[invincible7]

I am quiet clueless as to why cant people respect others vehicles on the road. How difficult it is to accept that others also have equal right with their vehicles, to drive them , to park them just like anyone else.

The experience goes like this.

The plan is to have a lunch at Pandara Road and then go for a stroll to Khan Market.

As planned we arrive at Pandara Road, park the car quiet nicely without leaving any room for errors, and also maintaining a safe distance from the other cars parked.

After lunch, i come back, get in the car and drive off to Khan Market.

In Khan Market, park the car quiet nicely again as usual.

After half an hour, come back and notice someone has edged the rear bumper on the left side nicely.

Check the car parked next to my parked car if he is the culprit as there wasnt any car when i had parked. But cant make out.

Ask the parking attendent, he says no one touched the car.

I leave with a sign thinking that someone might have edged it at Pandara Road while i was having Lunch.

So my new car get a scratch, for not even a fault of mine.

Why cant people drive carefully respecting other vehicles on road. This is what i have been thinking for quiet a long time unless this stiked my mind in a more aggresive way.

The parking attendents are mere jokers there collecting money and handing over chits, they care a damn if someone'e vehicle gets a scratch or something gets broken. Its not there responsibililty anyways.

So whos responsibility is it anyways.

[coolfyre]

In India we don't care and also have no respect for other fellow human beings or their property.

Other day I was driving across a narrow lane and suddenly an auto rickshaw guy cut my way from right and he went all the way to the left. Since I was going pretty slow, I stopped my car for him to complete his path and as I was waiting for him to give me way, suddenly an idiot on the bike came and brushed my car from the right.
By the time I could get out of the car, that idiot turned his bike and ran away into those really small lanes without even bothering to apologize.

In another incident, an auto guy brushed against an esteem and starts shouting at the esteem guy as if it was that guy's fault. It was completely the fault of the auto guy, as I was passing them, I could hear the auto guy saying, its only a small bruise on your car, you have the money to buy the car, so you can get it repaired. But I drive an rented auto and my owner will ask about the scratches so give me money to repair them.

Unless we change our attitude, these things will stay.

[dushmish]

Respect for other vehicles? Thats the last thing on Indian roads. The smaller the vehicle the more careful one should be. There are people who scratch the car and then look at you with a grin. I don't know how to react in such situations.

You are right, parking lot attendants are just to collect money. Poor fellows can't do much even if they want to as the culprit would scare him away.

Ever experienced bikes moving in between cars at signals. I have most of my scratches there. They don't even bother to turn back and look. Lets pray for such people that they get some sense. Amen!

[DriverR]

Besides for respecting other's vehicles, I feel most (not all!) 2-wheelers drive expecting cars to give way to them as they dash in front of your car. On a daily basis I have to brake to avoid hitting bikers who cut in front of my car. 90% of the time they are without helmets and/or have 3 people sitting on the bike. Crazy! Those fools are really living on the goodness of the cars drivers they cut off! I'm sure one day they will try the same stunt with an aggressive/frustrated car driver with serious results.

[bijuks]

Most cars get their first scratches from the parking lots. True for me also. Even for my bike, the fate was the same.

The major problem with parking lots is due to the fact that, many people who gets driving license in India don't know to park properly. Be it parallel parking or normal parking.

For respect - the first thing people do is to run away from the place, if no one has seen. Can't think of any solution. Ah!.

[Nitin]

The problem arises when people try to multi-task while driving or attempting to park their cars. I've personally seen this happen 2-3 times in B'lore and Cochin.
The idiot in a M800 was on the phone, trying to squeeze his car into a spot on CMH road, and end up grazing a Lancer. He get off the car, looks at the damage, realizes its just a scratch and just walks off. All this while talking on his phone.
The second character was in a Bolero, talking to someone on the street while waiting for a passenger to get in. There's a car in front, and without looking where the truck's moving, he goes straight into the ORVM.Bang! The mirror's in pieces, and there's a huge cloud of smoke from the Bolero. The guy just takes off!

[gajsh]

sigh, problems galore, corruption, immoral rogues, superiority complex, what not !!

[vineethvazhayil]

Last sunday i was driving back from Chennai city center, and this old man in his swift gets on the main road from one of the smaller lanes, taking a right turn without even looking if the road is clear for him to go, brushes my cars front left and waves at me as if it was my mistake and goes off without even stopping! thankfully i had minor scratches, and from what the witnesses told me, he had a lot more damage.
Wonder why he did not bother to stop!

[prince_pervez]

Originally Posted by vineethvazhayil

taking a right turn without even looking if the road is clear for him to go

Seriously man, this is so so common in Bangalore (no offence, maybe elsewhere as well). It is a rule that many don't know. When anyone is entering a main street/road, it is the drivers responsibility to look if it is clear for him or not to enter. The responsibility does not lie with the guy already driving on the main street.
Either people don't know this, or ignore it.
If its the latter then they do not have any value for their lives or others.

Another thing is the 'Me first' Attitude. Makes one feel 'I'm the only person in a hurry' and the road is my papa's property.

