[jeevmenon]

Help/Suggestions solicited:

Full beam headlights gets reflected from my RVM and straight on to my face as if I have the spot-light on a stage show. Music does not help either - a racy Hindi one which just happened to be playing as I was parked on the Velachery signal (at the Taramani-link road end which connects the Velachery main road.) How do I get out of this mess of which I was a part for the past 30 min. Why? Dont you take this route daily? No. Then why today? New median built on the Tambaram road - KFC/McD road. This median building is happening at a lot of places in the city (maybe to avoid humans crossing and to close out vehicles criss-crossing - they could have built it a bit higher so that the opposing headlights does not hit you.) And so I cannot come down the Velachery Rly Station flyover and take a right into the McD lane into my home. So whats the next best option? Start on OMR, dont take the left onto the radial road at Thoraipakkam to Velachery, instead drive till Lifeline take left till American school, take left onto the Taramani link road and into Velachery. That way I need to pay just Rs 19 instead of 35. Wow! Brilliant idea. But tell you what - its horrendous. RMZ millenia road - its so crowded and hardly an auto can get thru one-way, the rest of the road is totally pot-hole ridden or intentional-digs with all kinds of traffic. My infinite salutes to whoever dwells here. Talking about infinity the TVS moped has this mileage for sure judging by its speed and assuming lower the speed higher the mileage. Why is it not fazed out? The most inefficient fuel consuming vehicle ever. The Taramani road on the other hand is not lit at all and both your right tires are at a higher altitude than the left tires (thanks to the partial road which has been in existence for ages now,) making an awkward angle while driving. Then there are swarms of bikes all around you. Driving tests should be taken here and if a newbie comes out unscathed should be definitely honored. The medians are half-done and adds to the misery. At the Velachery signal the new avatar of the meter-taxi - the Tata Magics are around who are on the prowl for more and more people and just wont budge. Finally home. What is the alternative?

1. To come from the Rly bridge and cross the 15 min traffic signal on the Tambaram road side and then get on to the by-pass road side and stay in traffic there too and then come back into the Tambaram road in the opposite direction (the desired direction.)

2. To come from the Rly bridge and cross the 15 min traffic signal on the Tambaram road side, cross the bus-depot, then take a 'U' at the Ganga sweets. Is a 'U' allowed there? This area is messy anyway.

3. ??

4. Take the bike? But with all the fumes/heat/dust its a bit uncomfortable without having a thorough wash at the end of your journeys.

[YaeJay]

Originally Posted by Gansan

My Alto's rear bumper was banged by a biker with pillion yesterday on the Vandalur-Kelambakkam road, when I had to brake sharply for a sudden pothole. Pulled up to investigate - the LTD sticker is damaged, yellow paint from the sticker is smeared on to the black bumper. Bumper itself is not damaged. But when I pressed the area the bumper moved in a bit easily. Found upon inspection that a screw behind the bumper fastening it to the body had given way. Must get it fixed on the next visit to MSM.

Fortunately they did not fall down and pulled up to me. The rider was quite shaken and scolded me for rash driving and endangering his safety. I just smiled, called him an idiot and got in to the car to proceed on my way, as my wife and son were inside. We were on our way to Pondy to visit the Ashram and this soured the mood initially, so stopped at Mahabs for breakfast and coffee before continuing.

It was an isolated stretch of road, so no spectators who could side with the biker!

reminds me of an incident years back at the vadapalani signal. I have stopped at the signal which was red before I approached it. absolutely no traffic (about 6:30am or so dont remember), this is the only M800 parked on the middle lane before the stop line. I have this habit of glancing on the mirrors once inside the car, I see a two wheeler approaching and then Bang. I step out of the car to inspect, a couple, the woman is on the road, guy looks shocked, luckily my rear bumper is not damaged, he hit it right on the stub that supports the bumper. I just ask him to be more careful and get back inside the car.

Then we realize we are not really alone. There is this loveable cop at the junction, he starts walking towards the biker and the biker panics starts his bike back and tries to get away and the only thing that ruined it was the new shape of his front wheels, they had taken a sort of a new oval design! It sure was a fun sight, everyone had a good laugh, me, the cop and the biker .( but for some reason the cop must have been the happiest of the lot!)

Originally Posted by DWind

The funny thing is they put a temporary board of 40 KMPH at SRP tools junction when they are on collection-duty. Else, the board goes missing. Noticed yesterday that the cops were there everywhere. Maybe they had spent a lot, the previous day in celebrating (they were missing in action on the road).

what do you mean they were celebrating? din't you know thats thats their SRP tools office?

[DWind]

By Celebrating, I meant along with the whole world on account of India's world cup victory. The next day (Sunday) saw them at almost every traffic junction, eager for prey.

[supremeBaleno]

Around 10PM yesterday night, spotted a broken down Verna opposite Hotel Checkers, near Little Mount, with the occupants (few young chaps) standing beside it. It was in the centre lane of the 1-way road and did not look like it hit any car or was hit from behind. The front-left wheel was turned outside and seemed dislocated (front axle broke ?) with the car front dipped downwards. As I passed by, in the RVM I could see fluid patch under the car. Could not take a snap as traffic was piling up and cops were diverting traffic on both sides of the car.

