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Nothing new considering Chennai traffic.

Could be the reason why he was doing it

Precisely what I wanted to say.

agree:

^^ Well, I wasn't taking pictures while diving. See the signal (Red Light) showing Red in front, I was waiting for the signal to turn green.
You summed up the typical traffic status of Chennai during peak hours. Only things missing in that picture were cows and dogs. Helmets are for the gas tanks or to be hung at the back of a bike, not for wearing on head.!
And finally if he posts my car's picture, only he would be embarrassed.

Without doubt people's driving sense is being replaced by a sense of urgency, day in and day out I see so many instances of bad driving in Pune. Its ridiculuous that if the signal is red for straight and green for the left, more often than not, you will end up waiting for the green signal on the straight road, no matter how wide the road is. People here think, if there is place on the left side, why should i stand behind some one else. When I've had to take left and been caught up like this, once i politely asked an offender why could he not wait behind the others waiting to go straight instead of blocking the left. He replied "why dont you wait behind me instead of hurrying up to take left", should i call him illiterate or should i call the RTO guys illiterate for just issuing licenses for money instead of educating people with the correct rules and driving courtesy.

Many times i have thought that people who are in such a rush on the roads are actually in a hurry to get some where or late to their appointment, but amusingly, if there is an accident or fight, these people have the time to park their bikes and cars and stand on the side to enjoy the free fight. Its really painful to see this breed of people growing by the day and more often than not - these are youngsters who need to lead the path tomorrow. Bad examples that chills my spine when i think how the traffic in Pune would be another 10 years later !

Talking of driving sense, people here dont care for red signal or no entry boards, these things matter only if a cop is around and sometimes not even then. Its so dangerous to drive, especially there is a U-TURN i take every day and trust me, while i attempt to turn, everyday there is atleast one moron who is attempting to over take me from the left and jam my turn and there is a third car over taking the second car and jamming everyone else... all this in a U-Turn which shouldnt take more than a second if only people were not so rude to the other drivers ! Its crazy out here.

couldn't agree with you more! have a look at the picture (taken this evening at OMR). our car is within the stop line. see the vehicles beyond ours! :Frustrati



this is a regular feature of "driving in Bangalore". nowadays, i just try to keep calm and let somebody else do the shouting :D

That is the million dollor question. What are they hurrying for? I am sure even they would not have an answer.

Since the herd is in a hurry, they too join.

Recently i drove to Manali and was really disappointed to see the scores of cars, SUVs, Jeeps and tempo travellers racing up and down in mad frenzy even at dangerous turns of Rohtang Pass where the stone paved paths are so narrow sometimes you have to stop and allow the others to pass. Even here i was pained and angry to see all commercial vehicles overtaking rapidly as if driving on broad city roads. The authorities must limit the no. of cars going up the hills in peak seasons to allow a reasonable no. of tourists to enjoy the hillstation at a particular time. Would think 2-3 times before choosing the time to enjoy the adventure driving.

The commercial vehicle drivers are habitual to these routes & generally know the road like the back of their hand, hence are more confident as compared to any rookie driver. Whenever I have been to Himachal, I have seen these people driving at speeds that could be best defined as death defying by any layman. I have heard similar stories for drivers in Uttrakhand.

Yes that's scary (hair raising, yet, awe inspiring) to see a (unladen) lorry driver managing 70-80 when all you can manage 40-ish with your (private) car/suv.

In the morning I had a similar experience (but in the plains), when a moron almost ploughed in his brand new Swift Dzire in my Santro, in order to avoid oncoming traffic in narrow road. Had I not braked my car in time (my car tyres will be replaced before the next service), he would have been in the waiting room of the Service centre instead of the office parking.

"knowing the road" is an excuse used internationally for bad and dangerous driving.

Yes..and these KNOWING people ram into other UNKNOWING people killing them KNOWINGLY.

How KNOWLEDGEABLE!

-- Torqy

Come to Gurgaon. Its a "bad drivers haven". Apart from the usual traffic rules disobedience (observed in most Indian cities), Gurgaon drivers have a weird penchant for driving in high beam even in the dead center of the city, where lights from all sources make the roads as visible as in daylight.

Off the top of my head - 70% of people in Gurgaon drive with their headlamps on high beam. I don't have much experience with Delhi city, but I guess it will be the same there.

@TOrqy-> That was well said.clap:
How an "UNKNOWING" driver is supposed to become "KNOWING"? Does this mean, you must ride and not drive on unknown roads first, to know the road and then drive?
I faced such fast cabbies, tourist vehicle drivers and even bus drivers during my recent drive to Ooty, uphill and downhill. They just drive so rash, I needed to really slow down at each bend and let every car that came behind me pass. Also watch up-comers from as far as possible and leave enough space for them to buzz through.

You can see these days guys carrying big ladders in bikes in the pillipns armpit; very dangerousl act. Just an hour ago one cut across me and luckily nothing happened. These are cable TV guys who have more work to do during rains.

Guess it is the same all over India...here in Chennai, I would put it at 90% (driving with the high-beam on, when it is not required).

And the most irritating thing is this behaviour : When I flash my high beam (low-high-low) to request the other guy to dip the beam, those idiots would continuously flash the lights and continue with high beam : 'high-low-high-low-high', when they are supposed to just do 'high-low' :Frustrati.

^^ Here the cabbies and drivers translate your signal as "get out of my way". and their answer is "Not me dude, I go my way only"!

very nicely put :D


while coming back from Ooty in 2007 we had taken the Massinagudi shortcut, which was steeper than the usual route. i was driving on the 1st gear to avoid heating up the brakes and all of a sudden a Ikon zips past us (what i could make) at above 50kmph and in 3rd gear! :Shockked:

had similar incident on the way to Dharmasthala in May this year. a unladen truck was driving like crazy! he would stop, let us overtake, then chase us and overtake us - all this with oncoming traffic! finally we let him pass and waited a while before continuing our journey!


in Bangalore i think people keep their headlights all the time in high beam. to make things worse, they even keep their fog lights on!! high beam + fog lights in your face - ahh.. perfect recipe for a headache!