[DCEite]

Originally Posted by ampere

I have only one rule:

If some one wants to go past you, let him go !

I see that happen to me all the time. Because I cruise on the highway at less than 100, I see almost all of them go past and I dont have issues with that whatsoever. One should drive a speed one is comfortable with and a speed that one thinks can be controlled. Else its a dangerous territory.

My driving style gives me a amazing mileage as well.

Exactly my thoughts as well.

Don't be perturbed by maniacs wanting to overtake. And *never* make eye contacts while the overtaking car passes you or you overtake a slower vehicle. Eye to eye contact is the first step towards road rage.

As the saying goes: Never argue with an idiot, they drag you down to their level and beat you with experience

Be wise. Drive safe.

[viper_711]

Originally Posted by condor

Come to think of it, even persistent flashing to ask for space is a form of Ego. Best thing to do on highways is to - if time & space permits - pass on the left, go ahead and then change lanes. Not flashing to ask for way can actually reduce posssibilities of the other guy feeling challenged

Agree with persistent flashing; but my driving experiences especially on the BLR-Mysore highway is that no matter what - you have to overtake from the left! Flashing lights or honking have no effect on morons hogging the right lane! yes, one ends up avoiding confrontation and ovetakes from the left but surely thats not the safest option! I don't understand why EGO's are worn on the sleeve when people drive on highways
BTW my experiences on NH4/NH8 are very different - people give way much more readily on these roads.

[condor]

Mysore Road is an exception. I was refering to (other) highways, where you can overtake from the left lane.

OT:
Yes - Mysore road is one confused / chaotic road. You drive on the left side, and over-take from the left - On a road that has hardly any shoulder / space on the left side.

[sbraj]

Originally Posted by DCEite

Don't be perturbed by maniacs wanting to overtake. And *never* make eye contacts while the overtaking car passes you or you overtake a slower vehicle. Eye to eye contact is the first step towards road rage.

As the saying goes: Never argue with an idiot, they drag you down to their level and beat you with experience

Be wise. Drive safe.

+1 to that. You said it.

Sunglasses help in avoiding eye contact - with other drivers and traffic police.

Humor apart, I try to stay far away mentally from these maniacs. It is like if I engage my mind with those using the road for releasing emotional energy, I may get pulled into that whirlpool. I would rather stay as far away as possible.

Never get into their domain. It is not a place I wish to be in, nor do I enjoy being there.

Emotions travel fast. Very fast, like thought waves.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by sbraj

+1 to that. You said it.

Sunglasses help in avoiding eye contact - with other drivers and traffic police.

Humor apart, I try to stay far away mentally from these maniacs. It is like if I engage my mind with those using the road for releasing emotional energy, I may get pulled into that whirlpool. I would rather stay as far away as possible.

Never get into their domain. It is not a place I wish to be in, nor do I enjoy being there.

Emotions travel fast. Very fast, like thought waves.

On top of it, get hold of good audio books to keep you occupied and you will have a thriller novel, which would be more interesting to listen rather than to overtake someone !

[Ranjan Sharma]

Well I have something to share too..

Last year while coming back from Goa I met an illiterate driving a Safari.

This guy was doing around100kmph on the right lane, and there was a truck in the middle and side lane. I was doing arouns 120kmps in my Santro. I breaked to follow the safari untill it gives me way. The safari and the truck were both doing the same speed. This guy would neither take left, nor overtake the truck. I took left and overtook from the gap between the truck and safari. After sometime, I see this Safari Guy moving faster towards me.

Laer he overtook me and breaked hard in front of me. I overtook, lowered down the windows and asked him "what was his problem". This guy was on a trip with his family with him, still he was speaking all filthy words. He was an illiterate driving a safari, who took it to his ego that a Santro overtook a safari... My God how?

[sbraj]

Originally Posted by Ranjan Sharma

This guy was on a trip with his family with him, still he was speaking all filthy words. He was an illiterate driving a safari, who took it to his ego that a Santro overtook a safari... My God how?

For many, if some one else overtakes, it means
- either the other vehicle appears to have more power,
- or the other driver appears to be capable.

People's ego starts getting hurt. They feel that either their purchasing power or their driving capabilities are questioned. Then they embark on a mission to prove the point.

[greenhorn]

if the dude behind me wants to overtake me, he's my guest. I'll move over graciously if he honks/flashes or signals his need to overtake in any way.

BUT. that is given with the implicit understanding that he will proceed on his way. if he gets stuck in front of me, I'll honk/flash them back to kingdom come

[samsag12]

This practice of overtaking is present in every part of India. I think its just because of the ego of the person. If a hatchback is overtaking a SUV then the SUV driver gets pissed off and not only tries but succeeds in overtaking from left irrespective of whether it has a party flag or not and that too of a non ruling party. This is what happens daily with me and others who are patiently driving the car.

[nandans2005]

Hey CannonGuy,

i am really impressed by the way you have reacted. I am frequent traveller on NH4 AND NH7. I have experienced many such incidents, when i have always allowed the youngsters driving the car go past. During my recent drive to mysore , i had an i20 doing the same as what the wagon R did to you. I could have played around a lot, since i was on this day driving my suv. But i did simply let him go.

There are loads of morons on the street, we cannot go down to their levels. we cannot compromise on safety whatsoever. The outcome of racing on the streets maybe very nice if it all goes well, but its really sad if it turns out ugly. We should think of the worse and let other guy's ego win.

