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Old 23rd October 2011, 23:59   #1
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Mumbai - Hisar - Patiala in my Swift Dzire

Here is a running travelogue of my Diwali trip from Mumbai to Punjab. This is my second longest road trip as I have done a Mumbai - Chandigarh two years ago when I bought my swift dzire. I am in Ahemadabad as I write this. Here is a brief summary of the drive so far....

The plan was initially to leave on Monday early morning, however, husband and I decided since this time we have a 2 months old baby with us, we will leave in the afternoon on Sunday and halt at Ahemadabad on day 1. So we woke up at about 9 in the morning and started packing. With a baby, you pretty much need to carry the entire house with you in the car. So we finished packing at about 11.00, loaded the stuff in 30 minutes or so and left from our Mira Road house and 11.45. Went to Mandir to get the baby blessed and hit the road by 12.30 as the notorious Kashimira junction took some time to clear off. Here are the details.

Start Odo reading 31854
first toll at 31891 - 51
second toll at 31941 - 47

Reached vapi at 2.40 and took half an hour break at Mcdonalds. The journey was pleasant so far with minimal traffic.

third toll at 32006 - 51
fourth toll at 32120 - 55

Took a tea break at 7.00 between Surat and Ahmedabad for about 15-20 minutes. The baby was happy also to get some fresh air and carrying around in the lap. started again

fifth toll at 32208 - 70
sixth toll 32265 - 88

I had read a lot of advice on team bhp to go into Bharuch town to avoid the truck traffic on a certain bridge, however, since from Mumbai till now I had driven pretty much on a nearly empty road and I kept going straight hoping we will reach Ahmedabad by 7 or so. But my joy was short lived. Somewhere near Bharuch, I saw the biggest jam of my life. I could see cars and trucks as far as my eyes could see and it looked like it wont clear before next morning. Just when I was about to come to a stop, a courageous Maruti 800 driver took the divider and started driving on to the other lane which was absolutely empty. Although I am dead against violating traffic rules to save time, I was worried that we were running out of milk and water supply for the baby and it will be nightmare to get stranded in the middle of thousand of cars and trucks. I put the hazard light on and followed the maruti. another driver soon followed my car and we made a lane for ourselves at the extreme right had side of the oncoming traffic. I think this was one of the best decisions i ever made because the jam was so long that it would have taken us at least 5 to 6 hours to come out of it.

I tried filling diesel from the reliance plaza in the first half of the drive as it is recommended by many fellow BHPians however, the guys said that they have stopped dispensing diesel due to the fact that it is quite expensive compared to other fuel pumps and customers have stopped coming. I asked him whether this is the case with all the reliance pumps and he said yes. However, just before exiting the Vadodara Ahemadabad highway, I was able to refuel the car. It is indeed expensive as they charge 53.87 per litre. I pay 46 per litre at Indian oil in Mira road.

Till now the journey has been pleasant and I managed to reach Ahmedabad by 9.30 and we managed to get a very good place to stay with excellent service... Plan is to get some sleep and leave as soon as we get up in the morning. A friend has recommended that we dont go to Gurgaon and from Jaipur take the road to seekar, fategarh rajkot and then leading to Hisar. I am not sure of this route and If I reach Jaipur in late evening, I may take another night halt than venturing out on the unknown route. Any thoughts/suggestions on this would be appreciated.

Will update the log as soon as I take another long break tomorrow...
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Old 24th October 2011, 11:25   #2
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Re: Mumbai - Hisar - Patiala in my swift dzire - October 2011

No offence womanonwheels, but travelling for such a long time with a 2 month old seems to be bordering on foolhardy to me.

I sincerely hope your car has all the required safety features AND that your child is safely buckled up in a rear-facing car seat.

Please do not drive on the wrong side however much time you want to save. You say it is in the interest of the baby's safety- well the only thing I can advise you is to PLAN better.

