[spadix]

Date and time: June 4, 2011. Around 8:15 pm.
Location: Here

I had just overtaken an auto whose driver doesn't have the words/phrases "brake", "downshift" and "move over" in his vocabulary. The road here has a decent gradient so you can imagine the plight of the auto.

Ahead of me was a bike (a TVS Victor if I remember correctly) with two people on-board. You can make out the (divided) road turning left. I saw the bike losing its line on the curve and heading towards the divider. Instinctively I took my foot off the accelerator and started to brake. I couldn't brake hard because there were vehicles behind me. I couldn't swerve left because of the uni-dimensional auto driver to my left and behind.

It was almost like watching in slow-motion. The bike hit the divider, the rider lost control. Sparks and flying dust. Bike on road in front of my car, momentum keeping it from falling under the car. It was time to brake hard, irrespective of whether I got rear-ended or not. I could hear tyre squeals behind me but it didn't matter. The bike stopped sliding. The pillion seemed unhurt as he got up and stood on the divider. I put on the hazard lights and got out of the car to see if I could help the rider who still didn't get up. But he slowly got up and starting righting the bike. I asked him if everything was alright. He was obviously shaken (and maybe drunk as well, by the look of his eyes) so it took some time for my question to register. He nodded he was alright and set off, minus the pillion who was still standing on the divider dazed.

I got into the car and was kind of shaking myself. Only half a foot or so separated my bumper from the bike. Thankfully no one had rear-ended us, despite all the drama of squealing tyres and frantic honking.

As we drove off, my wife was surprised to know why I hadn't given the bikers a piece of my mind. I was surprised to know she thought a scolding was in order. Obviously they lost control and fell/skidded. It could've happened to anyone on a bad day.

It was then I learnt why they lost control, and I should've guessed looking at the swollen mouth of the rider.

He had turned his face right hard to spit out the paan he was chewing. The momentum was enough to make the bike lose its line!

I was at a loss for words.

Regards,
spadix

[issigonis]

>>>

spadix,

In our country we should do what we do :

1. Squeeze into the space between any two vehicles - since our lives depend upon us reaching our destination quicker than Senna & Schumacher combined
2. Weave and overtake from the left
3. Drive/ride with the headlights 'head on'; use the horn as easily as we breathe
4. Stop if forced to, at a traffic signal; cross the signal when it is red for us
5. Stop on the zebra crossing
6. Drive at a sedate 20 kmph on the rightmost lane while talking on the cell
7. Behave as if all public spaces ( including roads, pavements, gardens/parks) are our personal property
8. Do not acknowledge our faults with grace
9. Bribe the traffic police
10. Spit betel juice wherever we feel like

If we do not follow these ten commandments, we are somehow, freaks.

Regards, drive safe, and enjoy 'Indian' driving

[ank1477]

Oh!....How I wish I could catch all the paan spitters and throw them in a deep well. It really makes my guts turn to have half the population spitting on the road whenever they are in the mood. God help us Indians!!!

[noopster]

Is that all? I have seen drivers open their doors and spit without bothering to check if there is traffic behind them. I sometimes imagine a car from behind taking off these right doors along with the heads of the spitters- that wouldn't be a pleasant sight would it?

I am glad you didn't get rear-ended because of this uncouth joker.

[mdsaab]

WHOA! that is insane.
All that cause he was spitting out the paan he was chewing.
I am really glad to hear that no one rear ended you. Trust me no one should have to go through that ordeal.
All in all you did the right thing the way you handled the situation.
But yes i guess your wife was right, because all this was due to the paan chewing and spitting they needed a piece of your mind. A good scolding and maybe even a kaan pakdo upaar neeche karo sort of thing. But then you didn't know all this was due to the paan.

When you drive or ride on the open road. you are responsible for the well being of other road users. Which includes other motorist, pedestrians as well as animals.
This needs to be explained to as many people as possible.
Maybe we can have some social service move by Team-BHP members in their respective cities to promote road safety and awareness.

