[Thad E Ginathom]

Average speed - 14kmph

You do that well? Average speeds in London, years ago, were less!

London also seems to have a policy of running events which interfere with traffic. It is a very anti-car city. Much of the roads are restricted by bus lanes (and cameras ensure a stiff fine!), engineering is done to constrict traffic, not keep it flowing, Signal intervals are long reds (and apart from the traditional respect for such things, again, there are cameras).

Really, actually, we don't have it so bad here! Whilst a bit more respect for our ecology wouldn't go amiss, at least we don't suffer the absurdly exaggeratedly "politically-correct" anti-car brigade.

[sjcherian]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

@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.

Vijaynagar bustand signal is a beast and the road to SRP is narrow and slow moving.

In the evening I was taking the dirt track/road behind Acendas for a couple of days and travelling all the way till near IIT (in 15 minutes from Kandanchavadi to IIT)- however the initial stretch became very bad with sewage and so have to avoid that as well. Now I sit on OMR and breathe fumes.

I think taking the cycle may be the best bet soon !

Marina beach wears a festive look as it gets ready for Republic Day celebrations on 26 January 2013. I walk there every evening and find busy police personnel, PWD/Corporation contractors' workers and bomb-detection squad with sniffer dogs work over-time to ensure that everything goes as per schedule. Powerful lights have been installed, the statues of the Mahatma and Sivaji Ganesan cleaned and given new coats of paint, the roads repaired, road-curb, centre-line and zebra-crossings painted and the entire stretch of Dr Radhakrishnan Salai leading to Marina spruced up.

[vishnu.csk]

The intersection that comes after DLF IT park, manapakkam is really a horrible place. With no police personnel being there to guide it is very difficult to cross that place as there are vehicles that come from all the sides. I have to take the u turn to proceed towards guindy but its a pain most of the times. Even during the peak hours the police is not there sometimes to guide the traffic

[arvind71181]

Any body knows the reason why there is a huge jam for the past 2-3 days on the road when going from Meenakshi hospital to Velachery?

Therer are a couple of road barriers which do contribute to the jam, but it continues even after that all the way upto the signal just before the flyover. I see the same jam in the mornings as well when I travel on the other side.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by arvind71181

Any body knows the reason why there is a huge jam for the past 2-3 days on the road when going from Meenakshi hospital to Velachery?

Therer are a couple of road barriers which do contribute to the jam, but it continues even after that all the way upto the signal just before the flyover. I see the same jam in the mornings as well when I travel on the other side.

I take that route daily, and IMO- the potholes formed in that junction (before flyover) is the main reason. Even when signal turns green, only few vehicles can cross it, as everyone takes it slow through the potholes. Also, due to these same potholes, vehicles crossing the signal just when light turns red, keeps blocking vehicular traffic from other sides for atleast a minute more.

[ThePunter]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

I take that route daily, and IMO- the potholes formed in that junction (before flyover) is the main reason. Even when signal turns green, only few vehicles can cross it, as everyone takes it slow through the potholes. Also, due to these same potholes, vehicles crossing the signal just when light turns red, keeps blocking vehicular traffic from other sides for atleast a minute more.

Yesterday and today- both days I too have got stuck due to this reason for at least 25 min & 15 min respectively L. Yes indeed the potholes play a HUGE role.
Add the havoc created by vehicles (especially MTC buses) which are about to turn right into Madipakkam road – They form a widest possible left lane and wait at the junction there by blocking free flow of vehicles taking right 'from' Madipakkam road towards Pallikaranai. I wonder what the TP standing there do to this!!?

The other "new" jam created by opening of Phoenix mall due to those dividing blocks put all across the median – This adds another 10+ min (if so lucky!!) to the commute. However I personally feel it is not so bad given the less available width of the entire road over there. Otherwise 2 / 4 wheelers would be all over that place giving scant regard overtaking the vehicles going "in-line". This jam is also evident in the opposite direction, just after crossing the check post signal, till Phoenix front.

[rock18]

Originally Posted by arvind71181

Any body knows the reason why there is a huge jam for the past 2-3 days on the road when going from Meenakshi hospital to Velachery?

Therer are a couple of road barriers which do contribute to the jam, but it continues even after that all the way upto the signal just before the flyover. I see the same jam in the mornings as well when I travel on the other side.

