[amitoj]

Originally Posted by Torqy

Yes, i was stopped only twice in the last 3 years....and it wasn't because of any traffic offence.

What i'm trying to say is they catch ONLY the small hapless fish while letting the WHALES go.

Our cops don't even consider driving on the wrong side as an offence. Where in the world will you find such gems?

-- Torqy

You continue to look at the world from your little peephole mate.
Am done here.

[akas_chauhan]

I was riding in ORR and near Agara one tragic cop caught me and said it's one way. I said, ok fine i'll pay the fine but give me receipt. This guy did not have any challan book, so i asked him to call his boss. He replied, ok i'm noting your number and you can go now. Point is, You never know when this road is one way or not.

It's not a rant. It's just one experience i'm sharing.

[srishiva]

It just shows how corrupt common people are. If small fish are not committing an offence, police will sure catch the big fish.

[Torqy]

Originally Posted by amitoj

You continue to look at the world from your little peephole mate.
Am done here.

Your're done?
That's your problem.

Explain the peep-hole please....and also your 6x6 bay window.
Lets see how it affects the view.

Everyday, i see MORONS who instead of waiting for 2 seconds and letting the other guy go, thus avoiding a traffic pile up, choose to force through in-existent gaps and get stuck for an hour.

While we IDIOTS wait at the left side of the divider, MORONS drive on the other side of the road thus blocking the on-coming traffic causing another bottle-neck. Cops do NOTHING about it.....and you don't see a problem?

-- Torqy

[Iluvcars]

@amitoj: The last time I was stopped was the last time I was in Bangalore - in 2005! I wrote my experience.

[sabynag]

Understand our behavior mathematically


Probability for an Indian to be caught while violating a traffic rule = P
The penalty (fine or bribe) a traffic violator typically pays when caught = A
The perceived pay-off for violating the rule if not caught = B

The perceived pay-off an Indian attaches to his contribution to maintaining a good overall traffic discipline = C

Now formulate the pay-off functions :

Expected incentive to violate traffic rule = (1-P)*B - P*A
Expected incentive not to violate traffic rule = C

Any person anywhere in world will be guided by his expected pay-off for any of his actions. So, an Indian will violate a traffic rule if expected pay-off to do so is greater than the pay-off for not doing so.

For most Indians, the following variable assignment may hold true in most situations :

P = 0.05 (5% of his attempts will result in traffic fines/bribes)
A = 20
B = 10
C = 0

Expected pay-off to violate traffic rule = 0.95 * 10 - 0.05 * 20 = 8.5
Expected pay-off not to violate traffic rule = 0

So, now you know why we have more MORONs on the road than IDIOTs.

The same formulation holds good for all people across globe. In developed countries, P, A and C are significantly higher making the pay-off negative (or less lucrative) for violating rules. Hence they look more disciplined overall.

[sbraj]

Originally Posted by Iluvcars

BUT, (yes, a big BUT), would that checking be extended to ALL kinds of vehicles including Government ones and evidently-not-fit-to-be-on-the-road buses / taxis?

Recent report in deccanherald says that erring BMTC drivers are fined from their salary. See this report. I am not saying that traffic police is doing all they can, but this is a step in the right direction. It shows that a journey of long steps has at least started.

With the setting up of automation centres at all traffic police stations in early 2009, police have literally tightened the noose around the necks of BMTC drivers who are used to violating the rules with impunity and get away without paying any fine.

As a result, drivers working under tremendous stress to complete their trips are helping the police rake in the moolah. Which is the reason why police collected a whopping Rs 36,07,900 for traffic violations from the BMTC from February 2009 to April 2010. Says SA Pasha, ACP (Traffic Training Institute): “With a very large fleet strength covering lakhs of kilometres every day, the BMTC has ended up paying huge fines for traffic violations committed by its drivers."

