[raghu.t.k]

Noticed this van with a camcorder on top. This was on the Inner Ring road connecting GST to Velachery.

Any idea what is it for or anyone seen this earlier ?

[Kaumad]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Had a query about parking. Need to be at the US Embassy and their VAC at Cenotaph Road for US visa interview/OFC this week.
Are there safe (as in, car won't be towed away) parking options around these 2 locations ?
- For Cenotaph Road, is there an option to park under the flyover ?
- What about the US Embassy at Cathedral Road ?

Sorry, I understand this response is delayed and not valid anymore, but nevertheless.
I park my car in the Ispahani Centre car-park and walk to the Embassy. I have done this a couple times during the past years - once for my own appointment and once and when my sister had one and I needed to wait, after dropping her. Its just a 200 mts walk from the Embassy. No hassles, secure and stress-free.

[kiku007]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Thanks, callvvijay !!! Today took a bus from Thoraipakkam to MadhyaKailash and then an auto from there to Cenotaph road - quick, hassle-free & economical too. Same for return.
Left office at 1:30PM and was back in office at 4PM.

The Embassy visit is early in the morning - will have to depend on a cab. These are the times I wish I was staying in the city, instead of the outskirts. Sholinganallur to Gemini makes me feel like a cross-country ride.

For the US Embassy @ Cathedral Road, you can park conveniently at the Semmozhi Poonga right opposite to it. I've done that.

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by Kaumad

I park my car in the Ispahani Centre car-park and walk to the Embassy. No hassles, secure and stress-free.

I did think of this option, but was not sure it would be open as early as 7:30AM - my interview was at 8AM.

Originally Posted by kiku007

For the US Embassy @ Cathedral Road, you can park conveniently at the Semmozhi Poonga right opposite to it. I've done that.

I did not know that it had a parking. Most times I have seen the park closed. So wish the Woodlands drive-in still existed there. And not just for the parking, but for a place to hang-out with friends - we have had some tbhp meets there too.

Anyway, I took an Ola mini cab from office at 7AM and was at the Embassy by 7:25 - 280bucks (which included a Rs50 peak hour charge).
Was out of the embassy at 8:40AM, caught a bus to Saidapet and another from there to Thoraipakkam - for 15bucks was back in office by 10AM
Nothing to beat Chennai PTS.

[hserus]

Originally Posted by raghu.t.k

Noticed this van with a camcorder on top. This was on the Inner Ring road connecting GST to Velachery.

Any idea what is it for or anyone seen this earlier ?

Most likely for some TV channel to capture roadside scenes for the news.

[raghu.t.k]

Originally Posted by hserus

Most likely for some TV channel to capture roadside scenes for the news.

It was moving at a slow pace while capturing. There was no other crew or anybody else along with the van, just the driver. Also he was not stopping or anything just moving on while the camcorder was on (not sure if it was recording), since I could see the LCD.

[hserus]

Originally Posted by raghu.t.k

It was moving at a slow pace while capturing. There was no other crew or anybody else along with the van, just the driver. Also he was not stopping or anything just moving on while the camcorder was on (not sure if it was recording), since I could see the LCD.

It could be that the van is just capturing stock footage of a road. Or it is driving somewhere to cover a particular incident, and the camera being powered by the van's battery, its LCD is lit up.

[callvvijay]

Originally Posted by kiku007

For the US Embassy @ Cathedral Road, you can park conveniently at the Semmozhi Poonga right opposite to it. I've done that.

Might be the security guard was not there when you had visited.

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

I did not know that it had a parking. Most times I have seen the park closed. So wish the Woodlands drive-in still existed there. And not just for the parking, but for a place to hang-out with friends - we have had some tbhp meets there too.

The one time my friend did this (a few months back), he was almost shooed away by the security guard in the park. The guard had told him that he can distinguish between those going to the park and those going to the Embassy - neatly tucked-in formal attire. He had to convince the guard with some $$.

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by raghu.t.k

Noticed this van with a camcorder on top. This was on the Inner Ring road connecting GST to Velachery.

Any idea what is it for or anyone seen this earlier ?

Originally Posted by hserus

Most likely for some TV channel to capture roadside scenes for the news.

It can be Google street view or similar (Wonobo) camera vehicles.

Though, I guess they should be having camera covering 360 degrees.

You can see the earlier discussion here & here.

[kiku007]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

I did not know that it had a parking. Most times I have seen the park closed. So wish the Woodlands drive-in still existed there. And not just for the parking, but for a place to hang-out with friends - we have had some tbhp meets there too.

Originally Posted by callvvijay

Might be the security guard was not there when you had visited.



The one time my friend did this (a few months back), he was almost shooed away by the security guard in the park. The guard had told him that he can distinguish between those going to the park and those going to the Embassy - neatly tucked-in formal attire. He had to convince the guard with some $$.

I did pay the parking fee and the Security or the parking attendant didn't have any issue. I wonder what happened between then and now. Sorry about that!

[hserus]

The main issue is that guests who are going to visit the actual park will get left with no place to park their vehicle, if US visa appointment people keep parking there. Whether or not they pay the fee is less of a concern than people visiting the park being stuck because visa applicants personal vehicles, call taxis on waiting etc etc are all hanging around there

[supremeBaleno]

Apparently there was an accident and a consequent big hold-up on OMR around Thoraipakkam today morning. Anyone has details on the cause / accident ?

Couple days ago, there was a hit-and-run on OMR near the Infosys office in which a lady lost her life - not sure if she was on bike or walking across OMR. Traffic was held up towards Kelambakkam side due to the accident - due to crowds/motorists stopping where the fatality occurred. Did not see anything about it in next day's papers though.

[tanwaramit]

Originally Posted by raghu.t.k

Noticed this van with a camcorder on top. This was on the Inner Ring road connecting GST to Velachery.

Any idea what is it for or anyone seen this earlier ?

Thats vidteq. More details here - http://vidteq.com/

They have a good concept of showing the route maps via videos.

So if you want to travel from Jayanagar to ITPL (Bangalore) Or from Adyar to Airport (in Chennai). See the video route, get directions. So you know how exactly the roads, cuts etc you can expect.

Pretty good stuff.

Online real estate portals like Indiaproperty.com are also using their services to show the last mile connectivity to a property.

[raghu.t.k]

Originally Posted by tanwaramit

Thats vidteq. More details here - http://vidteq.com/

They have a good concept of showing the route maps via videos.

So if you want to travel from Jayanagar to ITPL (Bangalore) Or from Adyar to Airport (in Chennai). See the video route, get directions. So you know how exactly the roads, cuts etc you can expect.

.....
.

Thats interesting, would have been good if they had worked along with Google maps.

[Thad E Ginathom]

if they had worked along with Google maps.

Well, Street view of course, but the Indian govt won't allow it.