[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by KiloAlpha

Here is another person who does not know how or where to park a car.
Pic taken Kanakapura Road, Jayanagar 7th Block, at 11:30 this morning. Notice the massive amount of free kerbside space in the foreground (bottom right of picture)?

I have a confession.

I took some time looking at this picture and wondering what was wrong. For Chennai, this would be good parking!

[Mik]

Two days, i drove around Ludhiana and was shocked to see the absolute lack of any traffic sense there.
Nobody wears helmets. Half are surds so they dont wear any protection at all. Saw a young 13 or 14 yr old on an activa skidding and getting a huge gash just above the eye. Frankly, call me sadist but i was saying to myself.. Good -- don't wear a helmet.
The only indicators two wheeled riders use is their head. Got used to it in a few hours.
The car wallahs in their "boom boom" cars are a different breed. They don't use indicators and don't believe that you should be given any thought because you used it. I have had people on my left suddenly swerving across me to take turns, all the while they are talking blissfully into their phones.
Seeing this, i have stopped complaining about traffic behavior in NCR

[vina]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

I have a confession.

I took some time looking at this picture and wondering what was wrong. For Chennai, this would be good parking!

It may not be doing of a bad driver anyway - for example a bike might have been parked on the curb (there are several right behind the car) leaving far less space than visible now. If the bike guys removed their bikes later, then the car really could not have parked any closer.

Also while it will inconvenience people in heavy traffic, in the picture it doesn't look like a bad thing - if it is temporary parking.

[MandarMax]

Originally Posted by DCEite

... for example, i never felt the need of using side mirrors in my M800.. the central r.v.m does the job quite well, i guess because the shape of the car and of C& D pillers...

Originally Posted by iceman91

i agree with rudra and v12 on those things.. people who have been driving from a long time..do not use side mirrors cos earlier cars did not coe with side mirrors as a std accessory in india. even my dad does no use the side mirrors..the rear is sufficent for him.

Originally Posted by v12

Hmm. I dont think so. I never use the side mirrors and have nevr caused any trouble to anyone.

This is a great thread.

I keep stressing about the importance of road safety and the do’s and don’t’s to my friends and colleagues and so I find some of the replies rather shocking.

I don't want to offend anyone, but I think it is not a question of habit or not being used to the side view mirrors. The side mirrors are necessary for the safety of your as well as other road users because the inside RVM is simply not enough. In fact there are blind spots even when using the rear and both the side view mirrors, so not using ORVMs only increases the chances of an accident. Following image might make it clearer:



Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_spot_(automobile)

When you are moving fast on a two or three-lane road, you just cannot depend on the rear view mirrors (I mean all 3, 2+1) and you have to do a manual scan of the lanes by turning your head quickly. You cannot just turn based on what you see in a rear view mirror because of the blind spots.

While I can understand that until 10-20 years ago, most Indian roads were narrow (with only single lane each way), the traffic was less and the speeds were moderate, the cars didn't come with side view mirrors, but things have changed significantly now and we should change our habits accordingly.

Also some people fold the mirrors because they think it increases the risk of mirrors being knocked off by bikers, but in my opinion, the mirrors create kind of a buffer zone. If you fold the mirrors, chances are that bikers will come really close and might scratch/dent your car, which in turn might prove expensive that the cost of mirrors. Also many of the modern cars come with mirrors that fold safely both ways, so there probably isn't reason to worry about that.

I request everyone to use all the rear view mirrors every time you get out on the road. It is really important for everyone's safety.

[KiloAlpha]

Originally Posted by vina

It may not be doing of a bad driver anyway - for example a bike might have been parked on the curb (there are several right behind the car) leaving far less space than visible now. If the bike guys removed their bikes later, then the car really could not have parked any closer.

Also while it will inconvenience people in heavy traffic, in the picture it doesn't look like a bad thing - if it is temporary parking.

Definitely not temporary parking - car was standing there for an hour.

Don't know about bikes though ...

[GTO]

We've heard of commercial vehicles with the brake lights not working. Ever seen one with fake brake lights? Sigh.....only in India!

[vina]

Originally Posted by GTO

We've heard of commercial vehicles with the brake lights not working. Ever seen one with fake brake lights? Sigh.....only in India!

