[saket77]

Hoping that it is not entirely an OT, but technically most cars will have the traits of the country where it is designed. That brings us to believe that a car designed in a specific country will perform much better in the same climatic/ road conditions than in a region for which it was not designed for.

My question is that is it safe or will a car's reliability suffer if it is used in a region for which it is not designed for? For eg. if a car is designed at a place where even summer temperatures do not cross 10-15 degrees, can we expect the same car to deliver the same performance and long term reliability while using it in a region where summer temperatures can go upto 45-50 degrees? If not, then do the manufacturers technically bring changes in build quality (changes not just to tackle bad fuel quality but like quality of rubber, pipes and metals) of materials to cope to different regions to which they are exported?
Does my above assumption hold any water that bringing a car out from its comfort zone (read: home conditions) can affect the performance and reliability?

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by Secretariat

Well, enough of navel gazing. Let's have some good natured fun at others' expense too

- If you are a Chinese taxi driver, you have to open the window every 2.6 seconds and loudly spit on the road

- If you are a British driver, your major pleasure in life is to sit on the largest car park in the world, the M 25

- In the US, you express your manhood by driving on an arrow straight tarmac in the middle of nowhere at a blistering speed of 70 mph.

- In the great state of Oregon, you stop your car to let goslings cross the road, thereby demonstrating that the geese are more important than you. Click here

- If you are Australian, you send text message 44 times while driving, hit a cyclist and then argue its not your fault. Click here

- In Indonesia, you try your best to run down the crossing pedestrian and are chagrined when you (mostly) fail.

- In Nigeria and Samoa, you prove that it does not matter which side of the road you drive on, by changing the law to drive from the left of the road to the right (Nigeria) and the other way around (Samoa). Come to think of it, it doesn't matter in India too, but at least, we haven't changed the law.

- In Japan, you bow every time you cross a bigger car

- In France, you show the finger every time you cross a bigger car

- In Italy, it is an insult to your driving ability if you do not have at least 23 dents. If you drive a SUV, the minimum requirement is 24 dents.

- In any major African city you do you bit for international goodwill and relations by emulating the Indian driver at his best, as elaborately explained in the 86 posts below.

Learned BHPians (especially Jeroen) are warmly invited to add their perspectives.

All in jest, of course.

In the UK and Eire, Horses, Sheep and Cows have right of way on the B Roads and country roads. This is normal. And I support it too.

[RohanDheman]

Interesting topic.

One thing that I have observed, atleast in North India is that if you are being overtaken, the person overtaking would more often than not look at you while doing so.

I just don't get it. What's the need to look at someone when you are overtaking him. Everyone is always trying to prove a point by overtaking it seems.

Cheers
Rohan

[SS-Traveller]

http://www.scoopwhoop.com/inothernew...e_bar&type=aco

This should cover all the traits!

11 Kinds of Indian Drivers To Watch Out For.

1. The Honkers
These are people who believe that ceaselessly sounding the horn will magically clear the traffic. They honk even if they are waiting at a red light!

2. The Snails
Driving at a moderate speed is ideal but driving like a sleep-deprived snail in the middle of a fast lane? That’s madness! Not only do they drive below the speeding limit, they have this uncanny knack of not letting the people behind them get ahead.

3. The Turncoats
These dangerous drivers stay at the extreme left or right side of the road up until the point they have to take a turn when they swerve all the way to the other end not giving a rat’s ass as to who’s behind them. Not only do they bring the entire traffic to a halt but they are also the reason behind all those dented cars you see on the road.

4. The Speed Racers
It’s like every time they are behind the wheel, they think they are in the middle of a Need for Speed Game. And they are constantly pressing the Nitro Boost! Potholes, pedestrians, puppies - they don’t care what’s in front of them.

5. The Curser
They might be the most soft spoken, well behaved individuals outside of a four-wheeler but the moment they start driving they hurl out abuses that will make Roadies’ Raghu blush. Some of these douchebags even have the nerve to abuse women drivers. But most of them abuse pretty much involuntarily.

6. The Stopper
Somebody has told these guys that all the roads and highways belong to their great grandfather because that’s the only way to explain their behaviour on the road. They stop in the middle of the road as per their whim, sometimes to chat with a friend who’s in an adjacent car, sometimes to drop someone off, sometimes to ask directions. All in the middle of the road!

