[adisan]

To answer the exact question - no. I regularly see many large vehicles being driven with courtesy and poise.

In my observation, bullying has never been about the size of the vehicle, but the way it is driven. As soon as I spot an impatient driver, I do my best to give way safely, while also indicating my intentions.

[Bala02]

My reaction depends on my mood, the occupants or co-passengers in the car, the type of vehicle that tries to bully me, and the location where I am. Generally, I prefer to go unnoticed on the highway, and I am a non-confrontational person. I always keep in mind that most drivers on Indian roads are not familiar with basic driving etiquette.

I usually avoid confronting vehicles with political flags, Omni buses, especially government buses, and taxi drivers in yellow board. Any confrontation with these individuals can quickly escalate and lead to unwanted situations. I also avoid confronting local village people on two-wheelers in state highways

When I feel that someone's driving style is unsafe, I ensure that I lose that person on the highway. Allowing them to tail us or tailing them increases the probability of a crash.

That being said, when I see other normal vehicles, even if they honk, I stick to my lane and maintain a speed of around 100 km/h. I always enjoy cruising around the 100 km/h mark. If they want, they can overtake me.

The only place where I lose my cool or refuse to budge an inch is the toll lanes. Highways often have multiple lanes for a single toll booth. Here, I ensure that I am assertive enough to keep my spot and not let anybody cut me off. Lately I also see a difference in the way people treat me in highways after upgrading to a Nexon from wagonr. Personally I have not changed my driving style, infact I have become more sedate with Nexon, but I think the type of vehicle we drive also determines how other people react.

Otherwise, I mainly try to have a hassle-free drive and not expect chivalry from other cars on the road. I do my best not to lose my cool and spoil my mood. Instead, I play some nice Ilayaraja tunes and stay in my zone.

[dhanushs]

The bigger vehicle always takes up more space and most of the time, gives visibility and safety advantage. So bullying would be so easy for a bigger vehicle.

So, I think the relevant question here would be - If you have a larger vehicle, do you intimidate/bully other vehicles on road, knowingly or not.

[Bala02]

Originally Posted by dhanushs

The bigger vehicle always takes up more space and most of the time, gives visibility and safety advantage. So bullying would be so easy for a bigger vehicle.

So, I think the relevant question here would be - If you have a larger vehicle, do you intimidate/bully other vehicles on road, knowingly or not.

Reminds me of the quote from Spiderman, "With great power comes great responsibility"

My personal opinion is that most SUVs on Indian roads have a sense of entitlement and I know people who own vehicles with 4 wheel drive just for their status and no intention of ever driving in an off-road terrain.

[WorkingGuru]

No. IMO The culture here in Bangalore Traffic is quite the opposite.

Here we're afraid of the smaller vehicles (bikers, old Indica cabbies and auto rickshaw fellows)! Because if they scrape our vehicle out of their own fault, they have nothing expensive to lose & don't react at all. But if we honk at them and get pushy to create space, they come out grudging at us asif we're worse people than British Colonists!

IMO the bigger car guy here will likely be more compliant and will just calmly sit in the car staying composed till humanly possible.

Its sometimes ironic how people feel that they're buying big cars for social clout, and then you see their vehicle get shouted upon by Auto-rickshaw drivers!

[self_driven]

Originally Posted by DCEite

Do you give way to a honking larger vehicle in the rear view mirror even if you are on the fastest lane and driving in the upper band of speed limit ?

Yes.

Do you feel threatned and move leftwards when you see a vehicle larger than your's approaching head on on an undivided road (sometimes, crossing the marked barrier) ?

Yes.

Do you feel that a larger vehicle(mostly white or black color SUVs) is/must be driven by a Local politician/Gunda/Overnight rich urban villager and you must treat him with certain respect on the road ?

Yes.

Do you feel you are bullied on the road if you are driving a small car and people "judge" you even on the roads ?

Yes.

I come from the crime capital of India. So this was like the easiest questionnaire of my life!