Keep up the good spirits. I really appreciate.

[nick17s]

Of course EGO,

Last week I was coming back home with my dad from office (I pick my dad from his office, which is in the mid way to our home) and I saw this PB (Punjab) no. Hyundai accent, the driver is a college student with cool spiky hair do,

this guy was stuck in traffic, and I overtook him from extreme right (as extreme right road was free), man right from then, this guy was just looking ways to overtake me, (may be he was jealous that a zen overtook his dad's gifted accent).
Every time he tries to overtake me he got stuck in jam, as a hatchback can cruise easily in traffic jams and I had no intention to overtake him again and again (specially Delhi traffic jams).

in the end, when this guy got a chance to drive parallel to me, he was literally about to hit my ride taking a U-turn, I decided to stop my ride for a second and moved.

I hate this kind of attitude on road.

I don't know if this is common in other pats of the country but in Delhi it is becoming very common, "if a car with a smaller engine overtakes you, just spoil your ride in bumps, jump signals, kill people and overtake him" but I wonder what trophy are these Schumacher gonna get ??

[sbraj]

Originally Posted by nick17s

I hate this kind of attitude on road.

I think you should just ignore these drivers and move on. Hating also means getting involved in a way (emotionally).

[WhiteKnight]

Interesting thought. I did have my share of stupidities over the 20 odd years behind the wheel.

Here is what I do these days. If I spot a genuinly faster car, I move over to left lane. Typically it is appreciated by the other guy and a bondage is made on the highway. If I overtake someone who then decide to chase me, I just slow down and let him past. Most ofter there would be some kid who is peppering his daddy to go faster. Most often it would be a smaller car too.

If someone else is feeling happier, why not? Does't cost me anything afterall.

PS: I don't claim to be egoless. I am trying to practice this new mantra, that's all.

[YaeJay]

Cannon guy, IMHO, not a good thing doin the trip at that time. ( with family) in these days. I have seen quite a bit. started driving at 5 std. the first time i did it alone was 8th ( My ears felt very hot, and I could hear only my heartbeat, lol crazy when i knew ive done the 36/36 every weekend!.Done all nights and all days and both together. ( noPlz, not bragging!) those days you had the ambys and the fiats and later on the marutis (800). ( ofcourse, there were mercs and all those untouchables). And those were the days of the crossplys. Those who have done an amby with crossplys on 'highways' that were shared by bullock carts know what it is when one of ur tyre hits a 'laadam' at 100+kms. Instant punture and the car is all over the place ( very tiny road by todays standard lol). I have plenty of long drives I cherish, all day and all night. One would be from down south to trichy. 120+ petrol (kinda tuned, Hmm naah loony) amby and a very decent driver on an mahindra nissan truck with prawns on ice we did most of the night with him over takin me and he overtakin me. But he was never aggressive. Of all those years on the roads, I still think this was the best. ( a few years later I drove a similar truck, it had column shift and was 'like' a car). for the record, the worst accidents ive seen were on the karnataka bombay coast ride. scary even at that age, 2 worst accidents have to be two tata trucks that appeared to be parked parrallel after they hit head on, and the white fiat that got hit by a truck and was crushed between a lamp post... it still had the 'sanyo' stereo playin when we checked the scene. we dont have empty roads these days, the GQ is a boon, the clowns that get the tourist taxi licence aint. watch out for the clowns! And I do feel 90+ % Wagon R customers are new to driving/owning/being in cars.

[MX6]

Ok. This happened to me 2 days back. I was driving up the ghats near Satara enroute to Kolhapur. Near a turn I see a brand new white swift with pune registration, driving like crazy, overtaking me from left trying to squeeze between me and a truck in left lane in front and a bus in right lane in front of me again, trying to overtake the truck.

Now this guy things he gets an opening and immediately cuts me off, gets from his lane in to mine to follow the bus and overtake the truck.

I had to break hard and bear right and almost came to a grinding halt inches from the edge.

I was mad. But then thought let the moron go.

I was climbing up and after few minutes, found this guy wedged between buses and when I found an opening, I quickly overtook all three and went ahead.

Now the moron is pissed. He comes behind me and used his dipper like mad at 3 in the afternoon. Normally the morons honk.

I thought let me teach him a lesson. So didn't give him way for next 10 mins.

Then common sense prevailes, I pulled up behind another bus and gave him way and hand signalled him to go ahead.

Now he pulls next to me and rolls down the window and gives me one of the looks. Anyone who's seen bollywood calling, try recollect the looks given by Gullu's henchman during the fight scene.

He doesn't proceed. There are 5 guys in there. I'm with my family which has two women.

This time I meant business. I find an opening and floor my gas pedal. I have to get to a safe place before these men act funny.

They tail me like crazy trying to intimidate me. Luckily for me, I spot a cop vehicle in front. I drive fast, roll down my window and animatedly tell my wife to call the cops for help.

The guys notice this and immediately stop their antics and pushed off.

I then didn't see them after that. I resumed my 90s. 20 kms before Kolhapur, as I was driving, I saw a brand new white swift lying upside down on a field, off the NH4. I slowed down to see the registration. Couldn't see the plates. But two of the guys standing near the swift, resembled the guys who gave me that pathetic expression!

No matter how safe you drive and how much you try to keep ego out, sometimes morons do try to show their attitude. Sometimes they also get rightly rewarded for showing their attitude!

The 5 men looked like typical goons dressed in all white.