[phamilyman]

laavlies - me agrees fully.

just one question - why didnt the hazard lights come on, the moment you saw them?

/I am extremely proactive with the hazard lights - even if in slight doubt

[ukderebail]

Another stupid way of meeting with an accident, with paan chewing. Good lesson to be learnt there. I was a witness to an accident on the NH4 towards Blore, i was returning from RTO KR Puram, i suddenly found a biker had overtaken a bus and banged an on coming truck. He had his earphone on, probably listening to music or talking. This must have caused him distraction. He was serious but there was some life in him. We stopped the car and threw caution to the winds on the highway, people were cursing don t jam the road. Well it was important that the bikers life had to be saved. Another biker joined and we put the victim on the back seat of the car, ambulance never turned up, one passed by stating he is attending another case of emergency. We took to the nearest private hospital they refused to admit him because there is no money to be made or rather no equipment in the hospital was the excuse rather. They guided to ITI hospital. Before we admitted the patient, he took his last breath, we were probably 10 minutes late. The doctor said patient bought dead will not be admitted. We had to wait for the police, before that 100's of his relatives assembled and hoping that he will live. He was a hero to his folks. But alas he was dead in my car, which acted as an ambulance. The cops arrived and i did not reveal my civil defence background. We answered the questions posed as ordinary citizen of the country. The SI asked me to turn up next day to the station. I went with my civil defence colleagues. The SI was apologetic, he said sir it was not required for you to come over. I said i just did my duty. The moral of the story, dont plug your earphone while riding, it can be a killer at times.

[libranof1987]

Turning around and spitting, taking the cell phone out of the pocket - all recipes for a humpty-dumpty fall on the road!

Originally Posted by noopster

Is that all? I have seen drivers open their doors and spit without bothering to check if there is traffic behind them.

I'm actually surprised at their audacity to open the door right in the middle of the road to spit!

Signals are the hot favourite for this activity and cab drivers rule the roost.

Originally Posted by mdsaab

But yes i guess your wife was right, because all this was due to the paan chewing and spitting they needed a piece of your mind. A good scolding and maybe even a kaan pakdo upaar neeche karo sort of thing. But then you didn't know all this was due to the paan.

He was even luckier the guy didn't claim that he was hit by the car. Try scolding them and there's quite a chance, it'll backfire.

There are couple of instances on T-BHP where riders have accused the first car behind them of being responsible for their fall.

[spadix]

Originally Posted by noopster

Is that all? I have seen drivers open their doors and spit without bothering to check if there is traffic behind them. I sometimes imagine a car from behind taking off these right doors along with the heads of the spitters- that wouldn't be a pleasant sight would it?

I am glad you didn't get rear-ended because of this uncouth joker.

Thanks, noopster!

I've seen many cab drivers do this, but thankfully not when they're negotiating a curve in the road. Maybe that day isn't too far, and we'll all just have to be more alert.

Originally Posted by mdsaab

I am really glad to hear that no one rear ended you. Trust me no one should have to go through that ordeal.
All in all you did the right thing the way you handled the situation.

Thanks, mdsaab! The first thing that crossed my mind as I drove off was your Chicca. I hope she's getting good treatment now.

Originally Posted by mdsaab

When you drive or ride on the open road. you are responsible for the well being of other road users. Which includes other motorist, pedestrians as well as animals.
This needs to be explained to as many people as possible.
Maybe we can have some social service move by Team-BHP members in their respective cities to promote road safety and awareness.

I've given up.

After this incident, a little further ahead I saw a mini-truck carrying some metal roads. The roads were longer than the load bay, so the tail gate was hanging down and covering the tail lights. I saw this contraption materialize in front of me on a 90-degree curve on a dark road with no street lights.

I'm sorry. I simply cannot fathom how to even begin disbursing this social service.

Originally Posted by phamilyman

just one question - why didnt the hazard lights come on, the moment you saw them?

Live and learn, I guess.

The whole thing lasted not more than 20 seconds.