On a serious note, the streets here are filled with unemployed rich people having fragile egos. People like me, who are neither unemployed nor rich, let them pass and maintain a good distance. It's always the safer thing to do. And not to forget it makes for a good show in slow moving traffic if they're right ahead of you and meet another unemployed rich who won't budge!

[SaurAswale]

I usually drive on single/double lane roads in MH. Initially, I used to get intimidated by bigger vehicles or honking from rear and go off the tarmac to give space.
Then my father taught me. If they want to overtake, they can do when they think it is safe or go offroad, no need to give space. But I do slow down if I feel they're tailgating too close to my comfort. For vehicles coming from front on narrow road, STOP at edge of tarmac, they will find their way to go past. Don't try to squeeze the vehicle from gap.

I don't get intimidated by buses. In Maharashtra, drivers are well trained and we trust them.

[rkv_2401]

I think in addition to the added visibility, there's a cause and effect scenario - drivers of bigger vehicles are usually politicians/goons and drive aggressively, so I've kind of developed an innate distrust when I see one in my ORVM. There are exceptions like, say, Ford Endeavour drivers, but generally anyone can drive any vehicle aggressively and that's the more important factor IMO. That being said, I definitely give way to mid-size SUV or larger vehicles anytime I see one on my scooter - it's just not worth the risk to me.

P.S. People definitely do treat you differently based on the type of vehicle you drive in India. I drive slower in my low-slung '04 Elantra than the Vento, but angry people actually get way angrier for some reason when I'm driving that.

[revsperminute]

It all depends on the time and and the place.

In Mumbai Western Suburb traffic, I get bullied by autos and scooters even while driving my GLE.

But then on the highways, I see most cars making way for me when they see my car in the rear view mirror.

Some things remain constant though , I’ll let a state bus overtake me even if I’m driving a tank.


This effect we’re discussing here is very real, road presence is a huge reason we get drawn to certain cars. It also makes a difference when driving on moderately populated roads. One doesn’t find themselves slowing down and changing lanes over right lane hoggers or slow traffic.

[GTO]

It's amazing how the behaviour of other road users changes based on the car that I'm driving. And to be honest, my own driving style is different too.

When I'm out in either of my two Jeeps (Thar & Classic), no one cuts me. If we're approaching a gap or junction together, the other vehicle will always give way. Because no one gets too close, and I myself am not worried about nicks / dents on the Jeeps, driving them in Bombay is a very calm, fuss-free exercise.

However, when I'm out in the 530d, everyone cuts me. Forget buses & commercial vehicles, even motorcycles & cyclists cut me. Everyone is well aware of the delicate nature of luxury cars, their expensive parts and that owners won't risk even a small scratch. I keep a good safety margin (gaps) all around the car, never getting too close to anyone.

The driving experience is the complete opposite in these types of cars.

[vigsom]

Whichever vehicle I am in, I always view through the ORVM the way a car/two wheeler is being driven/ridden, and give way suitably. There have been hatchbacks and sedans driven dangerously (one of the worst here was a TN58 registered Ciaz when I was moving uphill to Kodaikanal), bikes sporting irritating LED lights, ridden by some rider groups in full gear, whom I let pass ASAP. I don't even know how such rider groups get away with such violations.

Intimidating - yes. I've always invariably been "respectful" to Ford Endeavours and the 2012-16 Fortuners. Others than what's been described here - I don't care!

[montsa007]

I don't as its all about personal choice & comfort, however when I see a big SUV a few questions do pop up in my mind,
-How does he/she manage to drive it in Mumbai Traffic?
-How does he/she manage to park it in tight spots?

There are a few cars which have my respect,
-Mini Cooper
-Audi Sedans (Not the SUV's)
-Mitsubishi Lancers (A rare sighting now a days)

[Dr.Procastinate]

Originally Posted by DCEite

Notice the emphasis on "you" in the thread topic. This is to say what is Your individual reaction to bullying by bigger vehicles on road (example, butch looking SUVs, trucks,buses, tempo travellers and so on) on the road. The topic is not on what the general perception is.