All the best. I still think you are better off taking a flight or train for that kind of distance.
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Old 24th October 2011, 12:15   #3
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Re: Mumbai - Hisar - Patiala in my swift dzire - October 2011

Quote:
Originally Posted by womanonwheels View Post
Just when I was about to come to a stop, a courageous Maruti 800 driver took the divider and started driving on to the other lane which was absolutely empty.
Really, is that your definition of courageous? Someone who shows no regard for road rules, compromises safety of self & others on the road and goes in the wrong lane with oncoming traffic, that's courageous!!

Quote:
Although I am dead against violating traffic rules to save time, I was worried that we were running out of milk and water supply for the baby and it will be nightmare to get stranded in the middle of thousand of cars and trucks.
I'm so very certain that you are, but as noopster said, one should've planned better.

Quote:
I put the hazard light on and followed the maruti.
You really need to go through a few write-ups on basic road sense and traffic rules.

Quote:
another driver soon followed my car and we made a lane for ourselves at the extreme right had side of the oncoming traffic.
I can't help but quote what Tanveer wrote on one of his travelogue:

2000 years ago(or maybe more) there was a river called Yamuna.
It was big blue and had water which shone like diamonds.
The river smelled of life.
One fine day a man came.
He said, the water looks so clean. Let me take a bath in it.
IT was good. He was cleaned.
then came his village, and they also took a bath in the water.
They were cleaned.

Then came another man. His toilet was smelly, but here was a toilet so clean.
He decided to take a dump.
Then his entire village decided to take a dump.
The river was little dirty, but still clean.

Then came another man, who thought, my house is full of garbage.
Let me throw some in it.
And then his entire village threw garbage.

Hamlets became villages, villages became cities, and garbage dumps grew.
They all decided to dump it in the river.

And 2000 years later, there was no water, only a dirty nallah.

Quote:
I think this was one of the best decisions i ever made because the jam was so long that it would have taken us at least 5 to 6 hours to come out of it.
Our roads would've been much better to drive upon, if only less of such "best decisions" were made.

I really don't know what made you put up what all you did put up here but I'd strongly recommend you to go through the articles on highway driving, basic rules to follow etc. before you go on another such long/short road trip in future.
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Old 24th October 2011, 18:18   #4
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Re: Mumbai - Hisar - Patiala in my swift dzire - October 2011

Quote:
Originally Posted by womanonwheels View Post
Here is a running travelogue of my Diwali trip from Mumbai to Punjab. This is my second longest road trip as I have
Hey lovely live travelogue.You shouldnt have any problems with the baby on board.Just enough breaks like you have done till now is perfect.Have a good one.You must be on your way by the time you read this,Sikar route to Hisar would be less stressful in terms of traffic as opposed to the NH1.Its just a case of unknown angel vs a known devil.


Quote:
Originally Posted by noopster View Post
No offence womanonwheels, but travelling for such a long time with a 2 month old seems to be bordering on foolhardy to me.

I sincerely hope your car has all the required safety features AND that your child is safely buckled up in a rear-facing car seat.

Please do not drive on the wrong side however much time you want to save. You say it is in the interest of the baby's safety- well the only thing I can advise you is to PLAN better.

All the best. I still think you are better off taking a flight or train for that kind of distance.
Quote:
Originally Posted by fine69 View Post
Really, is that your definition of courageous? Someone who shows no regard for road rules, compromises safety of self & others on the road and goes in the wrong lane with oncoming traffic, that's courageous!!


I'm so very certain that you are, but as noopster said, one should've planned better.


You really need to go through a few write-ups on basic road sense and traffic rules.



I can't help but quote what Tanveer wrote on one of his travelogue:

2000 years ago(or maybe more) there was a river called Yamuna.
It was big blue and had water which shone like diamonds.
The river smelled of life.
One fine day a man came.
He said, the water looks so clean. Let me take a bath in it.
IT was good. He was cleaned.
then came his village, and they also took a bath in the water.
They were cleaned.