I also had the same question. why all of a sudden there is a big traffic pile up before the taramani fly over.
nowadays I can see a new menace happening in that place. i.e SRM College bus(yellow colour air conditioned bus),there are three or four buses trying to race with each other, scaring everyone with their blaring horns.driving with them is a nightmare. I am trying to drive a bit rashly to get away from them as far as possible but its very very difficult.

[aargee]

An incident to munch for today...

This morning on enroute to my office today, I see a clear GREEN signal at Porur junction from about 300 meters & the reason is simple, relatively free traffic & there was one Splendor two-up & a Govt bus taking extreme right from bus stop (as usual)...

So as I'm crossing the junction, people from left & right start jumping the signal & it so happened that, there was this ACE guy trying to jump in front of me due to which I brake & he brakes; meanwhile this drama goes on, there're other finding opportunities to jump & by then the signal turns RED on me.

Cops, needless to say about 4-5 of them manning the AUTOMATIC signal, ask me to pull over. I park my bike away from them, lock the bike, walk towards them & ask what?

So the one in uniform asks me to remove my helmet in authoritative voice; as usual, when I remove, their facial expressions & tones softens...as usual...

Me : I see a 2-up splendor, bus moving from bus stop and...
Cop(s) : Tell me what you were doing, not about others
Me : I see the GREEN signal & I'm crossing the junction
Cop(s) : Did you see the ACE coming or not?
Me : Ofcourse, I did see he was jumping the signal and...
Cop(s) : Then why did you cross the junction
Me : Sir, you tell me, should I cross the junction when the light is GREEN or RED?
Cop(s) : Which signal did you see
Me : Pointing to right extreme one - Damn sure it was GREEN
Cop(s) : Did you see the one in center?
Me : I'm not sure, I may have, I might not
Cop(s) : You should always see the one in the center
Me : Should I stop when it's GREEN or RED?
Cop(s) : Frankly, we don't want to see an accident here & that is what we're trying to do
Me : Perfect Sir; I appreciate that, it would've made more sense if you'd stopped that ACE & asked him the same you're asking me now
Cop(s) : He didn't stop for it
Me : Yea, precisely why I'm standing here just because I stopped at the very sign when you asked me to
Cop(s) : Sir, it's for your own safety we're saying this
Me : Yes, I really appreciate that & I'm not an unsafe rider either, which is clearly evident from the sticker on my CBR that says "SAFETY FIRST"
Cop(s) : You shouldn't be arguing, ideally you should be saying sorry & make things smoother
Me : Should I stop when it's GREEN or RED? I'm damn sure the signal on right extreme was GREEN, not about the one in center. If I should be stopping at the junction when it's GREEN, then I'm ready to apologize.
Cop(s) : ???
Me : If you want you can start watching me, I cross this junction right about the same time everyday & you can call me the day I stop beyond the stop line forget alone about jumping the signal
Cop(s) : Ok, get going Sir, it's getting late for you...

And I walk back to my bike & start riding towards office...

*** There's more in the conversation (that I couldn't recall now) when the Police were siding with the ACE guy saying the vehicles that carries load do not jump the signal. By then one of the Police asked me to leave as it was getting late & so I push off ***

I'm left with mixed feeling...
1. Do I need to start thinking more practically?
2. Do I need to get going with the crowd/group irrespective of what the law says?
3. If the Police are passing the buck like this without enforcing the law, how safe are we going to leave this place for our Children? Like I keep saying, ofcourse for fun, "THE WORST IS YET TO COME", I'm not thinking that day is not too far
4. Most importantly, should I start change my mindset on "Be the change you want to see in the world"?

[AlphaKilo]

Originally Posted by aargee

An incident to munch for today...

I'm left with mixed feeling...
1. Do I need to start thinking more practically?
2. Do I need to get going with the crowd/group irrespective of what the law says?
3. If the Police are passing the buck like this without enforcing the law, how safe are we going to leave this place for our Children? Like I keep saying, ofcourse for fun, "THE WORST IS YET TO COME", I'm not thinking that day is not too far
4. Most importantly, should I start change my mindset on "Be the change you want to see in the world"?

Not advicing you but since we are sailing on the same boat, just what I feel!
1. Don't give up on the driving style. The rules have been in place for a reason and were invented for a proper reason and what's happening in TN/Chennai - please! its neither practical nor possible! Its an utter wastage of humans lives.

2. Police - slowly they are turning to be a joke like in several other states. Especially Traffic cops themselves encouraging people to start before actual green comes/red when no traffic and at times not having any logical road sense! They are just looking at short-term solutions and clearing the issues in their zone.