Attachment 563299

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If these are reflective patches, you have to give the guy some credit for being at least a little thoughtful - anyone coming behind should be able to see him and prevent a fatal crash (i.e. fatal to the guy coming from behind)

[GTO]

Originally Posted by vina

If these are reflective patches, you have to give the guy some credit for being at least a little thoughtful - anyone coming behind should be able to see him and prevent a fatal crash (i.e. fatal to the guy coming from behind)

Look carefully, it's plain red paint!

[traveloholic]

I experienced a real BAD Driver on Saturday. Was out with my family and was struck in a traffic jam at an area called as Liberty X Roads (Hydeez would be far more familiar with it). I was in the right most lane with some space beside me on the right due to a stupid Activa guy in the right most lane. I was a bit behind him with some space on my right.

The Activa guy moves ahead and I see a moronic guy riding a Pulsar jostling through the non-existent space on the right and trying to lug ahead. In this process, he scratched the right door of my car and rammed into my right OVRM.

This is how the situation was and the Tri-Colored Box is where the Pulsar guy was earlier.


To my horror, he was wearing a Police Uniform with his assistant holding his cap and etc behind him. The stupid moron did not even care to look back at the damage he caused to my car and blindly moved ahead. At the Traffic Junction, I see him standing and was beside me, when I asked him about what he did to my car and that very moment, he started hurling abuses towards me in the worst language i've ever heard. Had he not been wearing a police uniform, I would have kicked his bloddy things off. But, as we all know KHAKI is the rule and nothing could be done. I was with my family and nothing much could be done due to both the factors, who wants to get in a tiff with these stupid law breakers called as POLICE. Wish someone teaches them the basic driving ethics.

[vina]

Originally Posted by GTO

Look carefully, it's plain red paint!

Here in Hyderabad, I usually go home way after sunset, and there is 2km long patch with relatively little traffic and good road (and no street lights whatsoever).

Every single evening there is some biker driving on that patch with his lights off - the glaring headlamps of the oncoming cars on the other side + no streetlights and no residences etc. anywhere means it is very hard to watch out for these idiots.


If you have headlights, tail lights and every other light in the world, and then choose to not use them on a dark road with fast moving cars around ... I guess the auto wala has an excuse of being illiterate.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Is there any such thing as a bicycle lamp (as in pedal cycle) in this country? Is it even available? Has anyone ever seen one? I mean, in recent years: my wife tells me that, forty years ago, cyclists with no light would be stopped by the police!

[traveloholic]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

my wife tells me that, forty years ago, cyclists with no light would be stopped by the police!

There used to be something called as a Cycle Lamp, which used to run with a dynamo attached to the cycle tyre. The Dynamo was attached close to the tyre with its Dynamo Turner placed above the Tyre Rim, which would rotate and generate power to light the bulb. Before that, it used to be called as Khandil (hindi word for a oil lamp), which was tied on the bicycle and lighted after sunset. One of the cycles at our place had this small light like thing, which was lighted using a wick and oil. Have heard from my grand mother that without these lights, the cycle rider was fined by the cops.

[vina]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Is there any such thing as a bicycle lamp (as in pedal cycle) in this country? Is it even available? Has anyone ever seen one? I mean, in recent years: my wife tells me that, forty years ago, cyclists with no light would be stopped by the police!

Not only there is such a thing it is mandatory in U.K. (along with reflective bands on clothing, I was once almost fined because my batteries ran out). You must put one in front and one in the rear - all bicycles come with hooks to mount these.

Also thieves like to steel them so lamps are removable (and nowadays rechargeable).

It has to be either powered by a dynamo, or by batteries.

[Gooney]

Originally Posted by traveloholic

I experienced a real BAD Driver on Saturday.

Had he not been wearing a police uniform, I would have kicked his bloddy things off. But, as we all know KHAKI is the rule and nothing could be done.

I hope the scratches were minor and the ORVM is intact. I can understand your plight and totally sympathize. Maybe, you could have taken down the number of his Pulsar, and / or noted his name (on his uniform badge) if it was visible. I know, reporting the incident might not get any response; however, you never know. Some honest senior police officer might take action. Trying never hurts.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by vina

Not only there is such a thing it is mandatory in U.K. (along with reflective bands on clothing, I was once almost fined because my batteries ran out). You must put one in front and one in the rear - all bicycles come with hooks to mount these.

Although I'm not a rider, I'm aware of this, and that these things have become quite high-tech, with strobe effects that make the old-fashioned bicycle lamp of my childhood look like a candle. Yes, I remember those dynamos too

But here in India 2011?