[Spitfire]

Every time I take any of my vehicles on the streets. There is this constant unrest amongst fellow road users.

Honking, cutting lanes, tailgating, no use of signals, talking on the mobile, coming down the wrong side, angry looks and stares, the list is endless...

I stick to the rules religiously, keep my road manners intact and take to the wheel or handle bar and continue with a small prayer under my breath.

But the constant on the edge situations drive my sanity up the wall. Situations that are basically created due to one person's stupidity or selfish attitude. Approaching the authorities makes oneself doubt his own security.

The resolve though is strong to uphold my principles. But for how long..

I know there are many more who feel the same. This post is just to vent out the feeling.

I am not sure how long before I kill the mockingbird....

[callvvijay]

You have nailed it down right on the head, Spitfire. Every day I start from home seeing the picture(s) of God with a small prayer. I try to sing some songs - devotional, classical or cine - to keep my cool and not to get lost in temper.

But the moment some insane stuff by an insane rider/driver happens, no matter what, all hell breaks lose. These days I have calmed down a lot thinking that I cannot solely correct the world. There is no point in shouting at people who drive without any care about fellow riders.

However, as an educated person, it is my responsibility to drive with character. The road is not just for me alone.

[VW2010]

I am not sure how long before I kill the mockingbird....

I do not think you have to go that route. Your method of sanity should only spread and you should never take the route of the few stupid drivers on the road.

Remember that the sanity is what keeping the family in your car safe.

[comfortablynumb]

I am not sure how long before I kill the mockingbird....

Just a reminder to you Spitfire [from the book]: "Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."

As it is, people like you on the roads are an endangered species. So, please please don't join the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" crowd, and make the species extinct.

Have a great weekend!

Cheers,
Vikram

[ghodlur]

Nice wordings spitfire. It all depends upon how long can you hold your patience on the Indian roads. Every day I begin with a resolution that I am not going to vent my anger on anyone on the road. However I am on the verge of breaking it by the end of the day but just hold on to the last straw convincing myself that I am very near to home and no need to lose patience. Has helped me till date.

But the dam breaks on Sat and Sun when I venture out in the city, although have mellowed down a lot thanks to my wife who is my greatest support when I am driving.

[moralfibre]

My new year resolution was to avoid road rage. I just let go. Be it a rickshaw or a stupid biker or a pedestrian. I have held on to this pretty well so far.

[selfdrive]

+1 to that. For me, it works when I keep myself pre occupied with other thoughts. It only reinforces the fact that there are other things that matter more than some silly manouver by some jackass on the street.

[bantejas]

@spitfire: I share the same thoughts as what you do. The threshold varies from person to person and I don't how much of a right thing that I do while riding/driving and expect something similar from the others! There's binary and then there's our brain! But isn't is true that "Be a Roman in Rome" quote actually is a very old one and written with purpose?

Tejas

[ampere]

Alternative: Listen to audio books all the time (esp Humor!). If the book is interesting, you would be OK to reach your destination later!

In fact this works for my very well. My unrest (unrest looking at other's stupidity), honking habits have come down in a big way.

[amitwlele]

Originally Posted by callvvijay

However, as an educated person, it is my responsibility to drive with character. The road is not just for me alone.

Everyday i travel to Hinjewadi, Pune and see all the educated persons breaking all the rules. This is what is totally frustrating. In fact i believe sometimes the bus and truck drivers are better.

I have now started ignoring these acts and keep my cool by listening to songs in the car.

[moralfibre]

Originally Posted by amitwlele

Everyday i travel to Hinjewadi, Pune and see all the educated persons breaking all the rules. This is what is totally frustrating. In fact i believe sometimes the bus and truck drivers are better.

I have now started ignoring these acts and keep my cool by listening to songs in the car.

Absolutely and I agree with you. Bad driving cannot be attributed to uneducated people. There is a mad rush to Hinjewadi every morning and not one person from the lot calls for some patience and refrains from breaking rules. Cattle moves better!

[Swanand Inamdar]

Originally Posted by moralfibre

Absolutely and I agree with you. Bad driving cannot be attributed to uneducated people. There is a mad rush to Hinjewadi every morning and not one person from the lot calls for some patience and refrains from breaking rules. Cattle moves better!

+1 to that. Absolutely agree that cattles move better. Need to see that? Head to Hinjewadi Phase 2. Cattles and humans both on the roads!

Educated is not the word we are looking at. We all are educated, but let me ask, honestly, how many of us are civilised? There is a vast difference in being educated and being civilised.

To avoid road rage, simply count to 10. Or else, having a wife in the passenger seat also helps . Has helped me a lot.

[straightdrive]

Originally Posted by moralfibre

............. Cattle moves better!

That reminds me of something a friend of mine suggested to me to help me keep my temper while driving.

He said people don't lose their cool when a dog suddenly runs on to the road and makes them brake and that he tries to think of the morons in cars out there as dogs, sub-human, whatever - that they just don't know what they are doing.

Worth a try but it is difficult - those morons don't look like dogs. And I like dogs.

[selfdrive]

Till date I always thought that I would be provoked into aggression towards another motorist only if I felt threatened. An incident earlier today has challenged this thought.

An oncoming bike fellow took a Uturn at an open spot in the divider and came directly in the fast lane that I was in. I had no option but to brake hard to avoid him. I was doing about 50 and so was the rest of my lane. No ABS on the Nano meant I swerved to the left but thankfully the biker there was alert enough to save himself.

What I did next was something I should nit have done in hindsight. I smiled and shrugged at him just to ask why he did that. His response was Chal baaju mien ho and a weird arrogant roll of the eyes and the head. Honestly I didn't mind the words bit his action ticked me off so bad that I consider it fortunate I wasn't alone. If I were alone, I felt at the time that I could just wring his neck.

It's been a few hours since this happened and when I think of it, I am still as mad at him. If I happen to bump into him in the next few days, there is bound to be a fee punches thrown just for the sheer arrogance he showed. I understand that it's not worth getting into fights with such useless people but there has to be a stop to this nonsense.

[bluevolt]

Driving here in Delhi/NCR is such a difficult task especially in Gurgaon where bikers ride like if they are participating in a SBK race. I daily encounter so many senseless drivers on road that if I get into a quarrel then I will be in police station on daily basis . You just have to keep your cool and patience to avoid road rage. I know it is sometimes very difficult to control in some circumstances but it will be beneficial for us only. I have learned to ignore and this is the only way I feel to avoid road rage.