[prabuddhadg]

Got quite a scare today. I was driving up Tulsi Pipe Road and had got under the Elphinstone flyover. At one stretch, its one way and you drive in the same direction on both sides of the street under the flyover. I was driving down along the right lane (in order to take a right for Bombay Dyeing) following about 10 metres behind a Qualis, both moving at 30kmph. All of a sudden, the qualis jammed on its brakes and swerved to the right as it came to a halt. As it was slowing down, I saw for a moment looking through under the qualis, a dog or something (I thought for a moment) tumbling ahead of the vehicle. At the same time, I heard a number of voices yelling. A trifle alarmed, I slowly inched up to the qualis. The driver looked very perturbed and was unsurely opening his door and beginning to step out.
It was then that I saw someone had picked up a small boy from in front of the qualis. Though he had definitely come in hard contact with the front bumper, and was crying piteously (anyone would after tumbling in front of a big car on a concrete road), his bones looked OK. He got up and tottered to the side. He looked to be a pavement dweller's child, not more than 10 years of age.
I do not know what went wrong. Maybe he had a fight with his ma and ran off to escape her beating. Maybe he did not expect a vehicle to come in from the right side of the road.
Whatever be the case, it felt eerie to even stay on at the site. Pretty shaken, I slowly made my way to office.
Made me think, that I was not murderer material. You hear of people driving trucks over their victims and making sure the face is unrecognisable. I wonder how they do it. I still feel queer just writing this.

[drifter]

Those slums lining that stretch should be removed at once....i've seen far too many accidents taking place over there. These kids are always running around as if it was a playground. Their parents should keep a watch over them atleast.

Once on a rainy night, i was coming down that stretch at around 50kmph...out of nowhere an old man decided to cross the road without even looking out for traffic, it was too late to brake, swerved around him and almost lost control but thankfully didnt hit anything on the road.

Have learnt to restrict speeds on that stretch ever since and more so in the rains.

Drifter

[aZa]

I've heard ppl say things like these slum dewellers purposely do such things like coming in front of the car and all to earn a quick buck of people driving.

[Nitin]

Damn! thats a scary situation to be in.It happened to me once in Bangalore. I was driving near the National games Village in Koramangala,and out of nowhere, two men ran across the street.I was doing about 50-60kmph,and I'm glad my dad's Opel Astra had new brake pads, coz i had to literally pump the brakes to avoid hitting the second joker!! Both of them stood shivering, when they heard the screech from the tyres,and they seem to be quite shaken.... Guess some people need to learn this things the hard way!!!

[ECM]

Full credits to Toyota Qualis coz it is one of the car-suv available on road which has the best braking system hence boy saved.

[shiva_cool87]

My sad story,
I was driving on 80 ft rd somewhere near HRBR lyt,around 60kmph and all of a sudden a bus came inbetween,i had no other options left except to slam the brakes and steer to the left where Three guys where standing (to cross road i believe),my car stopped in front of them.Even though I did not hit anyone,one guy(drunk,with extremely good physique)came and started to pick up a quarrel and asked me get down of the car,I got down with no fear(because there's no mistake from my side)and some auto guys came and settled the silly issue.I was really frustrated.

[kb100]

LUcky kid.. and irresponsible parents!.. IN fact there should be an enire thread dedicated on responsible parenting... viz road/traffic etc..

I routinely see parents walking on the kerb/side of the road keeping the child towards the road and flow of traffic!!.. What kind of sense is that!!

[autozealot]

aza and ecm I fully agree with you. To make a quick buck these urchins try all sorts of things.

And yes, Qualis has got one of the best brakes, its true

az

[revharder]

i faced such a situation when we were using a padmini car!
was crossing the red-light when it was green at a city speed of about 40-45kmph. mine was the only car going in that direction and suddenly a slum-kid jumped on road and tried to cross the road before me!

man, with such a brilliant car under my feet and rows of slums on both sides of road, i was like, i am dead!
but somehow managed to stop before hitting the kid and he ran away laughing, and was watching me geting busted!

and then the cop got a hold of me, and after lots of haggling and one phone call he apologised and slapped the kid!

that was a near miss, but just think what wud have happened if kid wud have been hit and all slum-dwellers started beating me!!