3. Be the change you want to see in this world - you are already a change sir.

P.S: I am too a biker and I can share the pain you are going through being a strict rule follower. We are laughed at by people back home and threated by vehicles larger than ours on the roads and unnecessarily troubled by the protectors of law, the very Police!

In your case, you have been lucky to have left to go in my case, I was fined INR 100 for arguing with the Police seargant (for the a similar scenario) - place Teynampet signal (SIET crossing).

[aargee]

Dear AlphaKilo, this is one part of the story; want to know what happened last week?

Last week, the signal at Manapkkam started working quite surprisingly, which ideally doesn't work so early in the morning. As usual, I was the only joker to stop, which is fine by me.

But I have this habit of watching the RVM as I slow down & come to full stop. As usual, after a full stop, I notice an Indica who almost crashed me, but some how he severed at the last minute & avoided me. My heart really sank for a moment when I heard the Indica's tire screeched. And believe me, I DID NOT stop right in front of Indica. There was a good, may be 10 seconds when this entire thing happened.

This is not just one, even today morning, a Xylo honked like mad at another signal & ofcourse I didn't move an inch beyond the stop line. Anyway, one good thing is that as expected the Xylo entered into our office campus & I gave him "KINDLY f*** off" kind of talk & eventually the conversation ended with great Indian Sorry

Every morning, I'm battling with my life at the signals; I'm literally scared as when a HCV (Thanks to Lord Yama's benomi - the super rash college buses) or a car or another two-wheeler is going to rear end me. Sometime I really wonder if I should really put my life to risk just for the sake of law; and prove what? To whom?

Point is that, I don't know what to do now? Should I go with the system or...get killed in the process of wanting to see the so called "change"? I frankly don't think the law in this country is worthier than my life!!!

Originally Posted by AlphaKilo

2. Police - slowly they...short-term solutions and clearing the issues in their zone

Well said & I agree beyond any limits with you on this

Originally Posted by AlphaKilo

In your case, you have been lucky...Teynampet signal (SIET crossing).

Well, I'm not scared of them especially when I haven't done any mistake. I'll really pull up their socks if I were offended for no fault of mine except on the grounds of speeding, which I will agree without a blink.

Ride in the peak hours, my vehicle is rear ended; ride off peak hours I'm penalized for following the law. I really don't know what to do!!!

I'm literally scared when Bajaj & Honda are launching new products especially on the "sports" models; with every manufacturer turning their attention to this country & the chaos & disorder (so called law & order) prevailing, I don't know if we will leave any place for our children to even ride or drive, forget peacefulness for now

It's more of confusion than terrifying as what path to choose? To stick with Law & suffer or be part of the system & live?

[AlphaKilo]

Originally Posted by aargee

Dear AlphaKilo, ...

It's more of confusion than terrifying as what path to choose? To stick with Law & suffer or be part of the system & live?

The following post could be bit OT and sound like a RANT/Advice - Mods and fellow BHPians please bear with me.

As I said before I fully concur with your thought and fear! But let me put it straight - Does going with the wind guarantee you a safe ride home? I and you will agree to it unanimously on a "NO" - so what is the solution? hahaha! only way is to stick to one side - either be the good guy or the bad guy because the one in the no-man's land is always shot first.

One example: Whenever we read about an accident in the dailies we learn that either of the victims or both of them were at fault! But look at it from Police's point of view - easy for them to write off the issue when both parties broke the law rather than to cases where no traffic law was broken by one and the other clearly did! There although the vicitim who didn't break law will get some sympathies and nothing more but still that guilty conscience will not be pricking him/her forever in life! Afterall we live by morality of self and not by mortality of others.

P.S: I have written the above in full consciousness and I was not smoking anything or have smoked before!

A simple example is the signal near the Velacherry - madippakkam turning after the flyover. Try it once if you haven't yet. I heard that there has been a mall/movieplex constructed at that junction adding fuel to fire. In that signal/junction - show me one MTC bus which stops for signal irrespective of its working or not or whether a traffic constable is manning the signal or not!

One solution I can lend you for your safe journey (I do this when I ride, I know you know this solution already) - give way to the Buses and cars - whoever wants to break the signal let them break but let us not be the law breakers. Get aside and let the VVIP's of chennai pass. By losing that few seconds in signal and resultant - their absence at their destination may either lead to WW3 or economic collapse depending on their capabilities! As we are useless citizens of the country who have nothing to do hence we follow rules and stop at signals, let be it! just get away from their way.

