[selfdrive]

That does make sense. With the authorities showing that inertia can exist despite external forces, not most but all are happy that something has been done.

Perhaps we should expect to start paying our taxes to corporates if they are going to be expected to take up such issues?

Anyway, enough said and ranted. Are you here during Diwali in which case will you please check the tapri meet thread?

[sajo]

Originally Posted by selfdrive

Its like putting a band aid for 10 minutes on a fractured limb, and then being happy that we have done something about it.

Very well said sir!

Also, a generation (or two) of Punekars have been brought up with the teaching of being completely self reliant for their transport, and it will be hard to change that mentality.
For example, I am at some stop in Kothrud at 8.30 , hoping to make it to my workplace in Shivajinagar by 9 , there is just no guarantee that it would happen with the help of a bus. PMPML should make a conscious effort to improve the reliability and dependability of their service , if mass adoption is expected.

PS : I dont like travelling by bus.

PPS : I do it anyway for economic reasons.

[noopster]

I am against tokenism in general so the bus day passed by with me firmly ensconced in the driver's seat. But a colleague of mine was quite happy with his experience, said it cost him 17.50 to get from Kothrud depot to Hinjewadi Ph 2 (to put it in perspective, the company transport for one off usage is 100/-), a young conductor thanked him when he paid in exact change, there was enough space in the bus and it was a comfortable and quick ride overall.

There is no point being cynical about such initiatives. I agree with Sajo: it is going to take a lot to shake people out of their mindsets (self included, have not set foot in a PMPML bus...ever! Though I have regularly used BEST as a student and even later).

Bus Day showed how things could be. It is going to take a lot to get from here to there, but at least it's a start, and needs to be appreciated as such.

[padikpanther]

I opted to try this mode of transport yesterday. From my place (Hingne Khurd) off Sinhagad Rd to my office near Salunke Vihar, it was easy, although had to change 2 buses + approximately 10 mins of walking. In the evening everything had gone for a toss. In the morning it was funny to watch a 'Vajra' bus almost crawling and even cyclists overtaking it...

[anilisanil]

WOW! Long time!!

After taking up that sus-nande-hinjewadi route as a "daily driver" all my rants disappeared and for some reasons I was completely off TBHP, now back. Only to find that there was a "bus day" recently. blink blink!

this gave me a feeling of outcast!! Jeez! what have I done to myself!

[selfdrive]

Originally Posted by noopster

I am against tokenism in general so the bus day passed by with me firmly ensconced in the driver's seat.

Against tokenism yes. And even more so when done for the launch of an English daily from a publishing group that has strong political connections. Whoever thought of the idea though to build the brand has a good sense of creating general awareness though.

Originally Posted by anilisanil

WOW! Long time!!

oh, new to BHP? put up an introductory thread. we have forgotten you around these parts. Not forgotten your Figo though!

Originally Posted by padikpanther

In the evening everything had gone for a toss. In the morning it was funny to watch a 'Vajra' bus almost crawling and even cyclists overtaking it...

The problem here saar is many of us daily commuters even ditch the car in favour of a bike to avoid getting stuck on narrow roads with huge vehicles. If I am going to get stuck in traffic, I would at least be reliably stuck in a car. Rather than waiting for a bus which I dont know if and when it will arrive. Public transport systems work on reliability and reach. If I know for sure the bus is going to arrive in x minutes, I dont mind waiting. Oh, and this is even before I get to the part where my shoes get stomped all over by others and when I get off the bus I look like I have just come out of a 10 minute spin cycle in the washing machine (in terms of the creases). I am sure some of us will switch to public transport if we get the reliability part fixed.

I think it is high time we (actually our employers!) start giving serious thought to work from home. I dont see what extra I contribute by commuting everyday to wherever my workplace is. The work I do is the same and any interaction I have is only with people who are not in India.

Edit: getting back to topic. Is it just me or does anyone else notice that people honk more on their way to work on Mondays? is it a case of Monday blues or just that everyone is late after the weekend laze?