7. The Rebels
These are the guys who, in order to save 2 minutes of their time, go the wrong way and end up disrupting the traffic for the next 2 hours. They feel traffic laws and rules aren’t meant for them. As long as they have blood in their veins and fuel in their tanks, they will keep breaking rules and keep being a pain in the ass of others.

8. The Pedestrian Nightmare
No other word to describe these guys except ‘psychopath’. They get some kind of rush out of driving inches away from pedestrians on the roadside. Another thing they love to do is suddenly speed up if they see someone crossing the road! These guys shouldn’t even be allowed to drive Go-Karts!

9. The Close Shaver
These guys have either forged their drivers' licenses or they have some serious mental issues. They don't brake on time, they don't turn on time and they definitely don't swerve away on time. They bump into cars so liberally that for them driving on Indian roads is like playing bumper cars at an amusement park.

10. The Crazy Parkers
Technically these fellas don't trouble the rest of us with their driving skills. But their parking skills?? HOLY SHIT. They don't understand the concept of parking spots. They park wherever however. Next to a no parking sign, in the middle of the freakin road, blocking 3 other cars, they don't give a shit. It would be great for the rest of us if they just park their vehicles at their own homes and never venture into the outside world.

11. The Fighters
Born to fight! That's the perfect way these guys can be described. They are Indian Mike Tysons trapped in tiny cars just looking for reasons to get out of their cars and pick a fight in the middle of the road. Overtake them, honk at them once or even look directly into their eyes and you're in for a showdown!

[TorqueyTechie]

Nice list there SS Traveller! Might I add 1 more to them..

12) The spitters : They are all around us. They think its their right to spit out anything and everything. Be it water, phlegm, pan masala or even the beedi/cigarette. Give a damn to others who are next to the vehicle or behind. Heck they even open the door when driving and spit.

[venkyhere]

don't know if it has been covered before, but one inescapable trait among indians is to print the names of all family members on the read windsscreen (this is over and above all the 'ferrari' and 'playboy' stickers on the wings and bumpers)

sample this :
rear windscreen - top left - elder child's name ; top right - younger child's name; center bottom - caste name
rear number plate - colorful boundaries and shadows on numbers to 'get attention' - alphabets and numbers preferably in the local language
rear bumper - playboy sticker (with logo) - just to show that although he loves his family a lot, he is a fun-loving guy
left and right wing(fender) - stickers of all automobile parts brands - momo, bilstein, OZ racing etc etc - shows that he knows all there is to know
front windscreen - this is dedicated to the one and only - always an 'action' caption, mind you - "jay jay <favourite god> " or "shree <name> maharaj ki jai" or "by the grace of <...> "
center RVM mounting area - red cloth with glitzy hemming at the ends, sort of a very opulent handkerchief just squeezed into and left dangling betwen the RVM and the windscreen - to ensure that the blessings from the puja ceremony stay throughout the lifetime of the vehicle
the bonnet at least a plastic eagle or some fake plastic horns - to show that you must not "mess" with this car or its driver ; if nothing at all, some stickered air scoops

[promit]

This is quite an interesting thread. First let me admit, I have really really calmed down behind the wheel now. Not proud of the following;
A trait I used to indulge in once in a while, was to not give way but speed up when the car behind me honked.
Another thing, I've done a couple of times just for kicks is,when I'm the first car at a traffic light on the line, irrespective of how many seconds before the light turns green I move 6 inches forward. Immediately the guy in the car on my right/left moves ahead 10 inches and makes eye contact with me. I prompty move ahead another 10 inches and stare back and then he moves ahead of me again and this goes on till the light turns green. It's hilarious.

[Gannu_1]

- Touching the Ganesha idol on the dash and chant a 2-second prayer before departing:



- Get a puja done for the car right after the delivery:


Snap clicked after the delivery of the car; that's not me in the image!

[bajica]

Not sure if this has been pointed out or not, but found it to be trait of all drivers irrespective of which vehicle...
Never stopping before the stop line or Zebra crossing at a signal.
Always stopping on the zebra crossings at the signal.

Hope many would agree to this...

[sumeethaldankar]

some traits i observed.

No traffic cop, jump the signal.

3 on 1 two wheelers.

Entire family on a 2 wheeler which includes pa, ma, baby and babu.

8-9 people in a car meant for at-most 5.

If the signal is about to go green but still red start inching towards the junction.

No tail/brake lights on auto-rickshaws.You just guess the auto is about to stop.

