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Old 23rd September 2008, 10:57   #1
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Why some idiots spoil the whole biker community

I must say most of the people riding bikes think that their "Agnidoot" can do wonders and they will manage to scrap through any and every thing.

Today I almost missed converting ones "Agnidoot" to "Yamdoot".

I was on my way to Airoli (Navi Mumbai) from western suberbs. Driving calmly with soft old music on & when I reached a Mulund Airoli Bridge, I was going with a Speed of 80 - 90 in my zen as the complete road was empty and there were hardly any vehicles.

When I was nearing a truck running in second lane, I saw a biker following it & thought very much that this idot will try to cut in first lane (when the third lane was empty) & I will land in trouble with hard breaking (I hate hard breaking and putting my baby to harsh conditions) so I started giving him head lights acompanied with horn. He moved a little bit towards the center of the second lane & I thought he got my signal & now wont cut the lane, and suddenly when I reached very near to the truck, this knight suddenly gives a signal with his right hand (accelerator released) and cuts in first lane, I was so near that hard breaking would have turned my car & would have definately killed me & him below the truck.

I took my foot off the accelerator and keeping the light breaks I turned to extream right and drove just inches away from the big divider and ofcourse the bike.

After passing the truck I got my car aside and made him to stop & keeping my calm at that moment as well (definately even he must be horrified so why to shout), I asked him, why the hell he wanted to kill himself and me. And that guy said in a very rude voice "Why the hell you drive when you can't control" I almost lost my control here but still keeping my calm I said it was me who controlled otherwise you would have landed dead below the truck tyres.

I felt that I should come out and show him what the control is but since I knew both of were at a high BP I avoided that.

But it was very close and a slight mistake would have took me straight to hospital and the biker dead below the truck's tyres.
(what I did at the last moment was pure instinct when I saw Yamdoot standing infront of me)

PN: - Mods
I thought that with this new thread many can share such experience with bikers.
I surfed through all 5 pages of this section and was unable to find any related thread. If any suitable thread is already there then please move this to the same.

Last edited by Technocrat : 23rd September 2008 at 11:39. Reason: Lets refrain from abusive words even Indirectly, we understand the condition but still, thanks
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Old 23rd September 2008, 11:13   #2
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Agreed. This does happen.
Good to hear everything was safe. Yes, sometimes its difficult to "judge" what the other guy is going to do.
Quote:
so I started giving him head lights acompanied with horn. He moved a little bit towards the center of the second lane & I thought he got my signal & now wont cut the lane,
Seems, he was moving to center just like that and not due to your signal.
So, this is a lesson for us to make sure we drive safe as much as possible.
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Old 23rd September 2008, 11:18   #3
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One thing that has worked for me is "Treat everybody on the road as MORONS. Then you'll always expect them to do the WORST of things..and you'll be prepared for them".

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Old 23rd September 2008, 11:26   #4
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Thank God you came out without any issue. Some people just do not have anything where it matters most!

But from what you say, I think that fellow never ever noticed you, in the first place!!! Might be the reason he thought you were driving like crazy. Did you notice if he had any ear plugs on? Maybe he was also listening to soft music!??
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Old 23rd September 2008, 11:27   #5
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Sachin, pardon my ignorance, could you tell me about the lane numbering system you mentioned here. Second lane i understand is central lane on a three lane road. Which lanes are the 1st lane and the 3rd lane, is it the Fast lane (extreme right) and the slowest lane (extreme left)?

Maybe the biker was trying to overtake the truck as and when he gets a chance. So when you got behind him and honked he might have got startled and moved to the center of the second lane. Then when you saw the chance to overtake the truck and moved in closer he also saw the chance and swung to the right to overtake the truck which in turn made you brake hard.

It happens.

So what's the solution?
1) Give the vehicle in front the first chance to overtake the slow moving vehicle in front.
2) If the vehicle in front has no intention to overtake the slow moving vehicle ahead then you can do the overtaking maneuver one vehicle at a time. This is safer.
3) If the vehicle in front is keeping to the extreme right of the slow moving vehicle up ahead then assume that he is waiting for a chance to overtake.
4) My sincere advice to bikers. If you're trying to overtake a slow vehicle in front and someone honks you from behind NEVER give away your position to the vehicle if you are determined to overtake the vehicle in front.
5) If you do give away your space to the vehicle from the back then don't try to cut back in/reclaim the space. Let the vehicle overtake first.

Edit:
6) Do install rear view mirrors on your bike (yes two of them) and keep them properly aligned to view the traffic behind and not the girls.
7) If you (two wheelers & automobiles) have no intention to overtake any vehicle going over 40kmph please keep to the left. (I see a number of two/four wheelers which don't go beyond 40kmph and stick to the center or extreme right of the road).
8) While overtaking a big vehicle try to make the overtaking operation as fast as you can and don't try to keep the Speedo needle in the "economy" range or the LED in "economy" mode taking all the time and space on the road forever!

