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Old 4th January 2013, 21:42   #1516
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re: Traffic and life on the roads in Chennai

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Originally Posted by supremeBaleno View Post
Spotted you driving out of the basement parking @ ASV yesterday a little after 5PM in the Cruze with a passenger in the front seat.
Were you in your Baleno??Missed the bus yesterday,so decided to take the car.


Anybody travel by the 13th Main Road Anna Nagar frequently?This is probably the second time they have patched up in the last few months and road is breaking up yet again!!Why can't they just re-lay the road properly once??

Last edited by KINI : 4th January 2013 at 21:52.
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Old 5th January 2013, 14:14   #1517
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re: Traffic and life on the roads in Chennai

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Originally Posted by Marlon
Does this wine red Alto have Air Force Stickers also ? If so then it is my cousins alto. He took a bunch of Team- Bhp stickers from me.
Yesterday saw the car when I left work around 9PM. Checked the car allround and saw "Air Force" sticker at the rear. So, yes this should be your cousin's car.

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Were you in your Baleno??Missed the bus yesterday,so decided to take the car.
Naah, was standing in the smoking area when you drove by.
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Old 10th January 2013, 15:04   #1518
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re: Traffic and life on the roads in Chennai

Guys what is this habit in Chennai of pulling forward in red signals ? Extremely annoying. Not just bikers, even the cars do it. I just hold short of the stop line until I see green. Sometimes it is so annoying (apart from risky) that you stop your vehicle on the on coming vehicle's path causing a jam to the other side. Are we Indians sadists or simply brainless ??
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Old 10th January 2013, 15:21   #1519
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re: Traffic and life on the roads in Chennai

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Guys what is this habit in Chennai of pulling forward in red signals ? ...
You stop at red lights ???

How would you like it if someone asked you to stop your aircraft in mid-flight


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Originally Posted by BoeingDriver View Post
..Extremely annoying. Not just bikers, even the cars do it. I just hold short of the stop line until I see green. Sometimes it is so annoying (apart from risky) that you stop your vehicle on the on coming vehicle's path causing a jam to the other side. Are we Indians sadists or simply brainless ??
On a more serious note, I agree with you, it is very annoying.

Over time, I think you just get used to it ("This is my India"), and prepare yourself accordingly (like moving over to the left lane and stopping, in case any huge vehicle/govt bus/party-flag-flying-SUV) is coming behind you as the signal is just turning red).

PS : nice signature !

Last edited by Blue Thunder : 10th January 2013 at 15:24.
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Old 10th January 2013, 17:02   #1520
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re: Traffic and life on the roads in Chennai

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Guys what is this habit in Chennai of pulling forward in red signals ? Extremely annoying. Not just bikers, even the cars do it. I just hold short of the stop line until I see green. Sometimes it is so annoying (apart from risky) that you stop your vehicle on the on coming vehicle's path causing a jam to the other side. Are we Indians sadists or simply brainless ??
The people who do what you have mentioned might or might not be sadists or brainless but when they see a signal about to turn red or about to turn green, they suddenly become very time conscious and want to save those few seconds/minutes which become very valuable .

In the signals with countdown timers, its still worse. As the count down gets into single digits, the few people who actually respect the signal and end up in the front of the queue are subjected to a musical symphony from buses/bikes/cabs etc. Much as I like this symphony, I would like the signal timers to be removed completely, at least when the signal is red.
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Old 11th January 2013, 16:41   #1521
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re: Traffic and life on the roads in Chennai

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Guys what is this habit in Chennai of pulling forward in red signals ?
Hee hee, I remember the time when I stopped at a red light and the guy behind me hit my bumper, right in front of a traffic cop. When I got down to complain about it, the cop asked me why I had stopped?

Just go with the flow buddy, Go with the flow.
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Old 11th January 2013, 17:55   #1522
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re: Traffic and life on the roads in Chennai

If I am right, I think you guys misunderstood BoeingDriver's grouse. He is not talking about jumping redlights or driving fast across the signal as it turns red.

He is talking about the other odd driving-habit seen in Chennai (and maybe other cities too), where people standing at a red-signal slowly move their bikes/cars forward even though it is not green yet. So, even while it is green for the other sides, you have the whole crowd at mid of the road, causing a jam. Don;t know why people can't wait for those few seconds/minutes till the green comes on.

Last edited by supremeBaleno : 11th January 2013 at 17:57.
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Old 11th January 2013, 18:42   #1523
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This is mainly because of our own MTC buses and some Autowalas. Rest if the crowd simply follow the bigger vehicle.
Everyday I spend some good time crossing Guindy railway station area in Race Course road side.
No body obeys the traffic rules and MTC bus drivers used to rash driving in oncoming lane and overpasses everyone and cut cross and stop in the middle of the road for passengers.
I have complained to Traffic Police and Facebook page many times and no response till now.
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Old 11th January 2013, 19:11   #1524
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re: Traffic and life on the roads in Chennai

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Originally Posted by supremeBaleno View Post
If I am right, I think you guys misunderstood BoeingDriver's grouse. He is not talking about jumping redlights or driving fast across the signal as it turns red.