Then came another man. His toilet was smelly, but here was a toilet so clean.
He decided to take a dump.
Then his entire village decided to take a dump.
The river was little dirty, but still clean.

Then came another man, who thought, my house is full of garbage.
Let me throw some in it.
And then his entire village threw garbage.

Hamlets became villages, villages became cities, and garbage dumps grew.
They all decided to dump it in the river.

And 2000 years later, there was no water, only a dirty nallah.


Our roads would've been much better to drive upon, if only less of such "best decisions" were made.

I really don't know what made you put up what all you did put up here but I'd strongly recommend you to go through the articles on highway driving, basic rules to follow etc. before you go on another such long/short road trip in future.
Guys,not sure how many of you have driven on the bridge on the Narmada at Bharuch.It is perennially jammed and its an official norm there to go on one side of the opposite lane,there are no risks involved,and I guess WoW did the same.As far I think,Woman on Wheels is doing pretty good with her drive so far.We(me & wife and daughter) have been travelling with a baby across the country since the time she was 1 and there are absolutely no problems driving around in India.Help is always at hand and people are more than loving.

Yes going to higher and inhospitable altitudes is not advisable but otherwise India is a perfectly great and baby friendly place to be travelling with..The trick is to be well prepared and to time the breaks well, which I guess the lady is already doing.
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Old 24th October 2011, 18:50   #5
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Re: Mumbai - Hisar - Patiala in my Swift Dzire

So, you're on your way! Good that you took the first halt at A'bad; the earlier plan of going up to Jaipur would have been way too much.

From Jaipur to Delhi, the truck traffic is really bad and the roads are dusty; be sure to use the a/c constantly (unless you're already using it of course). Also, there's a drastic weather difference once you approach Jaipur so have the baby insulated from outside heat.

Quote:
Originally Posted by womanonwheels View Post
I think this was one of the best decisions i ever made because the jam was so long that it would have taken us at least 5 to 6 hours to come out of it.
Although risky, this is a decision one has to take. I'm myself guilty of taking it during my Pune-Gurgaon trip.

@noopster, fine69 : Yes, it is not pardonable to be breaking the rule there but it is something you have to do. There is a huge toll naka there and there is nothing but truck traffic for kms at a stretch. Unvariably, all private vehicles go on the wrong side. I'm not justifying it but it's a call you have to take.

Another thing, I'm sure you're aware of how airlines love to hike up fares during Diwali; a round trip would cost nothing less than 10k and trains are always booked. Most of us don't have the liberty of planning months in advance and hence, a car trip is necessary. Just saying, I'm sure she'd have thought of everything, no one would wanna risk a 2-month old's health. So, let's cut her some slack and look forward to the TL.

Go on woman, we're reading!
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Old 24th October 2011, 19:30   #6
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Good travelogue so far.And its nice to know that you are on the road with a baby so young. Seems to me you really love driving. One piece of advice though, be very alert always as any sudden braking can cause hurt to the baby.
I have a year old baby and we are planning a ten day road trip across ASSAM and Nagaland.

By the way, are you from HISSAR as so am I. Its the most loveliest town in the world.

Oh and I forgot..About the route. You probably meant Sikar, Fatehpur, Churu, Rajgarh and then hisar. the roads in and around those areas and really bad. If you want your Dezire to have a tough time for some distance, give it a shot. it will be saving a lot of time, though, compared to via jaipur - delhi. Another choice is taking left to Jhajjar and hisar via kalanaur anbd meham. the road is smooth as butter except a few small patches.

Note from the Team-BHP Support Team: Please use the "edit" button if posting within 30 minutes of the first post, instead of creating another back-to-back post.