The money, however, is deducted from the concerned driver's salary in monthly installments. Contrasting the current system of collecting the fine amount from the BMTC with that in force before 2009, Sajjad Khan, Police Inspector (TTI-Administration), said "Sending a notice on traffic violations to the BMTC used to take four-five days. Then, it would take another week to reach the table of the Managing Director, who, in turn, would take a fortnight to reply," he told Deccan Herald.

Terming the earlier system as "precariously tedious", Khan added "Then, the personnel in charge of receiving the notice from us hardly bothered to forward it to the MD. They were, in fact, hand in glove with many drivers violating the rules." Now, with total computerisation in the BMTC as well as the traffic police, the former pays two-three lakhs as fine each month to the latter. Compared to this, the fine collected earlier is peanuts, he informed.

[Torqy]

@sabynag, you have a FORMULA and a mathematical explanation for everything.
What do you do for a living?

[Iluvcars]

Originally Posted by sabynag

Any person anywhere in world will be guided by his expected pay-off for any of his actions.

On a lighter note, what's your expected pay-off for this action (of coming up with this formulation)?

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by amitoj

Sorry but this is selfish.
Just because a cop decided on a course of action that was not preferred by you does not mean it was wrong.
IIRC, some time back you were kind of vocal about a new traffic rule on the ORR that, although increased the flow, put you to some inconvenience because you had to travel some extra distance. I don't think you liked that either.
Please note this is not a "personal attack" but merely an attempt at understanding the thought process of a fellow member.

I dont see where i was being selfish. If i wanted to go in a hurry, i would have cut through right and left, and gone on my way, while the cop continued to make some money. But, i waited patiently while the cop took his time getting the guy to the side. As for which action takes higher preference, i would say a bus which is stopped at an unauthorised bus stop causes a greater traffic menace than a biker who chose not to use his helmet. As those who have travelled along the Kundanahalli junction in peak hours would know, the signal stays green for a very short period, so almost everyone rushes into the junction even before it turns green so they can get outta there ASAP.

Ofcourse, you may see it differently since you do not get my point.

About my dislike to having to go a longer distance on the ORR to take a U turn, I follow the rule, and continue to drive all the way up, and then all the way down even when on a bike, while many other 2 wheelers remove the stones which are used to close the U turn, and then turn there. Multiple instances of the same can be seen at the Kalamandir junction, as well as the Malgudi junction. Ofcourse, i did voice my discontent, but doesnt mean i dont follow accordingly.

As about the point about being just keyboard warriors, let me bring to your information that i do not merely engange in the same. When i have had the chance, i have spoken to the traffic cops and their seniors in Marathalli about suggestions on how to improve the traffic flow and reduce gridlocks. That they choose not to be entertained, means that i am thereby reduced to being a keyboard warrior.

[Newpunter]

Originally Posted by benbsb29

About my dislike to having to go a longer distance on the ORR to take a U turn, I follow the rule, and continue to drive all the way up, and then all the way down even when on a bike, while many other 2 wheelers remove the stones which are used to close the U turn, and then turn there. Multiple instances of the same can be seen at the Kalamandir junction, as well as the Malgudi junction. Ofcourse, i did voice my discontent, but doesnt mean i dont follow accordingly.

I have faced this situation countless times when a two wheeler going ahead of me near the kalamandir junction suddenly takes a U turn in the small gap. I have now grown used to this and slow down whenever there is a 2 wheeler ahead of me at this point, coz i'm sure they will turn without using their indicators even. My wife asks me why i don't do the same and I explain her that I don't want to be talked about in the same vein as these guys .

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by benbsb29

I dont see where i was being selfish. If i wanted to go in a hurry, i would have cut through right and left, and gone on my way, while the cop continued to make some money. But, i waited patiently while the cop took his time getting the guy to the side. As for which action takes higher preference, i would say a bus which is stopped at an unauthorised bus stop causes a greater traffic menace than a biker who chose not to use his helmet. As those who have travelled along the Kundanahalli junction in peak hours would know, the signal stays green for a very short period, so almost everyone rushes into the junction even before it turns green so they can get outta there ASAP.

