[StopUnderrides]

Originally Posted by Keeleri_Achu

The age old question of would you risk your/your friends/family's safety over the idiot who have no regard to their own well being. My answer has always been NO. If you play stupid games, you're going to win stupid prizes. I will try to avoid the situation to the best of my abilities. But I for sure won't go out of my way to protect him/her.

Undoubtedly the person was an idiot.

At 16:55:37 seconds the truck’s brake lights come on. That should have been a warning. Mostly there are signs which need to be read. You decided to overtake the truck at the same time and sped up while avoiding the person. I can understand why you didn’t brake hard but why did you speed up? To pass the pedestrian before he could come into your path?

I agree with you in general. I’d also not risk my safety to save an idiot.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

Not mine but just came across this video of two bikers on RE Bullets traversing near the Zojila Pass.

This is so painfully dangerous and unsafe at so many levels! The truck has a massive overhang made up of exposed steel rods, the rods are placed at a rearward inclined position which can easily let them slide off into traffic coming up behind, and then we have these two bikers trying to literally sniff the ends of these rods! It would have been a miracle if that truck did not kill or injure someone during that journey.

[One]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

...the rods are placed at a rearward inclined position which can easily let them slide off into traffic coming up behind.

As a guideline, how much distance would you recommend (even in a car) keeping in mind that you are also looking to overtake at some point of time and the road might be similar for next couple of hours driving?

[SR-71]

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

Not mine but just came across this video of two bikers on RE Bullets traversing near the Zojila Pass.

This is extremely careless on the biker's part. First of all tailing those trucks with those massive rods hanging behind their b**t and on an incline is a dangerous and stupid thing to do. Second what was he thinking riding on the right corner in such slippery conditions. Typically the seasoned truckers in these routes know when its possible to give right of way for vehicles trailing them and they do it 9 out of 10 times religiously.

Originally Posted by One

As a guideline, how much distance would you recommend (even in a car) keeping in mind that you are also looking to overtake at some point

The guideline is quiet simple. You simply wait for them to let you pass. Zojilla pass is a nightmare even in the best of days. I speak out of experience. I have biked there 3 times so far and I can assure you, it doesn't get any easier. Safety is the only mantra that keeps you alive. Leave behind all the adrenalin in the plains. If you are planning a road trip to the hills, please consult the exhaustive posts in this forum and as well as https://www.bcmtouring.com/ which covers extensive travelogues from these parts

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by One

As a guideline, how much distance would you recommend (even in a car) keeping in mind that you are also looking to overtake at some point of time and the road might be similar for next couple of hours driving?

To many, this is an unacceptable truth: There is a slow vehicle in front of you, and it is impossible to pass, so what do you do? Answer: suck it up and go slowly. For as long as it takes.

how much distance would you recommend

Regardless of road or vehicle type, the position from which to overtake should never be right on the rear or quarter of the vehicle ahead. Very many people, two or four wheels, think it is. You don't have any view of the road ahead; normal stopping-distance rules still apply.

I don't think I have ever seen anything so stupid as this biker's attempt. True, I have no head for heights, and wouldn't like to even be on that road, but I would not want to walk past that truck, with that much space between me and a looong fall to death . Even if it was stationary.

Horrifying video!

[One]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Answer: suck it up and go slowly.

While I agree with you....

For as long as it takes.

I still don't like what you said

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

To many, this is an unacceptable truth: There is a slow vehicle in front of you, and it is impossible to pass, so what do you do? Answer: suck it up and go slowly. For as long as it takes.

Admission! It is one thing to preach and another to practice.

And, on an narrow urban road, only two days ago, I ran out of patience with the guy in front at 15-20kph.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by One

As a guideline, how much distance would you recommend (even in a car) keeping in mind that you are also looking to overtake at some point of time and the road might be similar for next couple of hours driving?