He is talking about the other odd driving-habit seen in Chennai (and maybe other cities too), where people standing at a red-signal slowly move their bikes/cars forward even though it is not green yet. So, even while it is green for the other sides, you have the whole crowd at mid of the road, causing a jam. Don;t know why people can't wait for those few seconds/minutes till the green comes on.
This mainly happens because in no section of the signal traffic stops immediately after the lights turn to yellow. People are mostly accelerating when the see yellow and when the lights move to Red, people are probably redlining rather than braking. So the other side, starts inching forward so that the moment it turns yellow, they are already moving . This is extremely risk though
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Old 23rd January 2013, 23:05   #1525
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re: Traffic and life on the roads in Chennai

The useless/deadly contraptions are back again on Chennai roads

After a gap of many months, the deadly contraptions aka barricades are back again on Chennai roads - especially on OMR and ECR (not sure about other roads). As if we don't have issues with traffic, they have these lined up on the roads leading to traffic chokes. And this time around, they have set them up so idiotically (covering the breadth of the road leaving just a little space for vehicles to pass through) that you need to be a car-acrobat to drive around them - must be a real pain for the bus-drivers.

Today I did a drive to Mudaliarkuppam during the day and all along the ECR till the toll and maybe a little beyond that, they had barricades put up every few kms. I feel like renting a truck, loading all of the barricades in the truck and dumping them in the Cooum.

Last edited by supremeBaleno : 23rd January 2013 at 23:06.
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Old 24th January 2013, 02:05   #1526
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re: Traffic and life on the roads in Chennai

I suppose it's speed control. But how does anybody think that an unlit object in the middle of a road does anything to promote safety?
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Old 24th January 2013, 06:30   #1527
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re: Traffic and life on the roads in Chennai

Quote:
Originally Posted by supremeBaleno View Post
The useless/deadly contraptions are back again on Chennai roads

After a gap of many months, the deadly contraptions aka barricades are back again on Chennai roads - especially on OMR and ECR (not sure about other roads). As if we don't have issues with traffic, they have these lined up on the roads leading to traffic chokes. And this time around, they have set them up so idiotically (covering the breadth of the road leaving just a little space for vehicles to pass through) that you need to be a car-acrobat to drive around them - must be a real pain for the bus-drivers.

Today I did a drive to Mudaliarkuppam during the day and all along the ECR till the toll and maybe a little beyond that, they had barricades put up every few kms. I feel like renting a truck, loading all of the barricades in the truck and dumping them in the Cooum.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom View Post
I suppose it's speed control. But how does anybody think that an unlit object in the middle of a road does anything to promote safety?
Last sunday, i had a drive to Pondichery, and got caught in a 20 min traffic block. Only to realise later that a barricade put in an improper fashion on the road caused all the mayhem!
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Old 24th January 2013, 13:17   #1528
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The traffic chaos around Mylapore and Gemini due to Republic day practice is ridiculous! To maintain the decorum of the forum I'm restraining myself from using the choicest expletives! Do we really need a parade at the cost of kids going to school late, office goers unable to reach their office on time? As if the daily peak hour chaos isn't enough we have this ridiculous parade practice at rush hour! With all the exits to Santhome high road cordoned off how are people meant to reach their offices, houses and schools on that road? Are the Chennai traffic police such dimwits? Going by my harrowing experience this morning I reckon they are! Amidst this chaos there was an ambulance stuck in this gridlock! Again, do we need a parade over someone's dead body? Do they need a public road to conduct this? Why can't it be conducted in an arena like the Chepauk stadium?

I won't have an iota of enjoyment on January 26 looking at the parade that was practiced at the cost of someone's life, not to mention the mental trauma on the road to motorists and innocent school going kids and their parents! Absolutely ridiculous!
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Old 24th January 2013, 13:53   #1529
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re: Traffic and life on the roads in Chennai

Forget the once in a year practice for January 26th. It seems to be a daily deal for police to block traffic on Sardar patel road - almost every alternate day with traffic piling up all the way past Madhya Kailash. The signal at Tidel, Ascendas/NIFT and SRP takes over 30 minutes. I have been using an android app called IOnRoad - which indicates for a commute of 60 minutes for me - my moving time is 25 minutes and stopping time is around 35 minutes. Average speed - 14kmph ! I travel from home in Nungambakkam to Kandanchavadi for work and back.
Any suggestions on alternate routes ?
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Old 24th January 2013, 14:18   #1530
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re: Traffic and life on the roads in Chennai

@Sushil, you could avoid going via MadhyaKailash and instead go via Velachery to Kandanchavadi. I believe the stretch between Vijaynagar and SRP tools is not that good, but then its a chance to put your Thar to the test.
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