Team-BHP - How do you compose yourself while driving?

Hi Fellows,

Had gone on a bike ride to nandi hills yesterday, amazing weather - overcast, cool and heavenly. Nandi hills was shrouded in mist. Visibility was about 25 feet, and beyond that only silhouttes were visible.

Took my Zma on the ride, still running her in (about a 100 kms to 2000), so was careful to maintain speeds and rpm in every gear, but she performed admirably and she handled beautifully. The curves were great, the road being very good on the ghat section, the ride was manna from heaven after bangalore's roads. If you're wondering what this has got to do with the title, read on!

The ride back was pleasant as well, and luckily traffic was moving at a rapid clip as we approached Bangalore (Bengaluru from now I guess) and went over the Hebbal flyover and was riding in my lane - I do not cut lanes when I'm driving or riding. Had a clear straight, was level with a Maruti 800 (family, with <probably> the father <about 50 years old> driving, four people in the car), which was behind a bus. The rear view mirror was tucked in but since he seemed to be following the bus in his lane, I accelerated smoothly and was just going to pass him. All of a sudden he cuts in! I honk, no response, he's cutting in more, I keep honking and then have to accelerate faster and just pass him. The only thing I could do was swear, and shake my head. If he hasnt learnt driving by now, he never will is the thought that goes through my head. But I was shaken. And havent been able to get the thought out of my head.

I am planning to do some long rides in the near future - Dec 23/24 ride to HD Kote in Mysore (200 Kms), Dec 30/31 Erode (270 kms) and the big one - Bombay (Jan 26th thereabouts - 1000 kms), and my confidence has eroded somewhat. Well not somewhat, but significantly. I thought I'd ask the wiser ones about what they do when faced with such incidences, and how do you compose yourself? How do you keep going? How do you ride defensively? Defensive riding sometimes also spurs car/bus drivers to honk the living daylights out of you as they are desperate to get ahead.

Calling all monks and Saints on this forum - please help!

Not-so-Superavi

:lol, I try not to scream at them but may murmur to myself or co-driver. If alone, I would try to convey my irritation by a broad grin :D

If its a kid of the drivers seat and he is a rash drive then its a different story.
If its another car/bus who loves honking to overtake and if I think he can pass me and continue his journey without being a hinderance for me , I let him pass.But, if he does is overtake me and stay in front for me, I overtake him and take off.

Just live and let others live.

I'm into what you might call "Agressive Defence". Give them a taste of their own medicine.

I remember the time when we were on our way to Mangalore, there was this guy in a Lancer trying to play around with me. he knew he couldn't keep me behind him forever and tried some really risky stunts to stay ahead.

The moment i'd try to overtake, he'd swerve into my lane. I took it a couple of times, thinking he'd get over it but, nothing changed.

So the next time, i gave him the impression that i was gonna overtake and the moment he swerved into my lane, i did a "Days of Thunder" move on him. I quickly steered on to the left lane, overtook him, bid farewell and vanished into the horizon.

PS : Please don't give me any off those "Oh that was a risky move" crap coz, it wasn't risky. The road was wide, it was a straight, there was no oncoming traffic for a mile and we were doin 60kmph. Besides, if i was to try and overtake him from the right, i'd have surely hit him.

In the words of Javed Jaffery "Ghosts of the kicks, not listen to the talks".

Shan2nu

On my long drives, i am into my own rythm. my top speed is 100 or 110 max. all others to me are inconsequential, whether they try to play with me or not.
usually will listen to music or keep chatting with friends. if alone prefer to listen to the engine note. its gives me more peace and happiness than anything else.

at times when someone invites me for a road rash, then i fight with him, but always within the limit. out braking a car in front of me and keeping the momentum to overtake gives me a high than overtaking him in a straight fight by just using the horses.

The one thing that has really helped me keep tempers at bay is to avoid eye contact. No matter what the other person on the road does, I firmly resolve to keep going without trying to question the rights/wrongs of a particular action. Most of the guys on the road who cut lanes and are reckless are stupid, some of them are in a hurry and the rest are hopeless drivers. No point in trying to prove anything to anybody. Driving is an intensely personal experience, it's spiritual on one plane, and being defensive or aggressive is totally according to the individual driving style. There are excellent drivers in both the categories, a truly good driver thinks about the fellow humans on the road, his machine and the overall experience ........ don't think too much about irritants, enjoy the drive.

I am not older and definitely not wiser:)
but I think I can give a little tip

Whenever anyone tries to have road race, overtake you dangerously and stuff always think no matter in which car you are in other persons car/motorcycle is more expensive
It works like charm

I have had M800 cutting across me when I was driving Honda Accord & expressions on their face made me laugh at them
it really cools you down quickly

other trick I always follow is whenever driving no matter what situation is "no overtaking on blind turns" period

I am sure you all are :D But what do you do when you actually suffer because of the idiot? Today while coming to the office I had to suffer.The worst thing is I did not realize that I have suffered any damage as such or else would have given the other driver (he was definitely driving someone's Skoda) a walloping.

There is this turn (Millenium Square) which is always a free for all as there are no cops out there. Vehicles congregate from all the directions. I was trying to take the turn around the island, towards Hi-Tech city when a tata pickup coming from the Hi-Tech side and going towards the Banjara Hills almost got into my car. I braked and was giving him a hard stare. Within this short time a dark blue skoda went at a high speed to my left and then tried to cut across and take the turn on the island. He misjudged the turning radius and I heard a thud. I was stationary at this time. The skoda guy stopped and came out to inspect his car. I was looking from inside. It seemed like his rubber mud flap which has a part of it jutting out and skirts the wheel well rubbed on my front bumper and came loose.

After some head nodding and mild verbal exchanges he left and I thought if his car did not suffer mine also did not. But then after a while I decided to park it on the kerbside at a vacant stretch of road and check. The buggers rubber flap has left ugly dark rubber all over my front bumper and it looks like a pretty ugly and stubborn looking stain. Also now I can see that a space has come up at the join of the bumper and the flared wheel arch of the left side. :(
Since then I am going hoping mad... I definitely should have given him a walloping for being so reckless on a accident prone, busy traffic island. And no matter what you people say I am finding it difficult to control my anger. :mad:

There would have been thousands of brillant moments of your driving. Where you held yourself in high esteem. The experience of those moments makes you a good driver. Do not take such incidents too seriously. Play it as a game and have fun while driving.
If you stay in fear it would greatly hamper your driving.

On a side note: Never fear to voice out what you feel else master your emotions

-------------------------------------------------- Words of the Master -- Raaj ;-)