The standard 2-second rule always applies, but here I'd add the length of those rods (looks like about 8-10 metres long) to the 2-second rule. I'd take a decision to overtake only when it is safe to do so, and not looking to overtake at the first opportunity through the least possible gap.

[Bibendum90949]

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

One of them despite a forewarning by the other, purportedly tries to overtake a truck from the cliff side on that narrow stretch that's a wet dirt track and not exactly a road worth its name. In making this attempt the bike slips, bends with this biker to the right cliff side, towards the valley portion.

Wouldn't a 5-10 min break by those two bikers have been more prudent in such cases considering the overtaking was anyways tricky even after a while besides the risk of trailing that truck with rods sticking out. A break would've ensured the truck builds up a fair distance ahead and the danger of trailing it is averted too.

[anb]

A Wagon R decides to continue overtaking irrespective of oncoming traffic. The three vehicles almost came to stand still on narrow ghat road.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9hylk2Ee_U

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by anb

A Wagon R decides to continue overtaking irrespective of oncoming traffic. ...

It's a classic example of how wrong it is to just follow the car in front.

What an idiot, though, to force the issue even when you are already there. Moron.

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by One

As a guideline, how much distance would you recommend (even in a car) keeping in mind that you are also looking to overtake at some point of time and the road might be similar for next couple of hours driving?

In an ideal world, we'd be responsible for ensuring we have a clear view to pull into the overtaking lane, complete the maneuver and merge back safely, without having to make any sudden or dangerous moves.

Real world, we all end up taking calculated risks and assuming things; the other vehicle will let us pass without blocking us off, nobody will jump in front of us, we have enough space and poke to get ahead, you name it.

Sometimes the risk-taking and assumption-making works out, and we keep going. Sometimes they don't, and we end up with a near-miss or worse.

Either way, what we need to admit is WE took those risks and made those assumptions, so any consequences that ensue are ours to deal with, one way or another.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

Real world, we all end up taking calculated risks...

Either way, what we need to admit is WE took those risks and made those assumptions, so any consequences that ensue are ours to deal with, one way or another.

I wish people learnt to calculate before taking risks - when they get away without an untoward incident, the risk-taking is automatically called calculated. When something goes wrong, it's Lady Luck's fault, not one's own.

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

I wish people learnt to calculate before taking risks - when they get away without an untoward incident, the risk-taking is automatically called calculated. When something goes wrong, it's Lady Luck's fault, not one's own.

True. Nothing happens, until it does, and then it's someone else's responsbility. Won't think before, won't learn after

I don't wish harm on fellow road users. I just hope that when they inevitably commit suicide by automobile, the vehicle they use is NOT mine.

[StrikerK]

Being a Sunday morning and having a few things to shop for, for an upcoming get together, I entered the main road of Vijayawada in my dad's Santro (2020). This road is notoriously small for such a busy road and city buses are known to abruptly stop sometimes on passenger requests. I was behind one such bus on this unfortunate day and for whatever reason the bus halted in the middle of the road, and since I had a considerable gap, I braked to a stop a couple feet behind the bus. An idiot who doesn't know the concept of brakes, maintained his velocity and rammed into the rear right of the Santro.

I sat there for couple of seconds, not sure of what to do. Once I saw in the ORVM that the guy stood up fine, I slowly pulled the car to a side to assess the damage and check on this person.

http://youtu.be/JvwofSM0tl8

It was an young kid of around 15-16 years without a licence to drive. Enquired if he sustained any injuries, he said he might have sprained his right ankle, but was ok other than that, and a friend of his was coming to pick him up. Took a couple of pics, and his phone number and left the scene to follow up later, as I wasn't very good with such confrontational situations.

Need to visit the service centre to get a estimate of repair costs and see how much this kids family is willing to pay for the repair costs as I want to avoid applying for insurance to keep the NCB (unless they don't pay anything). In case they are not willing to pay for damages, I'm planning to file a complaint with available details. Not sure of where things are headed, but any suggestions how to deal with this kid's family to get the payment for damages is welcome.