I am sorry but that's how I started to see it and its imbibed into me. These days (recently when I drove) I just get off the path and let the people pass because arguing or trying to teach them the good and bad is like blowing trumpet in deaf ears. But luckily i don't get to drive often due to my location outside of the country hence not having to have my blood boil or not having to feel bad about myself for being rule following citizen every other day!!

[headers]

Actually, Chennai is way better than other cities, I've known, in terms of traffic.

Its sad that some of you go through the rough patch once in a while, but thats the way it is in all cities.

It is better to give way to jokers who wanna go faster than you, you want to race, there is always the race track!

And it is better to stick to speed limits, there are new traffic cameras installed in the city in prominent junctions.

[aargee]

AK je, I'm not contesting or offending, but answering your points, so pls take it that way...

Originally Posted by AlphaKilo

As I said before I fully concur...is always shot first

Well, going with the wind ALSO does not guarantee...you're right, I've to work against my conscience. You're right that I'll be the biggest illiterate & idiot because, if I didn't know what's right, I'd be following the crowd thinking that is right. But again, like you said, I'll be the first one also to get shot isn't it?

Originally Posted by AlphaKilo

One example: Whenever we read...we live by morality of self and not by mortality of others

Well, in this corrupt nation, anything can happen even if there wasn't any mistake on one of the victim. Last evening my Son comes home rushing to tell me the accident he witnessed; an Activa rear ended a motorcycle sending both of them to road side & falling into the stagnant water. Tks to the recent rains. This is the same case that will happen even at the Polk station.

Originally Posted by AlphaKilo

A simple example is the signal...a traffic constable is manning the signal or not!

Yes, I'm taking this route every single day for last 3+ years; it's not the mall, but, it's because of the sudden median that has been put up is causing this chaos. I fully agree with you, it's a big nightmare; and I wait up very patiently & let people jump over; less than a Km, I'll find myself overtaking them, not intentionally, but that is a bland truth that no one ever realizes. They think time saved is time gained!!!

Originally Posted by AlphaKilo

One solution I can lend you..., let be it! just get away from their way

Well, I'm doing it; but tell me a solution for the Indica that tried to kill me last weekend? That is bound to happen no matter where I wait before the stop line and at any signal. Even today morning a cabbie just touched the rear of my CBR. Fortunately it was only the tire & NO, I didn't cut him, he was fully aware of what he was doing unless he was dreaming & driving, which apparently is the case.

Originally Posted by AlphaKilo

I am sorry but that's...blowing trumpet in deaf ears

No, I don't do this

Originally Posted by headers

Actually, Chennai is way...there are new traffic cameras installed in the city in prominent junctions.

Headers je, what you said is absolutely right; after riding through UP & DL, I find Chennai is much breezier; but that's not the point. Point is about whether should I choose to stay as strict law abiding citizen to get hurt OR stay practical & get along with people & crowd to live? I mean every RED signal appears as dangerous to me; I'm least bothered about people honking or shouting from back (including MTC), but I'm concerned about my life.

[supremeBaleno]

@aargee, I would suggest you go by your conviction, but without risking your life/limbs. If you come across a signal that most people do not bother to respect, before stopping for the red-light, it would help to move out of the way of speeding vehicles that don't intend to stop. I have had the fortune to ride on this city's streets at a time when there was almost no traffic, roads were good, people used to stop at stop-line etc. But that was around 2 decades ago. Today on the rare occasions that I bike, I feel very vulnerable and stick to the slowest lane away from the speeding cars/buses/dumpers etc.

Today at Lifeline signal. Am coming from Tidel Park side and see a long line of vehicles already stopped at the signal for sometime waiting for the right-signal to come on so that they can take the right into the RMZ road. Since I need to go straight to Thoraipakkam, I am waiting on the left lane. In my RVM I can see a Duke with 2 guys on it coming at break-neck speed weaving in and out of the slow-moving traffic that are approaching the signal. He passes me and heads straight for a Verna. I am almost certain that he is going to bang into the Verna (for no fault of the poor sod who has been waiting at the signal for a few minutes now), but with just an inch separating the bike and car, the Duke stops, with the rear of the bike (and the pillion) up in the air for a few seconds. Imagine if he had not been able to brake and had hit the car ?