[vineethvazhayil]

Yes, and for the "me first" attitude everyone possesses on Indian roads, India should be leading the world in everything! Even taxi drivers wait while entering main roads (have seen this happen many times), but it is the private cars who seem to be least bothered about following rules. Had i got hold of that old man, I would still have given him an earful, no respect to age, as actions like this can cause fatalities on the road!

[invincible7]

Ok this is getting funny.. yesterday i wrote it here and today in the morning i see a new scratch mark on the left side rear door. Someone has nicked the car from the rear. Amazing to see how people find it soo easy to tamper with vehicles and then run off.

On bike riders, i am a very fanatic biker but a responsible one. When i ride i follow rules and respect other bikes as i love bikes and their existence.
But i think these days the bikers ahh mostly i mean are crazy lunatics running on road. No sense anywhere, be it riding, honking crazily or cutting edges between cars.

They have no respect for theirs aswell as for other vehicles on road.

Come to think of it, this was not the case few years ago, now suddenly i realise the bike population has increased drastically over couple of years and so does the callous nature of riding on it.

[arin_12]

You might have forgotten that "We Are Not Responsible For Your Car" Tag behind the Chit. I don't know why do we need to pay for them ?

[lamborghini]

Talking about the 'Me First' nature of people on the roads, I always seem to notice that whenever I leave on/before time, and drive at a regular speed of the traffic, sticking to one lane and giving way to others, I always manage to reach my destination faster than when I try to get there in a rush.
Ex: Mumbai people, it took me 15 min from President Hotel in Cuffe Parade to Neapensea Road, at 3-4PM in the afternoon, on a weekday.

As for people scratching cars with their hands, guess we have to live with it. Polishing and Waxing helps though - I spotted some on my fiesta, all over the hood/bonnet. I just shampooed the car, polished it with Turtle Wax Express Shine, and guess what? Most of it had gone.

And don't worry about people being responsible only in India. My car in the states, has gotten two scratches on the rear doors (either side), when it was parked!

[arin_12]

Many a times the scratch also happen due to the Petrol Bunk attender. In my car there are atleast 4-5 scratch, most of them are done by them while refilling. Same attitude continue here. They feel that why should I care for other Car/Vehicle

[Dr.Sumit Bhatti]

Originally Posted by coolfyre

Other day I was driving across a narrow lane and suddenly an auto rickshaw guy cut my way from right and he went all the way to the left. Since I was going pretty slow, I stopped my car for him to complete his path and as I was waiting for him to give me way, suddenly an idiot on the bike came and brushed my car from the right.
Unless we change our attitude, these things will stay.

Originally Posted by dushmish

Ever experienced bikes moving in between cars at signals. I have most of my scratches there. They don't even bother to turn back and look. Lets pray for such people that they get some sense. Amen!

As far as possible, especially when I am driving a four wheeler in slow traffic, either I leave more than adequate space or I deliberately do not leave any place without doubt for a two wheeler to squeeze in, preferably on both sides. A quick reconnaissance of all your rear view mirrors just before and after after you stop also helps to make you aware of a potential 'scraper' lurking in the background. If you realize or can estimate better than the other driver/s, or if your instinct tells you that the space on one side of your vehicle is dicey, sometimes it is better to cut off an imminent threat than to repent later. Remember that something that cannot get past you, cannot scratch your car.

If you are in the outer-most left lane avoid blocking off two/three wheelers on your left, unless you can manage it in one smooth gentle but firm 'drift', (not a 'Tokyo Drift' )so as to not offend anyone. You will be pleasantly surprised by how often two and three wheeler drivers will patiently wait even on your left if they believe that you had no option but to stop there. Otherwise leave adequate space by slightly getting closer to the vehicle on your right. Larger vehicles usually do not drift as much as two and three wheelers.

Leaving just enough space for another vehicle's ( even another four wheeler's) front end to squeeze in next to you whenever you stop is always a potential threat of the other driver attempting to get by and damaging your vehicle in the process.

As far as adequate space is concerned, remember that, while driving on the road, a two wheeler usually drifts so much ( a normal tendency, even if you yourself drive a two wheeler) that it is best to imagine an area corresponding to a small compact car such as a Maruti 800 around it.

Always make it a habit to drive with both your outside rear view mirrors out. Helps save your vehicles' body sides often. Learn which vehicle ORVMs match the height of your vehicle's ORVM. Then be more alert if you come across one. Try this, it helps even while judging oncoming vehicles in narrow lanes or tight situations.

This is a fine art accomplished by regular practice and it helps to reduce the scratches on your car. One cannot do it every time, but I do this more often if I am driving an expensive high end car, especially if it belongs to someone else. Note that only your first scratch hurts the most, don't let scratches that happen, spoil your day. Never over-react and always try rubbing compound and polish to fade them out. On many occasions, its the paint of the other vehicle, and some scratches actually disappear. On the next morning you may not even remember minor scratches. In India, the only way to keep your car scratch free is to drive less or to keep it showcased in your garage.