Ofcourse, you may see it differently since you do not get my point.

You saw the cop taking a bribe instead of imposing a fine on the biker?

And i do get your point. Your point also implies that you value your time more than that biker's life. I don't mean to say that you'd prefer to run over the biker to save time, just to be clear. You'd rather have the cop clear your way than impose a fine for a more life threatening offense.

Ofcourse, i did voice my discontent, but doesnt mean i dont follow accordingly.

That is all i pointed out. That you voiced your discontent when you were put at an inconvenience to smoothen the traffic flow.And now you are voicing discontent that they didn't ensure smooth flow. I dont know whether you follow the rule or not but i am willing to take your word for it. That was never a question though.

As about the point about being just keyboard warriors, let me bring to your information that i do not merely engange in the same. When i have had the chance, i have spoken to the traffic cops and their seniors in Marathalli about suggestions on how to improve the traffic flow and reduce gridlocks. That they choose not to be entertained, means that i am thereby reduced to being a keyboard warrior.

Good for you that you tried. Too bad all the hard work you put in to research the traffic patterns around your area, measuring traffic density peaks and lows at different times of the day, and projecting the growth of traffic in the future and finally coming up with a solution that the traffic police did not think of before, went to waste. I withdraw my "keyboard warrior" remark as applicable to you.

[ch.nathan]

Today in Koramangala near Wipro office, saw a MERC with a fancy number (9999) coming in the wrong lane into the opposite direction. And worse, he was flashing his headlights for right-of-way !!!

It all depends on the nuts behind the wheel - isn't it?

[Torqy]

Originally Posted by amitoj

Good for you that you tried. Too bad all the hard work you put in to research the traffic patterns around your area, measuring traffic density peaks and lows at different times of the day, and projecting the growth of traffic in the future and finally coming up with a solution that the traffic police did not think of before, went to waste. I withdraw my "keyboard warrior" remark as applicable to you.

WOW!
This statement doesn't even have a hint of sarcasm.

Everybody has their own assigned jobs. benbsb29 has his job. A traffic job has his job. When you see a traffic jam everyday day, do you stop your vehicle, get down and help him manage?
When you read about a murder in the paper, do you set off to investigate?
There are people assigned for certain jobs.
Its not benbsb29's or my job / expertise to measure traffic peaks / density and plan things. We have so called CITY PLANNERS to do that. Apparently they turned out to be a bit deprived on common sense.

What you see now is what they've done...with all the measurements they made!

What ordinary guys like benbsb29 who use certain roads everyday is notice things, patterns and suggest improvements in simple language.

-- Torqy

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by amitoj

You saw the cop taking a bribe instead of imposing a fine on the biker?

No, i didnt. But having observed the working of many others, it wouldnt be too wrong to conclude so as well. Here are proofs of what i have observed on other occassions, just in case you missed it.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street...depiction.html

Originally Posted by amitoj

And i do get your point. Your point also implies that you value your time more than that biker's life. I don't mean to say that you'd prefer to run over the biker to save time, just to be clear. You'd rather have the cop clear your way than impose a fine for a more life threatening offense.

For someone who doesnt value his own life, others cant decide for them. And the person in question was no innocent chap who didnt know the value of a helmet. For someone who rides a thunderbird, i expect he would have a semblance of common sense.

Originally Posted by amitoj

Good for you that you tried. Too bad all the hard work you put in to research the traffic patterns around your area, measuring traffic density peaks and lows at different times of the day, and projecting the growth of traffic in the future and finally coming up with a solution that the traffic police did not think of before, went to waste. I withdraw my "keyboard warrior" remark as applicable to you.

Its not that i didnt comprehend the sarcasm in the above quote, but i do not wish to stress further on it. You do not want keyboard warriors, you throw sarcasm at someone who tries.... err.. i dont get what it is you propose?!

@Torqy : Thanks for pitching in.