[Chetan_Rao]

Multiple spottings to report.

Yesterday, met an idiot in a beige Santro balancing a toddler in his lap with one arm, a phone in the other and driving like there's no tomorrow. The kid's mother (presumably) in the passenger seat was giving the kid and dad appreciative looks for their acrobatics, while chattering away on her own phone. 'No seat belts' goes without saying.

Today on the way to work around noon, two ladies in a PY-registered Sea Grey Figo, standing at the HSR layout signal waiting to take a right, suddenly change their mind and barge into the open left lane without a care in the world. My cabbie slammed his brakes and missed them by millimeters, and a bus behind us missed us by even less.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by sumathindra

I still ride my bike however make it a point to follow the rules I learnt a long time ago. I just do not get the attitude they have these days.

I salute you and your fellow riders who drive slowly, sanely and safe. There are a few of you guys left, and I am always pleased to see it.

I do not ride anything with two wheels, but I think the good bikers must notice even more that is wrong with the bad ones than I do. One thing is the way they treat each other. I have seen bikers just ride straight into another biker, as if they were pedestrians expecting a simple sidestep.

Unfortunately, with bikes being used as family transport, riders have both misplaced confidence and the worst of habits right from earliest age.

[IronH4WK]

TN-02-AK-8?77 honking incessantly won't make the vehicles in front of you disappear. Your best bet is to wait for them to move.



KA-51-MC-7560 when someone has committed to join your lane after providing indication, allow them to join the lane. Honking loudly and gunning through a non-existing space is not cool (lemme know if you want me to provide the footage).



Guess what - both vehicles have Team-BHP stickers

[JoseVijay]

Originally Posted by IronH4WK

TN-02-AK-8?77 honking incessantly won't make the vehicles in front of you disappear. Your best bet is to wait for them to move.


KA-51-MC-7560 when someone has committed to join your lane after providing indication, allow them to join the lane.(lemme know if you want me to provide the footage).


Guess what - both vehicles have Team-BHP stickers

Haha! You nailed them with proof. Now, do they dare to come to you for footage? Very disappointed to see cars with TBHP stickers behaving badly on the road.

[Secretariat]

Is he a good driver ? Or bad ? Or both ? Judge for yourself.

I took a hired Innova from Varanasi to Gaya. The driver was a middle aged man with his own philosophy of driving. His driving was like this

• He never crossed 80 kmph, even on open stretches of NH2. His theory was that on an Indian road, anything could come from anywhere at anytime and therefore speeds over 80 kmph was suicidal
• He drove bang in the middle of the two lane side of the dual carriageway. He watched his mirrors all the time and when anybody wanted to overtake, he would give way, but then come back to the middle of the road straddling both the lanes. His logic was that he was giving himself maximum room to evade whoever or whatever darted in from either side
• He never wore his seatbelt despite my entreaties.
• He never got irritated at the idiots and morons on the road. Nothing disturbed his composure which was Buddha like (very appropriate considering we were going to Gaya).
• He honked all the time; never overtaking without a vigorous honk, much to my irritation
• He was constantly using his turn signals, but in the "Indian highway mode". The signal was meant to the guy behind that he could overtake on that side and not that he himself was turning there
• He would not eat anything on the way on the logic that he was minimising his chances of drowsiness.

The guy managed to intrigue me, irritate me, exasperate me and make me feel reasonably safe, all at the same time !

[hserus]

Except for the seatbelt he was driving in the safest possible manner for indian highways. And yes a heavy meal after a lot of driving will definitely make you drowsy.

[i10]

Originally Posted by JoseVijay

Very disappointed to see cars with TBHP stickers behaving badly on the road.

I have seen plenty of them unfortunately. From breaking signals, to excessive honking to doing stunts. Many of them "Live to drive", but don't drive well enough to live

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by hserus

And yes a heavy meal after a lot of driving will definitely make you drowsy.

A heavy meal can always make a person drowsy: biology does it, transferring resources to digestion etc.

Not eating can mean the body does not have sufficient fuel, and that can be just as bad. I am also, just now, forming a theory that I am both irritable and aggressive when low on blood sugar. I got the idea from someone who is into nutrition and said that low blood sugar makes him prone to anger, and thought, "Hmmm... could that be me too?"

The answer is sensible light eating

[::CMS::]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

The answer is sensible light eating

Yes, light eating and lot of water (H2O) will keep the body refreshed.

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

A heavy meal can always make a person drowsy: biology does it, transferring resources to digestion etc.

Not eating can mean the body does not have sufficient fuel, and that can be just as bad. I am also, just now, forming a theory that I am both irritable and aggressive when low on blood sugar. I got the idea from someone who is into nutrition and said that low blood sugar makes him prone to anger, and thought, "Hmmm... could that be me too?"

The answer is sensible light eating

While driving it is better to avoid food with high ghee content like pongal that can induce drowsiness.

[rev_rohit]

I think sleep during long drives is due to many factors, including boredom, lack of fresh air, heavy meals and lack of sound sleep before journey. It might not be actual sleep per se, sometimes it is a kind of daydreaming state where you sleep with your eyes open.

[hserus]

Originally Posted by ::CMS::

Yes, light eating and lot of water (H2O) will keep the body refreshed.

And then spend quite some time holding in an urgent urge to pee if you prefer not hiding behind a bush to do your business.

Originally Posted by rev_rohit

I think sleep during long drives is due to many factors, including boredom, lack of fresh air, heavy meals and lack of sound sleep before journey. It might not be actual sleep per se, sometimes it is a kind of daydreaming state where you sleep with your eyes open.

Agreed. That is a dangerous condition and it is exactly how most accidents happen. How does one avoid getting into that state on a long, monotonous highway drive?

[rev_rohit]

Agreed. That is a dangerous condition and it is exactly how most accidents happen. How does one avoid getting into that state on a long, monotonous highway drive?

Following things work for me:
Having an interesting partner by your side.
Always keep fresh airflow into the car.
Punjabi music.
Small breaks for a cup of tea or coffee.

[rajeev k]

Two bad ones, a wagon R blocking the free left path and an Eeco waiting on the wrong track for the signal to turn green.

[hserus]

Originally Posted by rev_rohit

Following things work for me:
Having an interesting partner by your side.
Always keep fresh airflow into the car.
Punjabi music.
Small breaks for a cup of tea or coffee.

I tend to lose concentration when I have someone to engage in conversation with - miss turnoffs and such. I prefer not to multitask.

And I generally play soothing carnatic music or "road anthems" (nat king cole's get your kicks on route 66) - saves my blood pressure from the subject of this thread. I have to be careful when driving with my 3 year old lest he pick up obscenities I mutter under my breath when I run into a more than usually dumb motorist.