[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by braindead

Is is just me or just Pune, or are people starting to drive on the wrong side of the road for no particular reason now? Or even if they know that they are going to make themselves late by blocking the road?

Happens in broad daylight in Bangalore, and not just minor violations where the car is a foot off the central marking, this is all the way onto the opposite lane. The attitude of such drivers, autos & riders have to be seen to be believed- coolly whistling away, looking ahead trying to find out the next gap to slot themselves in.

I guess we've to get used to it, Indian drivers/riders mentality basically is "if there's a path we'll take it, if there isn't a path we'll make it". Soon it'll be driving on sidewalks, driving over medians etc (that's why the public here LOVE their sports utility vehicles). Signals are for the meek who still think there's a meaning to following law, the new rule is to push through irrespective of signals, afterall what are headlight flashing & honking for.. to make sure you use them every 10 seconds to plough through traffic like a locomotive. Why would the government care, they get their road-taxes & that's about it.

[paragsachania]

Headlights in High Beam and Hazards - Your weapon to drive wrong side even on a fast elevated flyover.

A set of such drivers have already submitted a memorandum to the Transport Authority so that all violations become null & void if you are driving with your headlights on.

Pune is not alone as dark.knight says. Bangalore can give a tough competition.

[mayankk]

I keep going through this thread, and may I welcome you to Uttar Pradesh?
There is a very distinct border from Delhi to Noida, and the second you are one cm across into Noida, it seems hell breaks lose. People who you've been following for kilometres suddenly become rabid. Left right Centre, everywhere. Honk, barge, turn around, stop, do the tango. Hell, if they could, they'd pick their cars and walk on the footpath!

Everything that is has been mentioned on this thread, you spend half an hour driving in UP, you'll see it topped.
Wrong side driving? We've got got wrong side parking, in two lanes. Then a row of shops. And THEN wrong side driving. I've just recently started driving again in this area, and today I'm going to test cajunas and take the nh24. A 1.5 lane national highway.
Full of ceat TV ad auditioners.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by mayankk

may I welcome you to Uttar Pradesh?

Oh yes indeed. Been there, experienced it twice while passing UP from Bihar all the way to Delhi including driving inside Varanasi and Agra cities .

I can recollect every antic that you are mentioning and without doubts UP takes the cake.

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

A set of such drivers have already submitted a memorandum to the Transport Authority so that all violations become null & void if you are driving with your headlights on.

One can already see what's coming from 10 miles ahead (pun intended) if this brilliant loophole is approved by Transport What-ority > activation of headlights by default by EVERY motorist in town, heavy sales of aftermarket DRL's and new bulbs the size of Pepsi bottles.

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by mayankk

Full of ceat TV ad auditioners.

I've lived in U.P. for a while myself, and the better half is a Ghaziabad domicile. I notice this idiocy on every visit to the in-laws. There's a literal transformation (both scenic and in driving habits) the moment one crosses the Delhi-U.P. border, as you mention.

Thankfully don't have to drive and can leave the circus to the cabbie for the day. Just not my cup of tea on a vacation, or any other day.

[unk9ja]

Originally Posted by raghu.t.k

Not sure what gave him the confidence to ride with a broken arm. But how as he able to turn the throttle grip or use the front brakes? What speed was he doing ?

Originally Posted by rav11stars

How did you snap this?

Don't know how he was managing the show, raghu.t.k but this is outright dangerous to him as well as other road users.

rav11stars: This was snapped by my friend who has a GoPro with him. It is a snap from the video which he had with him.

[braindead]

Originally Posted by dark.knight

I guess we've to get used to it, Indian drivers/riders mentality basically is "if there's a path we'll take it, if there isn't a path we'll make it". Soon it'll be driving on sidewalks, driving over medians etc (that's why the public here LOVE their sports utility vehicles). Signals are for the meek who still think there's a meaning to following law, the new rule is to push through irrespective of signals, afterall what are headlight flashing & honking for.. to make sure you use them every 10 seconds to plough through traffic like a locomotive. Why would the government care, they get their road-taxes & that's about it.

I agree with you for most part. This competition with other road users is corrosive. But I don't agree with you that we need to get used to it. That sentiment renders any improvement impossible. I see many people being uncivilized but I also see a lot of them following the rules and being nice on the road after the see someone else doing it.
What we need is a revolution of one. If we all just drive right and don't fall for the peer pressure, big changes can be had.

[Thad E Ginathom]

If I had some muscle, today I would have used it. Or at least been prepared to.

The shopping street between Chennai's East Coast Road and my street is narrow, lined with shops and businesses on both sides, and busy and congested for much of the day. I almost always avoid driving on it, except maybe around lunchtime, or in the late night; I'd rather go some other way even if it is longer.

However, I walk it regularly, although even that can be tough sometimes.

Tonight, early evening, some person (red car, maybe Swift, I just didn't take in the details) came too fast (for the road) and close to his left, actually on a relatively wide and then-uncongested (he had the road to himself). I saw his line of approach and was able to step away from the danger of being swiped by his wing mirror; a woman walking behind me was not so lucky. Actually, the driver was not keeping a straight line, but driving towards the left. Mobile phone, or other attention taker, maybe? I have no idea: I didn't really have any reason to look until they were already past me.