Traffic cop yelling at the driver on being caught while jumping a signal.. "are you blind ? Can't you see the signal" ?

Thump thump thump drum beat sound coming from a vehicle. It's either a auto or a teenager driving.Not sure how the 2 are related.


I am not sure how technically correct this but someone once said to me if you start the car forward first and then put it in reverse it supposedly prolongs engine life.First gear is better for oil circulation rather than reverse as told to me.Don't know if it is accurate.

Disclaimer. I do not follow the above practice even if my car is parked facing a wall :-)

[swiftdiesel]

Perhaps it's likewise in other cities too, but in Chennai if a biker wants to take a turn his head suddenly transforms as the turn signal! If he's looking to the right, you better brake because he has signalled about his right turn, and likewise for the left. So what are turn indicators for? They are there for ornamental purposes.

At night, one can see cars decorated with festive lights with all the colours of the rainbow, right from the bumper to the windscreen to even the under-chassis of the car. Not sure what purpose it serves other than being an eyesore!

In other countries, platforms serve pedestrians. In Chennai, pedestrians abhor platforms. They find jaywalking more convenient. Actually, platforms are there for a more serious purpose - serve as an alternate road for bikers when the main road gets clogged.

I don't know if this comes as a trait but if you want to reach the airport on time in Chennai, start early or hire an ambulance.

A strange trait that was brought up by Jeremy Clarkson in Burma is this - right hand drive cars and buses drive on the right side of the road! Incidentally, if you're on a bus you get to alight bang in the middle of the road and scurry across traffic!

[B103]

Don't know why but aren't these true in India?

1) Smaller vehicle will ALWAYS have to give way to the bigger ones. If your small car is involved in an accident with a bigger one this rule will get invoked in all probability. This is an unwritten golden maxim in Indian roads !! I guess this is the reason why people gobble up Fortuners, Dusters etc because of the looks

2) If a wandering buffalo, goat/cow/hen runs into your vehicle, you are supposed to save your life as well as pay compensation for the dead/injured livestock. The owner who is letting the cattle loose is always right. I have read incidents where old animals are pushed to the road to extract compensation

3) Of 2 vehicles involved in an accident, the bigger is always wrong, no matter what

There are no rules in similar lines but these are widely believed and followed in disparate remote parts of the country.

[ad3952n]

Originally Posted by B103

1) Smaller vehicle will ALWAYS have to give way to the bigger ones. If your small car is involved in an accident with a bigger one this rule will get invoked in all probability. This is an unwritten golden maxim in Indian roads !! I guess this is the reason why people gobble up Fortuners, Dusters etc because of the looks

It is actually a pathetic norm over here. But, a person like me will not budge from his stand even if 50 people gather. If I ever happen to get involved in such a situation and the fault is of the smaller vehicle then I will make the driver realize the fault with proper logic and won't pay a penny.

2) If a wandering buffalo, goat/cow/hen runs into your vehicle, you are supposed to save your life as well as pay compensation for the dead/injured livestock. The owner who is letting the cattle loose is always right. I have read incidents where old animals are pushed to the road to extract compensation

If my car is involved in such a incident I will care for the livestock and save it first because they are not vocal about their pain and then save my car. No matter what damages my car suffers but the person who came up with such a heartless idea will see the better part of me. Forget compensation, he will not do such a thing ever again.

3) Of 2 vehicles involved in an accident, the bigger is always wrong, no matter what

If you succumb to awful logic and reasoning by the other driver only then this can happen. Immediately make the other driver understand that sane driving is a fruitful practice and an accident is by all means "unforeseen". Big or Small vehicle hardly makes a difference if one is ready to reason it out and solve it amicably.

[OneToughRider]

Another national car trait I observed all over India is that somewhere in the middle of the road goes a hatchback stuffed with 8 to 9 passengers plus luggage. Car is going steady with 15-20 kmph vs rest of the vehicles overtaking from left and right.

Driver is least bothered to know who is honking behind. During breakdowns these stuffed vehicles creates a massive traffic jam.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by OneToughRider

During breakdowns these stuffed vehicles creates a massive traffic jam.

Ive noticed this too. Cars, truck when they break down will just sit whereever they break down. Nobody seems to think of moving them of the road and fix it there. Also, what i find interesting that apparently the way to warn other traffic is to put several very large rocks in a line behind the stranded car/truck

Jeroen