[swiftnfurious]

I remembered an incident that happened an year or two back when I was in Bangalore. I was sitting in my friends car parked near a medical shop while his wife was getting some medicines. Suddenly my friends said "Sh&*" looking at the IRVM and opened the door and got out. I was wondering what happened and got out to see a guy in his 60s fallen down from a scooty. My friend and some others helped him get up and he was pretty drunk too. Looks like he lost balance while getting on a speed breaker.

Luckily, he didn't hit his head and had just some bruises. We took him in the car while my friend's wife rode his bike to his home. He was quite apologetic thru out till we reached his home. His wife saw us supporting him to walk and started crying. We were invited to his house and while we spent some time there, the lady explained the reasons.

Looks like his son who was in early 30s passed away due to a heart attack (just 1 year into marriage) and from then, he started drinking heavily. He was employed with a good public sector company too. We were given very nice coffee and was invited to lunch too the next day, though we politely declined it.

Felt quite bad for the guy for his way too early loss.

[chakri400]

Originally Posted by jayded

One thing that irritates me the most while on road is when you are waiting at a signal and as soon as the light turns green, the vehicles behind you start honking. What are we supposed to do in such situations? Levitate the vehicle so they can pass from under? I'm not joking, but people have gotten used to this behavior so much that on couple of instances I've seen even the guys waiting at the "pole positions" honking before taking off.

I just came back from a week long trip to Hyderabad and I noticed this behaviour. There is certain sense of arrogance in the traffic - don't expect anyone to yield. The one who can nudge his nose ahead owns the right of way. No offence to hyderabadis (I am one myself). I find Bangalore traffic more disciplined if not the best.

[Santoshbhat]

Originally Posted by jayded

One thing that irritates me the most while on road is when you are waiting at a signal and as soon as the light turns green, the vehicles behind you start honking. What are we supposed to do in such situations? Levitate the vehicle so they can pass from under?

I'm not joking, but people have gotten used to this behavior so much that on couple of instances I've seen even the guys waiting at the "pole positions" honking before taking off.

Honking before the signal turns green is a very common occurance these days. Its almost as if the guys behind (who are watching the countdown timer) want the front liners to start their car and move to first gear and get on to half clutch for a quick getaway as soon as it turns green, so that the back markers can make it before it turns red again.

The pole position honkers are actually honking at the cop who is manning the signal. Pressure tactics

[selfdrive]

yesterday, on my way home from work I volunteered to drop a colleague enroute. We were slowly chugging away at around 30 clicks in my nano on the middle lane of a 6 lane road.

the left lane was occupied by for-hire tempos and I chose to leave the right lane free for anyone who wanted to overtake me. At an intersection, a few bikers decided to join in from our right side. Except one all of them stayed in the fast lane. One of them decided do channelise his inner 'Rossi' ness and cut his way across the small nose of our nano and moved into the middle lane

I stood on the brake and the Nano saved its own nose and the biker from an orthopaedic ward. Before I could even think of any abuses, the biker turned around and looked at us (both guys, neither pretty enough) before straightening the bike. Once he did that, he turned back, raised his hand in an apologetic manner and then blew us a couple of flying kisses

yes, you read that right. It would have been so funny if he would not have been driving like such a moron in the first place!

[condor]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

Honking before the signal turns green is a very common occurance these days. Its almost as if the guys behind (who are watching the countdown timer) want the front liners to start their car ..

Actually, there is this category of front liners who "fall asleep" at the signal, since it is a "long" time before they get a green again

[Santoshbhat]

Originally Posted by condor

Actually, there is this category of front liners who "fall asleep" at the signal, since it is a "long" time before they get a green again

I've seen some guys who just miss the green signal using the opportunity to shop for some daily items! The biggest gain is that you don't have to hunt for parking space.

[KarthikK]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

The pole position honkers are actually honking at the cop who is manning the signal. Pressure tactics

You're right. I've seen this a lot of times - the guys who honk at signals, especially cabbies in Indicabs/TTs at the front, do it to remind the cop manning the intersection that there are other sides waiting for a green signal!

I was once at the head of Silk board signal and there was this chap in a Santro honking incessantly behind me. I looked back and gave him a glare; then he gestured to me that he was honking at the cop (to let our side go through quickly), not honking at me!