Originally Posted by ukderebail

The moral of the story, dont plug your earphone while riding, it can be a killer at times.

That's some ordeal you had to go through, ukderebail. I pray for the biker's soul to RIP. I don't know the situation he was in but I know of many salesmen who have to constantly be on call and can't afford to stop or they'll miss their targets. Or take pizza delivery boys for instance. I for one make it a point not to take a delivery boy to task even if he's inordinately delayed.

I know of another instance where a young biker - brother of a good friend - met his tragic fate when he suffered a fall and was strangled by the cord of the earphones he was wearing.

Originally Posted by mdsaab

But yes i guess your wife was right, because all this was due to the paan chewing and spitting they needed a piece of your mind. A good scolding and maybe even a kaan pakdo upaar neeche karo sort of thing. But then you didn't know all this was due to the paan.

Originally Posted by libranof1987

He was even luckier the guy didn't claim that he was hit by the car. Try scolding them and there's quite a chance, it'll backfire.

There are couple of instances on T-BHP where riders have accused the first car behind them of being responsible for their fall.

You have your answer, mdsaab.

Regards,
spadix

[dot]

Originally Posted by spadix

Instinctively I took my foot off the accelerator and started to brake. I couldn't brake hard because there were vehicles behind me.

What saved this "bummer" of an incident from becoming any further mess was that you were fully alert.

This is what I call "predicting alertness": a key to driving on roads nowadays.

And you can thank your stars that BQ's rear end was untouched.

[odyssey045]

This reminds me of an incident that happened recently. I was travelling by my bike from office back to my house and it started raining badly along with some gusty winds. I took shelter by the side of the road waiting for the rain to cease.. There was this guy in a pulsar who was trying to beat the elements of nature and in his hurry, he skids right in the middle of the road.. sparks flare from the bike while he falls down.. A xylo coming right behind narrowly averted the fallen guy...

Shocked i approached him, to see if he was alright.. He gets up, looks first at the damage at his bike rather than himself and says " do you know if there is a mechanic shop nearby"!

[drmohitg]

While standing on a signal today I saw an I20 stop next to my car. The guy had put 2 national Flags on both sides of his front bumper just like the official govt cars. Now I have somehow never really understood this hyper sense of patriotism and infact I believe I read somewhere that its even illegal to sport the National Tricolour on your car. Anyways while I was busy with this thought process, a young guy around 30 sitting on the back seat of that I20 opened his door and vomited out a tank full of pan spit on the road. I seriously cannot tell how offensive and disgusting the site is. It just boiled my blood and against the sane advice of everyone I knocked on his now closed window to ask him some really uncomfortable questions. But alas the light turned green and we all moved on.

But seriously there has to be some action taken against these spit filled baboons. Infact I think we need a movement on the lines of that advertisement shown on TV for some scooter where they pick up a bottle thrown by a guy in the car and throw it back inside his car.

[traveloholic]

This is a regular feature we see on daily basis. I encounter these stupid species of Paan Chewing and Spitting without care guys on daily basis.

Today, I was about to get colored by one of these stupid creatures, I was driving to office on my bike and when notice that a passenger in the state transport bus put his head out, that was a signal that something was going to happen soon and I slowed down to notice the jerk spitting out loads and loads of his Paan Chewn Stuff on the road, that too without taking care if it would drench/fall on someone. Had I maintained my same pace, I would have had to return back home cursing that person with a yuck feeling all over.

[ghodlur]

Its not just spitting pan but any kinds of spitting that puts me off and more often spitting from a moving vehicle makes my blood boil. And its not the illiterates but a majority of the so called "educated class" who do it more often.

One harsh solution, stop the vehicle and ask the spitter to clean the area where he spitted just like asking the dog owner to pick up the poop. I am sure the person would think twice before spitting again.

[mdsaab]

You bet i got my answer there.
I didn't think of it that way. and it's good you dealt with the situation the way you did.
Drive Safe!
I know you do!