[voodoochild]

I've been wanting to rant about this for a while now, but today (as if a regular Monday morning isn't bad enough) the morons just got my goat!

There seems to be a sudden spate of overtaking at speedbreakers in Pune. Especially by the rockstars in small cars. Here's how its done:

1) Trail a slow-moving large vehicle wallowing in the rightmost lane for a while.

2) Try but get fed up of doing the typical Puneri staccato 5-minute honk (to the beat of Munni ki Jawaani ringing in your head maybe?), and you cant wait to get ahead.

3) Wallowing bus slows even more at a speedbreaker.

4) You immediately do a perfectly rev-matched shift, and swerve into the oncoming lane to do a very cleverly calculated overtaking maneouver that Kimi would applaud.

5) Oh yeah, did I mention the speedbreaker? Well, OOPS, you retard! Now uncontrollable bounce and loss of steerability. Confused whether to continue the overtaking or tuck back behind the bus? I DONT CARE! AND GET OUT OF MY LANE!!

This invariably happens at all of the million-and-one speedbreakers from University Circle to Bavdhan. Invariably. Every single day.

Now what if we start spotting TBHP stickers on these cars

[selfdrive]

^^ Also seen on Law college road, where there are multiple extra lanes created on the oncoming side. It is high time that this road sees a divider all through. Anyone coming out from the myriad by lanes would have to then go up to the signal and take a u turn instead of blocking all the traffic.

Oh, by the way I would not expect stickers to have any magical properties to remove/ reduce stupidity or urgency. Even if they are tbhp stickers.
Moreover, I dont understand what a slow poke heavy vehicle is doing in the fast lane. I know the road you mention and yes, it is possible for a heavy vehicle to stay to the left if the driver tried in the first place. The problem with the speedbreakers on this road is that they are so badly built that its difficult to anticpate for one off travellers. I do agree that usual commuters should know how bad they are!

[voodoochild]

Originally Posted by selfdrive

Oh, by the way I would not expect stickers to have any magical properties to remove/ reduce stupidity or urgency. Even if they are tbhp stickers.

Oh no no, I actually meant the bad drivers with the TBHP stickers. This has quite a few such dudes.

Originally Posted by selfdrive

Moreover, I dont understand what a slow poke heavy vehicle is doing in the fast lane. I know the road you mention and yes, it is possible for a heavy vehicle to stay to the left if the driver tried in the first place.

Ha, if I had one gandhi for the number of times I've got no response for flashing my lights at the wallowers, I'd be a millionaire! I've learnt the trick of angling my headlight so that the flashed high-beam targets their ORVM. STILL NO RESPONSE!

Originally Posted by selfdrive

The problem with the speedbreakers on this road is that they are so badly built that its difficult to anticpate for one off travellers. I do agree that usual commuters should know how bad they are!

First there were just two outside DRDO, those funny ones made of yellow and black humped tiles. Then they started falling off like my grandma's teeth. So, of course, the friendly corporator (or whoever has my tax money for breakfast) decided to very 'scientifically' patch them up. Now they're all over the place! And the ones outside Aditya Shagun Mall and MotoCafe! Who the hell patches up a speedbreaker by making humps ON TOP of it man, WHO!!!! Oh yeah, there's a political goon pictured on the beautifully illuminated and oh-so-not-dangerous barricade in the middle of the road outside DRDO. Its like they WANT us to hit his face with our vehicles!

And no, these chaps arent one-off travellers. I see the same rascals' faces every morning. They're more familiar to me than my coffee mug

Next up: High beams - The light of my life!

[noopster]

@voodoochild- I agree 100%. On a related note, those 2 unmarked speed breakers on the University-Pashan road are death traps. I have myself soared above at least one of them when returning home late since they are just not visible till you are almost on top of them. Have seen not one but TWO cases of bikers lying on the road badly hurt or worse on Friday nights in the past couple of months. If the authorities want fewer vehicles on the road, this is certainly not the way to go about it!

