Driving in Bangalore traffic: Overtaking sparks an unexpected reaction

The urge to race on non-existent race tracks and compete with strangers is something I just do not fathom.

BHPian nareshtrao recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

A different form of road rage:

Lately, I have been seeing very different and peculiar behaviour on the roads. Not a real Road Rage in the true sense but still very similar to that in the fact that it carries the same mindset.

Here is a bizarre recent incident as an example.

The other day on a Sunday afternoon, I noticed that all of Ring Road was full of traffic due to flyover closures owing to Metro work near HSR. I was returning from Koramangala and hence decided to take the EGL, NAL Wind Tunnel, and Bellandur Lake to reach the ORR at Bellandur. Thinking back, I figured I overtook a small car at a junction coming out of the EGL/Wind Tunnel.

I had forgotten about it but when I reached the ORR and was about to turn to my intended direction and was waiting for the traffic to clear, I noticed a small car trying to squeeze in a non-present space over a bad ditch. I was a little surprised someone would risk that bad patch, that too in a small car and at a high speed. I figured someone was in a great hurry to reach somewhere.

I did not give much further attention and a few meters ahead took my turn. At that point, I noticed the driver raising his middle finger out of the window. And then I realized, perhaps this is the same car I overtook long back.

I find this behaviour strange but looking back have noticed that quite often many road users indulge in this for no rhyme or reason. The urge to race on non-existent race tracks and compete with strangers is something I just do not fathom.

Is this specific to Bangalore, perhaps due to frustrations piled up with current road conditions and traffic? Have you faced this? Please share if you have any anecdotes.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.