How does it affect you ?

Do you give way to a honking larger vehicle in the rear view mirror even if you are on the fastest lane and driving in the upper band of speed limit ?

Do you feel threatned and move leftwards when you see a vehicle larger than your's approaching head on on an undivided road (sometimes, crossing the marked barrier) ?

Do you feel that a larger vehicle(mostly white or black color SUVs) is/must be driven by a Local politician/Gunda/Overnight rich urban villager and you must treat him with certain respect on the road ?

Do you feel you are bullied on the road if you are driving a small car and people "judge" you even on the roads ?

How do you react as a person to bullying by larger vehicles (compared to yours) on Indian roads ?

Well, It is all on the other person in the equation, the bully, that determines the way I react.

I usually err on the side of caution and give way to people who drive aggressively, but there are a few instances where I stood my ground, mostly because the other person was irrational or repetitively harassing me during the journey.

I do feel intimidated at times by SUVs and a few KTM/RE motorbikes driven aggressively and do not take chances with people driving a large white SUV. especially the ones equipped with a flag pole though. As for the 'respect' aspect of it, no I don't think such cars require special respect. Just because I drive a Swift doesn't mean that I have to bow down to a Scorpio or Fortuner just because the driver thinks he has the bigger vehicle and can do as he pleases. I move away just because I don't want to hurt my car and my fellow passengers, not because I think the person driving the other car is somehow superior to me or other road users.

There is also a special kind of bulling that happens when you drive a vehicle registered in another state/UT. Many people try to cut me off when I drive my bike (TN reg) but the incidence rapidly reduces when heading out in a friends bike (PY reg) of a similar model .

[SoumenD]

On highways, yes. Infact in a recent trip had to drive after dusk due to unavoidable circumstances(I always avoid driving after dark on highways) and the Safaris/Scorpios/Fortuners/XUVs made it a horrible experience. Not all but many tend to come pretty close from behind and flash their big white lights & honk non-stop literally scaring the daylights out of you even if they see you are overtaking a truck on the left and have no space to move out of the lane. Its more of bullying than they actually being in a hurry.

Hence, I always stick to middle lane as much as possible to avoid them and anyways am not doing break-neck triple digit speeds, nor am too slow at sub 60kmph. Maintain 80-90kmph usually. In situations when there's a slow moving truck hogging up the middle-lane, one has to shift to the faster lane to overtake & in such cases I do increase my speed to finish the maneuver quickly & not block the impatiently fast biggies. Day time its not much of a problem but once its dark they make it miserable for smaller cars. So I usually give way if there's space. I have all the time in world to give way to everyone provided there's space

In city, SUVs or bigger vehicles are usually not a problem but the autorickshaws are. I feel these Auto folks don't consider their vehicles an inch wider than a scooter & hence try to squeeze in from left-right-center and keep honking relentlessly. And if there is more than a few second delay in your giving them way, they start abusing you or worse, hit your car in order to pick up a fight. Absolute hooligans who I hate the most on our city roads.

[DCEite]

Originally Posted by SoumenD

Its more of bullying than they actually being in a hurry.

I think there is some psychology at play here. In an evolutionary context, there are both selective advantages to being large (20). Large body size tends to being large or having "larger" posssions (and our cars are an extensions of our own personality on roads) and associated with higher fecundity, reproductive success in male vs. male competition, greater protection against predators, and ability to combat cold climates.

Hence, psychologically it is wired for both the receiving party to be somewhat (even if we don't admit), to be indimidated and also the offending party to feel "entitled" for being "bigger" (apparantly) on the road where everyone else is a target or "enemy" (In evolutionary context this is related to mating but then that is a different topic altogether).

Having said that, we Indians particularly feel "entitled" for a lot of things and humbleness is only our outward or "fake" nature, whereas infact we are one of the most egoistic and "entitled" specious on earth.