Last edited by Technocrat : 29th October 2011 at 00:52. Reason: Please read the note in your post, thanks
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Old 28th October 2011, 16:46   #7
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Re: Mumbai - Hisar - Patiala in my Swift Dzire

Quote:
Originally Posted by noopster View Post
No offence womanonwheels, but travelling for such a long time with a 2 month old seems to be bordering on foolhardy to me.
...
Please do not drive on the wrong side however much time you want to save. You say it is in the interest of the baby's safety- well the only thing I can advise you is to PLAN better.
Quote:
Originally Posted by fine69 View Post
Really, is that your definition of courageous? Someone who shows no regard for road rules, compromises safety of self & others on the road and goes in the wrong lane with oncoming traffic, that's courageous!!
Half of us, if in her situation, would probably do the same, not because we love to break the rules, but because there simply is no choice. She still has the sense to put the blinkers on and follow another car so her risk is minimized. I think we should commend her presence of mind.

WoW, does your other half drive too, or are you doing the driving all by yourself?
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Old 28th October 2011, 17:00   #8
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Re: Mumbai - Hisar - Patiala in my Swift Dzire

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Originally Posted by honeybee View Post
Half of us, if in her situation, would probably do the same, not because we love to break the rules, but because there simply is no choice. She still has the sense to put the blinkers on and follow another car so her risk is minimized. I think we should commend her presence of mind.
Half of us? Who's us here and how did you conclude on the statistics? How many bhpians do I see supporting this wrongdoing? As of now its just you who finds this commendable.

And putting blinkers on is again a wrong way of doing it. Hazard lights are meant for very specific situations on road (read hazard) and there are enough posts on team-bhp advising when to use them and when not to, suggest you too read up on that. And in case you don't agree to it please take up the discussion there.

Quote:
Originally Posted by honeybee View Post
WoW, does your other half drive too, or are you doing the driving all by yourself?
Driving all by myself? How many people does it take to drive a car?

Oh and before I answer your question....Does your other half ride a bicycle? Can she fly a plane? Can she bake a cake? Doesn't this sound irrelevant? So lets keep the discussion relevant and not gender biased!
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Old 28th October 2011, 17:18   #9
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Re: Mumbai - Hisar - Patiala in my Swift Dzire

Oh a travelogue that ends at Patiala! Awesome. Today only i was reminiscing about this sleepy little town.

But, would it have been too impractical to turn around (after "taking" the divider), going back and driving through Bharuch town? You would have been able to replenish the essential supplies in the town as well.
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Old 28th October 2011, 17:19   #10
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Re: Mumbai - Hisar - Patiala in my Swift Dzire

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Originally Posted by fine69 View Post
Driving all by myself? How many people does it take to drive a car?

Oh and before I answer your question....Does your other half ride a bicycle? Can she fly a plane? Can she bake a cake? Doesn't this sound irrelevant? So lets keep the discussion relevant and not gender biased!
That question, about the other half, was meant for WoW, i.e. WomanOnWheels and not for you, so no need to get on the offensive.

Regarding your other comments, I don't believe she drove on the wrong side of the road just for the heck of it or to break rules. She deemed it to be a safer alternative than waiting in the traffic jam, specially since they also have a two month old baby on board and could run out of supplies. I shall leave this point here, as the rights and wrongs of such acts is not within the scope of this thread. So let's just hear (or read) the rest of the travelogue.

Peace.
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Old 28th October 2011, 17:27   #11
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Re: Mumbai - Hisar - Patiala in my Swift Dzire

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Originally Posted by honeybee View Post
That question, about the other half, was meant for WoW, i.e. WomanOnWheels and not for you, so no need to get on the offensive.
And I was like how does my better half driving or not relevant here. Sorry man.

Quote:
Originally Posted by honeybee View Post
Regarding your other comments, I don't believe she drove on the wrong side of the road just for the heck of it or to break rules.
I know but how she put it up there was not really the way to go. How she thought of the M800 guy as courageous and then using blinkers etc. so I got a little upset. And you are right, lets stick to the travelogue and not take it any more off-topic than it already is.
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Old 28th October 2011, 23:33   #12
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Re: Mumbai - Hisar - Patiala in my Swift Dzire

No updates?
Which route did you finally take to get to Patiala, touching Hisar?