[radek]

Originally Posted by selfdrive

Against tokenism yes. And even more so when done for the launch of an English daily from a publishing group that has strong political connections. Whoever thought of the idea though to build the brand has a good sense of creating general awareness though.

Edit: getting back to topic. Is it just me or does anyone else notice that people honk more on their way to work on Mondays? is it a case of Monday blues or just that everyone is late after the weekend laze?

One advantage of this tokenism is, many people actually checked if there exists a bus route from their home to office, which route number etc. Now if their car goes for an extended service, they know how to go to office in bus if there is no alternative car.

BTW, Sakal Times was launched few years back. It is not very popular like its Marathi version. Sakal group regularly organises different events, most of these targeted at Marathi crowd except for Sakal exhibition. But this is the first time they used event to promote Sakal Times (which anyway requires all the marketing it can get). All events have some sponsor or other anyway.

And yes, even I think, on Monday mornings drivers are bit more pushy.

Similarly, on Pune-Mumbai express highway, in morning time, most of drivers stick to middle lane. But in the evening, everyone wants to push through right most lane.

[voodoochild]

Have you ever felt a bit dazed, found it a bit hard to focus your eyes quick enough after a hard day staring at a computer? You hang around a bit after work, have a few coffees or whatever your poison is, and ride home. And it most probably is at dusk, that awkward time of day where you dont know whether to turn on your headlight or not.
But the choice is made for you: Rascals (probably the same ones from post 1432) decide that high-beams can prolong the sunlight just a bit more. Bright computer monitors, low light driving conditions and halogen/xenon headlights in your face...I personally find this most perturbing! And the foglights!! Isnt the word FOG there for a reason? Or does it mean just the stuff inside their heads?

On that note, happy "deepa"vali to one and all!!! May your daily homeward exodus be illuminated by the light of a thousand suns! "Hella" does mean sun no?

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by voodoochild

I've been wanting to rant about this for a while now, but today (as if a regular Monday morning isn't bad enough) the morons just got my goat!

You seem to be on a rant-ing mood today.

1) Trail a slow-moving large vehicle wallowing in the rightmost lane for a while.

IMO this habit of driving on the right-most lane is the biggest issue. And all of us do it - not only buses & trucks. I remember a very dumb (senior) colleague, very proudly stating that he maintains speed limits (40kmph) and always on the right-most lane. No-one knew what was the point he was making!

[shreeps]

Originally Posted by voodoochild

Have you ever felt a bit dazed, found it a bit hard to focus your eyes quick enough after a hard day staring at a computer? You hang around a bit after work, have a few coffees or whatever your poison is, and ride home. And it most probably is at dusk, that awkward time of day where you dont know whether to turn on your headlight or not.
But the choice is made for you: Rascals (probably the same ones from post 1432) decide that high-beams can prolong the sunlight just a bit more. Bright computer monitors, low light driving conditions and halogen/xenon headlights in your face...I personally find this most perturbing! And the foglights!! Isnt the word FOG there for a reason? Or does it mean just the stuff inside their heads?

On that note, happy "deepa"vali to one and all!!! May your daily homeward exodus be illuminated by the light of a thousand suns! "Hella" does mean sun no?

Here's wishing you and everyone else on the forum a very happy deepavali as well. Well, I'd rather have people with their headlights on (whether high beam or low beam) at dusk than the morons who refuse to switch on even their parking lights till its pitch dark.
The "I only know High Beam" type of folks sure are irritating on the highways though.

[voodoochild]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

You seem to be on a rant-ing mood today.

Haha yes! Working on weekends, monday morning blues and goat-getting don't go down well with me.

Forget the lane-hogging, I think people need to be educated on how to even TURN their cars! This self-same goat-getting morning, I encountered a a beautiful Ford Ikon staring at me. In my lane. With its lights on. The guy was coming in the opposite direction, and wanted to turn into the petrol bunk on my left. So he was in my lane. Lights on means I in turn move into his lane? Whats the logic, seriously?

Ok, I'll go away now!!