Last edited by Sankar : 23rd September 2008 at 11:37.
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Old 23rd September 2008, 11:31   #6
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Refer your title - I would like to say that most of the people riding bikes (95%) in our cities are DODOS. They have no sense on how and where to ride and what exactly is road sense and traffic laws.
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Old 23rd September 2008, 11:58   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by normally_crazy View Post
Refer your title - I would like to say that most of the people riding bikes (95%) in our cities are DODOS. They have no sense on how and where to ride and what exactly is road sense and traffic laws.
Righto N_C, these 95% bikers give the rest a bad name :-)

\N
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Old 23rd September 2008, 12:03   #8
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And its always amazing to see the change in opinion of an ex-biker-now-car-owner when he realises the pain caused by the callousness of his former clan.
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Old 23rd September 2008, 12:11   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sankar View Post
Sachin, pardon my ignorance, could you tell me about the lane numbering system you mentioned here. Second lane i understand is central lane on a three lane road. Which lanes are the 1st lane and the 3rd lane, is it the Fast lane (extreme right) and the slowest lane (extreme left)?
Yes sir :-) while I refer the first lane its the lane toward extreme right and is normally understood as Fast lane (where mostly i find many people moving at a slow steady speed & think they are doing the right thing)

The second lane is the place where I find most of the heavy vehicles running at a required pace & keeping the whole lane as a balance when they require to turn (they definately require more space to take a full turn < or >)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sankar View Post
Maybe the biker was trying to overtake the truck as and when he gets a chance. So when you got behind him and honked he might have got startled and moved to the center of the second lane. Then when you saw the chance to overtake the truck and moved in closer he also saw the chance and swung to the right to overtake the truck which in turn made you brake hard.
Well I was out safely but what actually happened is I was almost 300 meters away from the truck (just a app. distance) whn I saw the bike. It was almost invisible from distance as it was moving very close to the truck. While I was reducing the distance towards the truck, the biker was simply following the truck and was not at all trying to overtake it. If he would have then I would have got enough chance and distance either to lower the speed or simply shift to third lane and overtake the truck. But he gave a hand signal when I was mearly 50 meters away and was done with all headlight blinking & honking. And he knew that I was coming as he did not come to the center of the first lane (normally when you try to overtake a vehicle you keep a safe distance sideways) he was very near to truck while overtaking and thats the reason why I got space to move my vehicle to extreme right and somehow bypassed the major incident.

I normally keep safe + safe distance from bikers & (sorry but cant help) female drivers. I have learnt driving 5 months ago & hence still have that fear of dashing somebody & hence dont pick up speed when the road is not empty. I do enjoy fast driving but not in traffic. I hate speedy lane cutting, (May be I will develop that soon, considering mumbai traffic)

I never honk to a female driver as well, what I find is either they dont react or they just move out of your way without looking behind if anyone is coming from the next lane. This gives me a safe road ahead but a terrible thing for them as well as the car coming from the side by lane where they go.
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Old 23rd September 2008, 12:11   #10
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Incident with me :

I was driving at Lalbagh road day before yesterday , One Yamaha biker came and overtook me and changed lane also from left side. He was about to get big hit, but it was me who applied brake at right time. Still he was shouting at me as he was local and i don't know Kannada,
Moral of the story : In Bangalore 99% auto-driver and biker[90%] overtake from Left side only. God knows who gave license to them.

No use of traffic police in Bangalore except you give them money.
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Old 23rd September 2008, 12:15   #11
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@ sankar:

Very nicely described. This should solve most of the issues for both bikers & car drivers. And Anticipating helps a lot.
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Old 23rd September 2008, 12:22   #12
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Mumbai, Bangy, Pune or Baramati, everywhere is same condition about these bikers.
I had got orvm broken two times in 15 days due to these bikers.
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Old 23rd September 2008, 12:30   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by amitoj View Post
And its always amazing to see the change in opinion of an ex-biker-now-car-owner when he realises the pain caused by the callousness of his former clan.
Bang On. Infact I have also seen the same car owner blaming cars when he is riding a bike.

But what Modifiedsachin has mentioned is a genuine problem, often bikers make sudden moves without giving proper indication which makes things very risky & not having\using rear view mirrors adds to the problem.

Good Points Sankar
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Old 23rd September 2008, 12:55   #14
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@ techno:

You are right, we do same thing, whenever we ride we blame car driver, & when we drive we blame bikers. This is a kind of mental set in India. But i drive or ride in same manner /being in traffic rule. but what do you have to say about auto-driver ?
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Old 23rd September 2008, 13:05   #15
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My dad who has been a biker all his life agrees that most of the bikers out there drive with wanton disregard for self and others. Even though I've never ridden a bike, totally agree. Now when I drive, dad rides shotgun with me and gives out unsolicited driving advice to errant bikers

I think its nice to have someone doing so on behalf of you - it keeps my road rage in check, and I think he enjoys it too

Last edited by greenhorn : 23rd September 2008 at 13:06.
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