On the point that has been discussed about breaking rules by driving on the wrong side of the road, please consider - how can you follow rules when a bridge on one of India' busiest highways remains unrepaired for over an year now? Do you expect cars to sit along with trucks for 3-5 hours? The Police had created a separate lane on the left hand side for small vehicles, but that is also blocked by the truckers - whose fault is it that the reserved lane is not being kept clear? To control the huge Qs of trucks there are hardly any policemen - after all this, why are motorists expected to follow "rules"?
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Old 30th October 2011, 11:47   #13
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Re: Mumbai - Hisar - Patiala in my Swift Dzire

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Originally Posted by hvkumar View Post
No updates?
Which route did you finally take to get to Patiala, touching Hisar?

On the point that has been discussed about breaking rules by driving on the wrong side of the road, please consider - how can you follow rules when a bridge on one of India' busiest highways remains unrepaired for over an year now? Do you expect cars to sit along with trucks for 3-5 hours? The Police had created a separate lane on the left hand side for small vehicles, but that is also blocked by the truckers - whose fault is it that the reserved lane is not being kept clear? To control the huge Qs of trucks there are hardly any policemen - after all this, why are motorists expected to follow "rules"?
Perfectly put, Sir!

A lot of people here commenting probably do not know the exact state of things at the Narmada bridge. I am from Surat, and on an average, I pass through the bridge once every week. It is an extremely sore sight witnessing over NINE kms of traffic jam at times. Yes, nine! There is a dedicated car lane on the left most side of the road (carriage way) which is gracefully blocked by the truckers.

Most of those commenting here are just trying to go by the books, and probably do not understand that there is a safe protocol followed by the people who occupy the right most lane on wrong side to cover those 5 to 9 kms. It is a six-lane + carriage way highway. I hope you would know how you cross the bridge when you reach there (pun intended).

There are cops manning the wrong side of the highway every 500 meters, and those from that area would agree with me. A 2 hour jam in guaranteed, if you decide to stay put (with the nobel intentions of going by the rule book). Also, all those who comment against the lady who took on the wrong side of the road - I cannot help but ask -> Do you all follow 100% of the rules all the time? 80 kmph speed limit on the highways where it is marked so? Absolutely not parking by the curb, when it isn't allowed? Not honking in a silence zone? I understand that breaking different rules may lead to different eventualities, but the One thing that everyone needs to use is presence of mind.

Peace, everyone.
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Old 31st October 2011, 15:22   #14
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Re: Mumbai - Hisar - Patiala in my swift dzire - October 2011

Quote:
Originally Posted by ranjitp1 View Post

Guys,not sure how many of you have driven on the bridge on the Narmada at Bharuch.It is perennially jammed and its an official norm there to go on one side of the opposite lane,there are no risks involved,and I guess WoW did the same.As far I think,Woman on Wheels is doing pretty good with her drive so far....
.....The trick is to be well prepared and to time the breaks well, which I guess the lady is already doing.
I think ranjit, HVK sir and mathranik have perfectly answered some of the 'serious concerns' raised by some of our 'well meaning' friends about the road behavior of WoW. I agree with what ranjit HVK and mathranik have said above. The harsh reality of highway driving in India is different from the academic armchair discussions and popular advise on road etiquette.

The treatment and tone of writing of some of our friends wasn't called for, IMO my opinion. All that WoW need is appreciation and encouragement for planning and taking up such a long drive, something, they'll remember in their old days.

Last edited by LongDrive lover : 31st October 2011 at 15:25.
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Old 1st November 2011, 10:21   #15
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Re: Mumbai - Hisar - Patiala in my Swift Dzire

I suggest we all stop discussing this topic and focus on what WomanOnWheels has to write about her journey, which this thread is for. Surprisingly there has been no update after the initial few posts. I only hope the debate on her driving on the wrong side hasn't upset her.
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