[DWind]

@SB
I suspect the Verna hit the kerb which juts out suddenly on the curve near Chellamal Women's college entrance (opp the Ashok Leyland office). The barricades does not help either. I almost had crashed into it when an MTC bus tried to push me towards it.
@Jeev
The Perungudi - Tharamani link road is being blacktopped (just a thin layer of asphalt) which would make your journey slightly better. (Relatively speaking) But looks like your life will be ruined for the next 2 years when the Link road is made broader and they start building that flyover (don't know how) at the twin junctions if Vijaya Nagar.

BTW isn't there supposed to be a Ring road being built parallel to Tharamani MRTS (at least as per Chennai Master Plan XXX)? Where does that road meet the Velachery flyover?

[crossroads]

Originally Posted by jeevmenon

Help/Suggestions solicited:

Finally home. What is the alternative?

1. To come from the Rly bridge and cross the 15 min traffic signal on the Tambaram road side and then get on to the by-pass road side and stay in traffic there too and then come back into the Tambaram road in the opposite direction (the desired direction.)

2. To come from the Rly bridge and cross the 15 min traffic signal on the Tambaram road side, cross the bus-depot, then take a 'U' at the Ganga sweets. Is a 'U' allowed there? This area is messy anyway.

3. ??.

U turn is allowed before the bus depot. No need to go all the way till Ganga Sweets.

[vineetmanghani]

What's with all these stupid barricades (like the ones on OMR) which have been put up all over the city? Velachery main road towards Tambaram and GST Road, where there used to be only the odd barricade, now look like the OMR, with barricades every few metres.

Is this something to do with the elections, or a lifelong menace?

[haithereitsme]

Originally Posted by vineetmanghani

What's with all these stupid barricades (like the ones on OMR) which have been put up all over the city? Velachery main road towards Tambaram and GST Road, where there used to be only the odd barricade, now look like the OMR, with barricades every few metres.

Is this something to do with the elections, or a lifelong menace?

Thats the Chennai Traffic Police's idea of reducing population. Catch you by surprise if your driving over 50 on these wide roads , with barricades have a million colours but not a single colour that reflects.

I wonder if our CTP have road sense on the type of equipments to use for lane diversion, traffic blocking etc.

[VW2010]

What's with all these stupid barricades (like the ones on OMR)

It has reduced accidents to an extent. One cannot be over 100 at any stretch reducing the chances of error. I initially felt irritated. But i see its much safer when everyones slowing down at specific junctions where J walking is the way of life.

[supremeBaleno]

Maybe it helps reduce speeding, but I am sure there are other better ways to do it, including the overhead walkways that the pedestrians should be ideally using. As it is, we are paying toll for a road with just 2 lanes (service lane etc not complete) and then they block one of the lanes leading to huge traffic jams on what is supposed to be the IT-highway.

An example is the barrier they put on the hi-speed lane just before the U-turn after ASV Suntech park. Since I have to take that U I would be on the centre lane only to see the barrier, which means I have to now move left to the 2nd lane and then a quick right again to the right. Leads to a traffic holdup that sometimes extends for many hundred metres.

[vineetmanghani]

Originally Posted by VW2010

It has reduced accidents to an extent. One cannot be over 100 at any stretch reducing the chances of error. I initially felt irritated. But i see its much safer when everyones slowing down at specific junctions where J walking is the way of life.

Oh please, that's the most lameass way of reducing speeds on the road! Chennai is the only city in the country I've seen where they employ these stupid barricades. First they take years building wide roads, charge toll, and then put up these barricades to make people from going fast (OMR, ECR). And what's with putting them up during morning/evening rush hour?

Moreover, these barricades are a hazard on the road, since they're not visible till the last moment sometimes. Many a time it happens that I move to the right lane to overtake a heavy vehicle and ooooo what's that, a speed reducing killing machine in my way!

Why can't they put in good old fashioned speed breakers like the rest of the sane world?

[swiftdiesel]

There are a couple of traffic policemen waiting on the Marina Beach Road, next to the lighthouse intersection with a speed camera. Amazes me as to how a vehicle can speed above 60 km/h from Gandhi statue traffic light to this intersection, with all that traffic! Yet, I find these cops stopping cars and penalising drivers for over-speeding! Perhaps, another ingenious method of the cops to rip-off law abiding citizens.

[headers]

Originally Posted by swiftdiesel

There are a couple of traffic policemen waiting on the Marina Beach Road, next to the lighthouse intersection with a speed camera. Amazes me as to how a vehicle can speed above 60 km/h from Gandhi statue traffic light to this intersection, with all that traffic! Yet, I find these cops stopping cars and penalising drivers for over-speeding! Perhaps, another ingenious method of the cops to rip-off law abiding citizens.

@Swiftdiesel: One can easily do 100 kph and brake BEFORE that Speed Camera, especially in a swift diesel DDIS.

Cops are getting smarter nowadays!

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by vineetmanghani

Chennai is the only city in the country I've seen where they employ these stupid barricades.

Used to be only Chennai, but now they have company - cops have started putting these barricades in Kerala too. And guess where ? On the highway.

Have noticed them on the stretch of NH47 between Kayankulam and Kollam - maybe at other stretches too, but this is where I travel mostly. As it is, this so-called NH is just a 2-lane, median-less road and then they have to put these barricades to slow down traffic further.

BTW, one commonality I noticed was the sponsor (textile showrooms) - remember seeing a Chennai Silks sponsored one at Kerala.

[anekho]

Anyone been to Thejas Autospa? They have a Snapdeal on in Chennai. A bit more vary of these now after the Carnation fiasco!