[prabuddhadg]

Originally Posted by kb100

I routinely see parents walking on the kerb/side of the road keeping the child towards the road and flow of traffic!!.. What kind of sense is that!!

Just my thought. I still remember my childhood when with so much less traffic, my parents, particularly my mother always made me walk on the inside, away from the traffic, and to hold her hand as I walked.

I guess I was the same age as the kid who got hit; but then these kids hardly ever have their parents hovering around as they play or loiter. Of course they get street smart much before kids who live in homes even learn to walk to the neighbourhood store to buy toffees.

A thought just struck me. You guys must also have noticed small street kids with limbs amputated, now and then. It is possible they were thrown in the path of oncoming cars with dire consequenses to the driver and the kid, but some gain for the others around.

[naveendhyani]

Originally Posted by aZa

I've heard ppl say things like these slum dewellers purposely do such things like coming in front of the car and all to earn a quick buck of people driving.

its very true aZa. has happened with a couple of my friends. all of a sudden a boy/girl comes out of nowhere in the middle of the road and the moment u stop, u are already surrounded by 20-25 people. i mean where the f*** were these guys when the kids were making a playground of the road?

[rks]

Originally Posted by ECM

Full credits to Toyota Qualis coz it is one of the car-suv available on road which has the best braking system hence boy saved.

Yes. And if you are following a Qualis stay well behind. I had several almost-disastrous experiences following Qualises too closely both in my Maruti 800 and Santro. It seems Qualis drivers are prone to bringing their vehicle to an abrupt halt almost anywhere, anytime.
Regards, rks

[rks]

Originally Posted by drifter

Those slums lining that stretch should be removed at once....i've seen far too many accidents taking place over there. These kids are always running around as if it was a playground. Their parents should keep a watch over them atleast.

Once on a rainy night, i was coming down that stretch at around 50kmph...out of nowhere an old man decided to cross the road without even looking out for traffic, it was too late to brake, swerved around him and almost lost control but thankfully didnt hit anything on the road.

Have learnt to restrict speeds on that stretch ever since and more so in the rains.

Drifter

Slums removed? Good joke. On the contrary, it is much more likely that a massive speed-breaker has already come at the site of the Qualis incident. Will our police and politicians ever put their foot down and insist that it is the villagers'/slum dwellers' responsibility to use the roads safely, and that speed-breakers (especially on highways) are a major safety hazard, in addition to causing grievous damage to vehicles? I don't think advanced nations will ever tolerate speed-breakers on their roads-- it can happen only in India.
Regards, rks

[drifter]

I know having the slums removed is just wishful thinking.

About the speedbreaker...thats just absolutely pathetic how the government had one constructed within 3 hours at vashi when villagers blocked the traffic after an accident which was caused when one of them sorry villagers decided to jaywalk on a busy highway. It was her fault, theres a subway just meters away. Even then a car was burnt...and many others stoned. Damn these people!!!

Drifter

[prabuddhadg]

Originally Posted by rks

Slums removed? Good joke. On the contrary, it is much more likely that a massive speed-breaker has already come at the site of the Qualis incident. Will our police and politicians ever put their foot down and insist that it is the villagers'/slum dwellers' responsibility to use the roads safely, and that speed-breakers (especially on highways) are a major safety hazard, in addition to causing grievous damage to vehicles? I don't think advanced nations will ever tolerate speed-breakers on their roads-- it can happen only in India.
Regards, rks

I have had this happen to me once. We were driving at 50kmph, four people in my 800, around midnight, deserted street, well lit, when all of a sudden an unmarked speed breaker appeared out of nowhere (I had travelled the route often and there was no speed breaker a month back) and there was no time to stop. Brakes screeching, we went flying over the bump. There was a sickening thud as the car launched into the air and another a moment later as it fell back down. Everyone in the car had twisted necks after that.
Luckily after that the High Court order had many speed breakers removed.