[Soumyajit9]

Originally Posted by selfdrive

yesterday, on my way home from work I volunteered to drop a colleague enroute ...... Before I could even think of any abuses, the biker turned around and looked at us (both guys, neither pretty enough) before straightening the bike. Once he did that, he turned back, raised his hand in an apologetic manner and then blew us a couple of flying kisses

That is one helluva of a funny experience.

Possible scenarios:
- Your another colleague from work, trying to tempt you for a race ;-)
- A bike falling in love with a Nano.
- Someone openly trying to violate Supreme Court Order !!!

[sajo]

Originally Posted by selfdrive

Once he did that, he turned back, raised his hand in an apologetic manner and then blew us a couple of flying kisses

Ohh you modest man, didnt it occur to you it could be down to your moviestar looks ?
The biker must be not a true Punekar, given that he felt apologetic and all.

[selfdrive]

Originally Posted by Soumyajit9

Possible scenarios:
- Your another colleague from work, trying to tempt you for a race ;-)
- A bike falling in love with a Nano.
- Someone openly trying to violate Supreme Court Order !!!

Soumyajit
1. No, I am the first to leave office. Nobody else leaves for another hour at the least!
2. not so sure
3. I hope not!

Originally Posted by sajo

Ohh you modest man, didnt it occur to you it could be down to your moviestar looks ?

Yes sajo, moviestar looks indeed. the same as a villain (who has to use a wig) from one of our vernacular movies.
Inbuilt grumpiness and permanent scowls add to the feature set

[Dry Ice]

Today morning, saw an elderly gentleman trying to reverse his car in a narrow service lane. Maybe entered the wrong lane. I was waiting patiently till the time he completed his turn and moved the other way. Got a nice smile and wave from him (!!). Acknowledged but it was totally unexpected. I kept thinking what triggered the reaction! Maybe coz of me waiting patiently without honking and stuff?

Anyway, a good start to the day!

[Hart-BEAT]

Once during my travel from Bangalore to Goa, my car was somewhere near Chitradurga where we spotted a whole row of windmills on the hilltop. My wife who is a nature lover and into natural photography ordered the vehicle to a full halt on the unpaved edge of the highway and she moved out to take snaps. While she set off to 'work', I noticed that an empty cola can from yesterday is still sitting in the dash board cup holder. Mistaking the nearby storm water drain as garbage pit, I callously tossed the can out of the car. After a few minutes my wife came back and noticed the can littering the place. After taking her seat she looked at me and said " Can you believe that some idiots come to half way to Goa only to litter the place". I thought she was being sarcastic, knowing that I have done it. However, as she continued to rant, I realised that she had no idea that I was the perpetrator. It was really hard for me to keep a straight face all the way to Hubli!!

[selfdrive]

During the untimely rains a few days ago
I was driving back home on Nagar road, when I noticed a scooty being tailed by two bikes. I pulled up along side them at the signal and scowled at the bikers. Meanwhile another lady on an Activa pulled up beside me. I don’t know if it was my scowl, but the bikers scattered away.

I then noticed that the lady riding pillion on the scooty had a problem with the zipper on her back. Perhaps that was the reason she was being followed. I requested the Activa lady to tell the scooty lady of this, so she could correct it. To my horror the Activa lady plain refused.
So this is what is called a dilemma.

Thoughts raced across my head. A guy would never leave another guy in such a situation. I have been in numerous situations on either side as the giver or beneficiary where one points to the other to shut shop or fly or whatever

I opened the driver side window further, honked and shouted to the scooty driver. I asked him to let the lady ride the scooty. At first he was a bit lost and didn’t understand, but at the second glance he got it. Thankfully they pulled aside and were last seen switching seats.

I still wonder why that lady would not help out another lady

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by selfdrive

....I still wonder why that lady would not help out another lady

Most of the time, it's that "It's none of my business" mindset. What they don't think is "What if it were me?". The new style of busy life & flat life has taken off quite a bit of our sensitive part.

[ontheroad]

Originally Posted by selfdrive

I still wonder why that lady would not help out another lady

A similar kind of incident I have seen many times in buses.

Only men stand up give seat to pregnant or ladies with babies in buses. This I have seen a couple of times in KSRTC buses in last three months