[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by ambivalent_98

I have seen a few of those who take pride in driving a car in bumper to bumper traffic with kids in their laps. It gives me the shivers to think about the things that can go wrong however slow the traffic might be and the amount of people these heroic Dads put at risk apart from themselves.

I second your thoughts. Even i have come across such morons. Even if they are not going fast, all that it takes to complicate the dire situation will be a sudden brake application that could put the kid's life in real danger.
Can we call them irresponsible fathers???

[NPV]

This morning, no accident anywhere but just crawling traffic all the way and some new problems created on the already bad roads by the recent rains this time.
Took 1 Hr 20 minutes, yes 80 minutes to reach office from near Byappanahalli Metro station, old madras road to ITPL via Tin Factory, hanging bridge, Devasandra, Hoodi
The narrow stretch near the temple in Devasandra that was recently patched up simply caved in on one side with a huge tyre mark courtesy a truck, this resulted in a once in 10 minute alternating one way zone here!

[rohanjf]

Yesterday evening too, I took the route Whitefield-Nallurahalli-Borewell Road-Varthur-Gunjur-Dommasandra stretch to go home. The traffic condition was so pathetic that I found it funny.

As soon as I joined the main road towards Forum Value Mall from Borewell Road, I was stuck in traffic. Half the chaos is created by the digging on the left lane. The road was probably dug for some drainage work. As usual, they have just filled the soil back, but haven't tarred the road. So some cars have to keep the dug part under the car (with wheels on both sides of canyon). Some vehicles are too narrow to take this risk.

After crawling 2 KMs in half an hour, I found the main cause for traffic jam. At Varthur Kodi, a BMTC bus's both left side wheels had gone into the soft soil of the "canyon". The bus was tilted to the left, with no way of coming out on its own. Obviously, it needs a large towing vehicle that only BMTC has. And that takes ages to reach the spot!

[shankar.balan]

Our people here in this country have possibly the worst road manners and attitude in the whole wide world.

I sincerely have nothing but hatred and abhorrence in my heart for such road users. It is quite enough to drive one to homicidal tendencies.

1. Monday, getting to office, I had stopped at a pedestrian crossing to allow a young man and his elderly mother (probably) to cross.
2. I was being tailgated for around 1/2 km by a Maroon Fiat Linea with a youngish man driving and an oldish man in the front passenger seat (perhaps his Dad).
3. This Linea honked terribly at me because I had stopped to allow the pedestrians to cross.
4. Then the Linea just swung out into the right lane, overtook me and while the young man and his mother were crossing the pedestrian crossing, he cut right through in front of them, causing them to stop short so as to avoid being hit.

Now what sort of character will do something this horrid?

1.Today, while getting to office, I was waiting for the lights to turn green near Koramangala BDA Complex.
2. While the lights were still red and then when they moved to amber, I noted no less than 5 vehicles jump into the oncoming traffic lane, because it was empty, just to accelerate and beat the queue to the right turn there.
3. Effective time gain would have been perhaps 20 seconds or 30 seconds.
4. The perpetrators were;
A. a bike borne unshaven helmet-less dunderhead (carrying an Infy BackPack)
B. a dark Champagne Duster with fancy alloys and a professional company exec type fellow driving it
C. two motor scooters with ladies driving them - they were all swathed in many layers of cloth (like members of the Tuareg Tribe in the Sahara)
D. a Blue Wagon R containing an exec type creature
E. a Big Grey Ugly Innova with some "Sai Vishram" or something written on it's side, driven by a white uniformed chauffeur and some sort of newspaper reading plutocratic baboon in the rear passenger seat.

All this makes me just absolutely detest the behaviour standards and attitude of the creepy-crawlies that occupy space in this city.

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

All this makes me just absolutely detest the behaviour standards and attitude of the creepy-crawlies that occupy space in this city.

It never fails does it? The road situation is the city is such that it gets to the best of us. No one escapes from the perfectly planned traps laid by cabs, autos, 2 wheelers, 4 wheelers etc etc. India has always been known as a country of contradictions where no 2 thoughts are ever the same, but apply the same to driving styles and we get Bangalore.

If one follows the rules the motorists who want to go fast and break the rules have a problem. If one breaks the rules the pedestrians/traffic over at the other end are inconvenienced. The pedestrian crossers who assume any vehicle at any speed can stop precisely within 2 inches of them endanger not only themselves but the motorists as well. The cops who love to jump out of the bushes to flag down a HMV or 2 wheeler do not understand the traffic flowing behind the target vehicles. Add to this the drain works, medians which are knocked astray, the large potholes at every signal and we have a city best suited only for travel in autos/buses.

I'm hardly a fan of sounding repetitive and complaining about something which simply cannot change but like I said, the circumstances get to even the most patient of us. Lack of safety apart, I think the stress factor is simply too high over here. About time even the social change activists give up, nothing to achieve here.

