road).
Slight ot but I always see customers vehicle parked by the valets in a no parking area with the consent of the local police.

I know what you're saying. My office is a few blocks away, and I frequent the area. There used to be some cops who at least take pictures of violators, but now that trend has died out. It used to be a deterrent for some, at least.

Talking about valets - once I gave my car for valet parking and it was driven off gracefully to be parked while we moved into the hotel. After dinner, I was planning to tip the valet, when I saw something moving towards the hotel steps at a good clip, in reverse. It was my car! I was so irritated that I almost pulled out the driver, got in and drove off. Some of those valets are extremely rash.

[appu.bhandari]

Originally Posted by silversteed

.
I know what you're saying. My office is a few blocks away, and I frequent the area. There used to be some cops who at least take pictures of violators, but now that trend has died out. It used to be a deterrent for some, at least.
.

Yeah, I too use to see cops equipped with digital camera taking snaps of those rouge drivers, also at times they use to warn drivers whose vehicles were after the zebra crossing but not they just interested in making their daily side income.
I once while driving asked a friend to take a snap of these cops who sit opposite the Punjab grill restaurant and allow parking in no parking area. He got afraid after seeing 3 cop there, and advice me to leave the matter too.

[pratyush6]

Originally Posted by LithiumSunset

Oh and then I am blessed (or rather cursed) by a neighbour right next door who calls for someone from his family to open the main gate not by a sweet short honk but a continuous one till someone comes out and of course time of the day or night doesn't matter. A simple missed call from his mobile would easily suffice. We are a nation of selfish inconsiderates.

Please do not start on Indians and honking. We will never learn. People honk like its crazy over here. Part of the reason I believe walking is very injurious to health in Bangalore. And I do not see cops over here fining or even warning drivers who cut lanes, do not stop at red lights, drive dangerously. Indian roads are for true the brave-hearts.

[black_rider]

Originally Posted by nareshov

All it takes is the slightest reason for the airbag to blow up in the kid's face. Try describing that to colleague! Or maybe not: it probably does take the hard way to learn sometimes.

But, to the not so car-savvy guys, airbag is a soft, cushiony pillow, that pops out in a crash, so that they don't break their noses. Not something that can take out a life if it blows into something other than it is supposed to. They don't know what a crash can do to a human body. The magnitude of damage possible if a car weighing more than a ton loses control. What's missing here is awareness, in the first place, and an open mind, to accept one's fault.

[Thad E Ginathom]

They do not even realise that being crushed between dad (or mum) and the steering wheel is enough to kill.

[AbhishekB86]

Still trying to figure out where the take off button on my Beat is. It's getting rather frustrating for vehicles behind me because when stuck in a traffic jam - bumper to bumper traffic I being such a terrible driver have not yet managed to figure out the art of taking off. Any pointers? I feel sorry for the vehicle behind me using the dipper 50 times a minute, sigh it doesn't fly.

Today's highlight : A Volvo (not sure of the make) comes towards the traffic intersection on the wrong side because sahib is waiting in the corner. Meanwhile traffic cop isn''t impressed Volvo or not pulls him to the side and makes a buck out of sheer stupidity.

[Milestone]

Originally Posted by silversteed

Milestone, isn't it on Hosur road, near GB Palaya? .... However, never seen anyone have the time to get out of the car, remove the barricade and then squeeze in.

It's at Hosa Road Junction, and even I was surprised by the actions.

Originally Posted by silversteed

I posted a complaint in the BTP Public Eye portal:

Attachment 1194566

With the way he drove off, it makes me wonder why he doesn't have any pending violations on this car!

I never knew one can directly report to BTP portal on traffic violations ..

Cheers !!!

[IronH4WK]

Originally Posted by Milestone

I never knew one can directly report to BTP portal on traffic violations ..

whoa, hold your horses Manu!

you can report all you want, but all that happens is that a violation tag is slapped to the vehicle. i recently encountered a Siemens staff bus driven rashly on BETL. when i checked the vehicle details only the BITS site, i found that it had 7 violations pending against it amounting to 1500/-! but still he drives the way he drives

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DL1BmKdrFk

apologies for bursting your bubble

[W.A.G.7]

A tanker truck on a cycle track in front of our office. He was stopped by the police (more by the barricades in front of him) & extorted left, right, up, down like hell for more than an hour. No escape to the left or right with a drop of 1 foot or more & the fat inspector-controller behind, ensured that he couldn't reverse quickly. Sometimes I wonder why and how people try such antics with such huge vehicles.

[Chetan_Rao]

Another cab minibus moron. Happened today around 12.15 PM at Doddanekundi Signal near EMC on ORR. I was in the left lane, going straight on green. This moron sees me, still cuts across from my right at speed and brakes hard right in front of me (wants to jump the queue for the right turn but that signal is already closed). I miss gifting him my front bumper by a few inches.

[n_aditya]

Encountered a moron today morning en route to work.

A grey innova with an idiot driver behind the wheel probably suffering from loose motions was on my tail honking away to glory. I was at the Adugodi junction on Hosur road, traffic lights were red and I had stopped. This jerk was going berserk honking continuously.

I turned up the music, rolled up the driver side window which was half way down and minded my own business. Was in two minds to get out and ask him what the problem was but kept my cool. Did not want to ruin the start of my day.

When the lights changed, this imbecile tried to overtake from the left but couldn't do so since there were bikes and scooters in the left lane. He lost his mind and was weaving all over and after the Adugodi police station where the road widens he blasted forward and cut me off.

I lost my cool as he almost side swiped me and had no choice but to honk back at him. Pretended to take a pic of his plates and he did so too but I guess he did not manage to click my plates since i was right behind him. He finally sped away and took a left at the Forum junction.

I was seething with rage and anger and was tempted to get back at him but better sense prevailed. These idiots cannot be taught and they will never learn. Best for us to keep our cool and not let it escalate further.

The plates on the grey innova read KA 03 MQ 3498. Keep clear of this moron as he is not going to think twice before ramming you. All that he will lose is his current job only to find another. Anyone knows how i can locate the owner and report this careless and rash driving (apart from filing an application at the RTo, etc.).

Was thinking of reporting this on the BTP page but i guess it is of no use.

What do you all feel about carrying pepper spray in case such issues get out of hand? Does one need to report the incident to the cops after the guy gets sprayed?