It wasn't (as far as I can be aware: after exchanging comments about the moron, she walked on without apparent pain) a serious blow. I've caught pedestrians with the mirror myself, but much slower, but the way that he was driving was unforgivable. He was stuck behind the traffic less than 100m further on. If I had the physique to back it up, I might well have given chase. But I don't, so I went home for dinner instead

[ramzsys]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

I've caught pedestrians with the mirror myself, but much slower, but the way that he was driving was unforgivable. He was stuck behind the traffic less than 100m further on. If I had the physique to back it up, I might well have given chase. But I don't, so I went home for dinner instead

I have this penchant to drive without 'blowing' the horn. My family members were not entirely happy with this, they say i will run into trouble some other day. They even loathed about a Mahindra mini-bus driver(who otherwise took them safe and sound for a Tirupati trip and back) because he didn't use the horn at all. It was presumed that the vehicle's horn was not functioning.

Coming to the point, not much trouble happened till now but in a crowded market place consisting of working class population, there was a woman walking with her kid, and the fiesta's ORVM slightly nudged her. Now the height of the 5 feet around, saree wearing Indian women and the fiesta's ORVM is such that it may be conspired as a water tight case of eve-teasing(regional movies are not helping either), so like most drivers it is much preferable to rely on the horn to make way than to worry about noise pollution, global warming, etc.

By the way, Thad, have you seen MTC bus drivers use their turbocharged engine's rpm as a horn? They inch closer to the 2 wheelers in signals and unnecessarily rev their engines and 4 out of 5 times the confused 2 wheeler guy moves away.

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by ramzsys

I have this penchant to drive without 'blowing' the horn...

One fine day, I decided that I'll assume that my car doesn't have a horn and try to survive even without the bare minimum (which is, giving a short blast at blind curves, a gentle beep for the biker veering into my path, etc). The experiment worked, and I can confidently say that for most of the time, you don't need a horn.

have you seen MTC bus drivers use their turbocharged engine's rpm as a horn? They inch closer to the 2 wheelers in signals and unnecessarily rev their engines and 4 out of 5 times the confused 2 wheeler guy moves away.

They do it with everyone. But, since the newer buses' engine note is a lot softer compared to the earlier generation's roar, the effect takes some time. The MTC Volvo drivers are worse - the engine is at the rear, so keep honking while remaining millimeters away from the rear tyre/bumper. One look in the RVM (if they have it) and the biker would scoot.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by ramzsys

I have this penchant to drive without 'blowing' the horn. My family members were not entirely happy with this, they say i will run into trouble some other day. They even loathed about a Mahindra mini-bus driver(who otherwise took them safe and sound for a Tirupati trip and back) because he didn't use the horn at all. It was presumed that the vehicle's horn was not functioning.

Coming to the point, not much trouble happened till now but in a crowded market place consisting of working class population, there was a woman walking with her kid, and the fiesta's ORVM slightly nudged her. Now the height of the 5 feet around, saree wearing Indian women and the fiesta's ORVM is such that it may be conspired as a water tight case of eve-teasing(regional movies are not helping either), so like most drivers it is much preferable to rely on the horn to make way than to worry about noise pollution, global warming, etc.

By the way, Thad, have you seen MTC bus drivers use their turbocharged engine's rpm as a horn? They inch closer to the 2 wheelers in signals and unnecessarily rev their engines and 4 out of 5 times the confused 2 wheeler guy moves away.

I never thought of that aspect. She was a sari-clad woman, but, with all due respect to her, perhaps a little on the old side to attract the attention of of badly behaved boys. I kept the post gender-negative, because I did not see the driver. Repeatedly I was about type the guy and he. OK, I know that "guy" can be almost gender-neutral, but I try to be careful about my biases .

It's quite funny that she and I exchanged comments about the incident: me in English, she in Tamil. I think we were saying much the same thing.

As for using the horn, I use it it far too much, and I especially believe in making pedestrians aware that a car is coming.

[couswheels]

Noticed a white Brio today morning with Regn no. TN04 AM XX82 and he was continuously talking on the phone by holding his phone to his right. This was from Cathedral Road till Nungambakkam high road (Chennai)and could not see him after that. On top of this Brio had TBHP sticker.

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by couswheels

Noticed a white Brio today morning with Regn no. TN04 AM XX82 and he was continuously talking on the phone by holding his phone to his right. This was from Cathedral Road till Nungambakkam high road (Chennai)and could not see him after that. On top of this Brio had TBHP sticker.

Mate, Since the driver had the Team BHP sticker on his vehicle, it does not necessarily mean that he is bad/good driver. All that it requires is plain common sense.
If he had to talk urgently over the mobile, he could have parked the car on the road side, attended to the call and then drove the vehicle. Unfortunately we believe in Multi tasking.
Such kind of drivers are a threat to others on the road. These people are not those who require someone to advise them. They are well aware of the consequences yet they try to be ultra smart.
Moreover these stickers are available for anyone to buy. So it does not mean that driver is a member of Team BHP.

[Dry Ice]

Originally Posted by couswheels

Noticed a white Brio today morning with Regn no. TN04 AM XX82 and he was continuously talking on the phone by holding his phone to his right

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

Unfortunately we believe in Multi tasking.
Such kind of drivers are a threat to others on the road. These people are not those who require someone to advise them. They are well aware of the consequences yet they try to be ultra smart.

Talking on the phone seems relatively safe to me now

I see people texting/whatsapping while driving!! Here is one from today morning - oblivious to the fact that the car is drifting into another lane.