[rajakumar]

Originally Posted by dass

Yet to come across this species, but I have seen an advanced version of the same. Keeping their younger ones on their laps when driving a car, saw one such gentleman today at my son's school.

I have a seen a little twisted version of this, when the kid was sitting on right edge of the drivers seat. When the driver door opened, the first one to alight was the kid.

[pramodpk]

There were huge craters after the T junction of ECC road and ITPL Hope farm road. Now there is a pit dug blocking one lane while coming from ITPL towards Hope farm leading to a 500 metre pile up of Vehicles. Today one traffic Police man was standing the juncition and not allowing vehicles to turn right in to ECC road. Also, the ECC road is currently being dug up for BWSSB work. The entire ECC road is in terrible shape now.

[sachinpk]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

All this makes me just absolutely detest the behaviour standards and attitude of the creepy-crawlies that occupy space in this city.

The sad part is that, the very same characters you described would be the first ones to point fingers at others (politicians, police officers, BBMP, BMTC etc.). As the saying goes "charity begins at home". Each individual driver having civic sense itself would reduce the current mess we see on the Bangalore roads. The group I mentioned in brackets, they need to improve as well but blaming them as if they are the only trouble makers is incorrect.

To be frank,I don't think such changes would happen in a day, a month or even in next 5 years. A civilisational change is required, a better young crowd with good respect for the nation and laws should be brought up from LKG, UKG etc. When they graduate, we may see a better more socially useful citizens in India. Short term plan should be to decongest the city, by uniformly improving the infrastructure at other places in India. Let the current population in Bangalore be encouraged to disperse. I know many major IT companies now categorically state that they would NOT start any new initiative in Bangalore.

[ambivalent_98]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Our people here in this country have possibly the worst road manners and attitude in the whole wide world.

I sincerely have nothing but hatred and abhorrence in my heart for such road users. It is quite enough to drive one to homicidal tendencies.

1. Monday, getting to office, I had stopped at a pedestrian crossing to allow a young man and his elderly mother (probably) to cross.
2. I was being tailgated for around 1/2 km by a Maroon Fiat Linea with a youngish man driving and an oldish man in the front passenger seat (perhaps his Dad).
3. This Linea honked terribly at me because I had stopped to allow the pedestrians to cross.
4. Then the Linea just swung out into the right lane, overtook me and while the young man and his mother were crossing the pedestrian crossing, he cut right through in front of them, causing them to stop short so as to avoid being hit.

Now what sort of character will do something this horrid?

1.Today, while getting to office, I was waiting for the lights to turn green near Koramangala BDA Complex.
2. While the lights were still red and then when they moved to amber, I noted no less than 5 vehicles jump into the oncoming traffic lane, because it was empty, just to accelerate and beat the queue to the right turn there.
3. Effective time gain would have been perhaps 20 seconds or 30 seconds.
4. The perpetrators were;
A. a bike borne unshaven helmet-less dunderhead (carrying an Infy BackPack)
B. a dark Champagne Duster with fancy alloys and a professional company exec type fellow driving it
C. two motor scooters with ladies driving them - they were all swathed in many layers of cloth (like members of the Tuareg Tribe in the Sahara)
D. a Blue Wagon R containing an exec type creature
E. a Big Grey Ugly Innova with some "Sai Vishram" or something written on it's side, driven by a white uniformed chauffeur and some sort of newspaper reading plutocratic baboon in the rear passenger seat.

All this makes me just absolutely detest the behaviour standards and attitude of the creepy-crawlies that occupy space in this city.

I agree this is horrid.

But it also brings out a question. Who gets right of way at a cross road where there is no one to police it ? You give way but then people take advantage and keep crossing you. There goes your mild manners and gentleman's attitude. So what should one do here ?

Pedestrians especially elderly people or differently abled people must get priority. Here again able bodied young men and women run across the road for dear life causing lots of urgent and screeching brake moments. They take advantage of the good nature of the motorist who has stopped.

I do not know if there is an end to this unless people (motorists and pedestrians) become self aware of the damage they cause when they break rules and give up common sense.

One example of lack of common sense and disrespect for others is the colorful private buses that shuttle throughout the city and can stop absolutely anywhere with a pinch of regret as to the fact that they might be creating a long queue of fellow road users. They want passengers and they get them. They might be on a 6 lane road or a narrow street. They stop and pick up passengers and heckle with them oblivious to the world around. WHY ?

[pratyush6]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Our people here in this country have possibly the worst road manners and attitude in the whole wide world.
..
I sincerely have nothing but hatred and abhorrence in my heart for such road users. It is quite enough to drive one to homicidal tendencies.
..
All this makes me just absolutely detest the behaviour standards and attitude of the creepy-crawlies that occupy space in this city.

We Indians are the absolute champions in selfishness and it shows on the roads. Same incident with me today -twice

First - I need to take a left near Bishops Girls High School and I stop as there are schoolgirls waiting to use the -Pedestrian Crossing- where no one bothers to wait. I get honked by this cab, who cuts from my right and goes, then by a Honda Jazz fellow busy talking on the phone. But I get a thank you from the girls which made me smile.

Second (and more frightening)- On the Old Airport Road, near Domlur Bus Stop, I can see this very young chap (about 8) waiting to cross the road from about 200 mts, when I near him, I get my hands out of my window to signal I am stopping to a closely following TT. He gives me a loud honk, which I ignore, but he stops (more like can't run me over) but this guy in a Zen almost runs him over when trying to cross me from my left. I give him the absolute choicest words to which he cannot say anything, just because of shame.
Meanwhile the young chap is almost shaking with fright, I had to get down and help him cross the road, parked my car and spent about 10 minutes with him to calm him down, called his father who took him away and thanked me to no end. Made me angry about the situation but still felt at peace helping someone out.

There is absolutely no gains in jumping lights, I see this all the time, cars and bikes who jumped the light at the next signal with me - even if one gains it would be miniscule - Is it really worth it? Same is the case with Pedestrian crossings - absolutely no gains whatsoever, but people still do it as if they are running in a race. Are we humans? Or maybe the definition has changed.

[rohanjf]

Reading shankar.balan's experience, I remembered another incident yesterday. I don't know how I forgot this in my previous post!

I was on my way to Whitefield from Doddanekkundi, and was driving through the industrial area. A tipper was in front me, and he stopped at a T junction to take left. At that moment, an Etios taxi came in the oncoming direction and stopped. The driver got down and then started fighting with another guy. The war of words soon turned into a fist fight. Then I noticed the passenger of the taxi; a westerner.

After a while, the fighters moved in front of the tipper in front me and then I couldn't see them. Then suddenly the taxi driver came running and tried to start the car. The other guy came behind him with a rock in his hand, pulled the taxi driver by the sweater and tried to snatch the keys while still holding the rock. The taxi driver managed to defend himself and started the car. The other guy clung on to the door and got dragged a few feet. Then he gave up and then hurled the rock at the taxi. I heard the rock hitting the metal (luckily it didn't hit the rear windshield).

In the meantime, another guy brought the bike to this fighter. Then this guy started his bike gave a chase to the taxi.

I think they just wanted to demonstrate "Brand Bangalore" to the westerner. Bangaloreans have never-give-up attitude. We will fight for our rights. We will punish the guilty.

[binand]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

1. Monday, getting to office, I had stopped at a pedestrian crossing to allow a young man and his elderly mother (probably) to cross.

4. Then the Linea [...] he cut right through in front of them, causing them to stop short so as to avoid being hit.

In my experience, Bangalore hates people who stop or slow down for pedestrians. There never has been a time when I was not harassed for doing so. Even if I point out to other drivers the mom or dad carrying a kid or student picking a dropped book, the expectation is to drive on, damn the walkers.

[reignofchaos]

Originally Posted by rohanjf

Reading shankar.balan's experience, I remembered another incident yesterday. I don't know how I forgot this in my previous post!

I was on my way to Whitefield from Doddanekkundi, and was driving through the industrial area. A tipper was in front me, and he stopped at a T junction to take left. At that moment, an Etios taxi came in the oncoming direction and stopped. The driver got down and then started fighting with another guy. The war of words soon turned into a fist fight. Then I noticed the passenger of the taxi; a westerner.

....

I travel via this exact same route till the Samsung building everyday from whitefield. Day by day, commuting is becoming a nightmare. Because of the rains, there are huge craters everywhere and the little road after alpine eco that joins ORR gets completely jammed daily. It is okay if people behaved sanely but it appears that everyone wants to cut across the wrong way and get to the front of the queue. End result a gigantic mess of traffic .

[sachinpk]

Originally Posted by binand

In my experience, Bangalore hates people who stop or slow down for pedestrians. There never has been a time when I was not harassed for doing so.

We need to really check this part with old Bangaloreans - who have been in the city for ages now. Was the city like this always? Or is it the mad rush which started in late 1990s which kick started this mess?

Don't know if we need to start another thread, which talks about Bangalore of the yester-years. How the city was, when perhaps we put our first step into the city.

[500ContyCruiser]

Found this on one of FB groups.

For people who use Graphite India signal. Has anyone noticed it?

Since I hardly travel this place, I cannot confirm on the authenticity of the picture. Someone can confirm ??

In case this is true. Not sure what happened to the project.

What happened to the funds allocated? 1,550 Lakhs