[noopster]

I almost got sideswiped by a hige tractor trailer today. I was minding my own business in the left lane at Hinjewadi approaching the McDonald's junction and this guy who was to my right suddenly swerved and almost hit me. No provocation, nothing. I realised later that he was going pretty fast (for a tractor trailer that is) and may have mometarily lost control.

I honked once and he looked at me but didn't say anything. Scary moment!

[trakesht]

..signs of a dangerous driver

Excessive honking- My personal observation is that the frequency and volume of honking is inversely proportional to the skills of the driver.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by trakesht

..signs of a dangerous driver

Excessive honking- My personal observation is that the frequency and volume of honking is inversely proportional to the skills of the driver.

I disagree. Where I live, if you do not honk, people come in front of you. So to save lives I honk whenever I see any potential danger.
I drive assuming that everybody on the road has only one mission in life, and that is to collide with me. So I drive extremely defensively, and make sure everyone knows that I am there. Since I do not have a loudspeaker in the car, I use the horn for that.

[trakesht]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

I disagree. Where I live, if you do not honk, people come in front of you. So to save lives I honk whenever I see any potential danger.
I drive assuming that everybody on the road has only one mission in life, and that is to collide with me. So I drive extremely defensively, and make sure everyone knows that I am there. Since I do not have a loudspeaker in the car, I use the horn for that.

I was referring to honking
a)at jams, red lights- as if the soundwaves will magically obliterate all the vehicles in front
b) while driving on the wrong side!
c) as a means of expressing emotions
d) as a substitute for brakes
I drive/ride daily through Hinjewadi (in a not-so-sedate manner) and during this 10 km, one hour+ stretch, I dont recollect tapping the horn more than 5 times.
Curiously, the honking frequency goes up while I ride a bike, maybe because I overtake more frequently than while in a car. Even then for a 70km daily commute(Kothrud-Shivaji Nagar-Hinjewadi phase 3 and back- Puneites might be able to appreciate the traffic in this route during peak hours), I think I would have pressed the horn more than 20 times, and never for a duration > a couple of seconds
Have always been in the rear set during the few occasions I have been in Delhi, so I cant comment on what you have to face.

[Dieseldunk]

Originally Posted by trakesht

..signs of a dangerous driver

Excessive honking- My personal observation is that the frequency and volume of honking is inversely proportional to the skills of the driver.

Mate
Pl note honking is as needed as much as it is not it depends upon where and how. Some people have horny fingers (no pun intended)

Cheers
Prasad

[rajeev k]

Saw these bad drivers today morning.
The private bus in two lanes and that too diagonally waiting for the green light and that too blocking the Maruti driving school guy. The learner on his part was then taking his car forward and stopped very close to the bus. At Vytilla, Kochi.

At Chambakkara two private buses blocking the entire traffic for pretty ten minutes.

The trucker with a precariously stacked load.

Five bad drivers all in all.

[gururaj r]

I just wanted to see for myself as to how long I can drive without honking in this crazy Mumbai traffic.I was then commuting in my two wheeler from Andheri East to City.sometimes was driving my car/s also. For close to five months I did not honk.try consciously.one will be able to do it and contribute for reducing noise pollution. No necessity to reduce your speed but plan your driving.

[Thad E Ginathom]

I think that honking to tell people you are there is good. It might save a pedestrian's life!

(Although, an early driving lesson from my father...

"Why didn't you slow down when you saw that person crossing the road?

"I used the horn."

"What if they were deaf?"

)

Honking for for any other reason is mostly bad, though I do it.

Honking at someone in front who can't move anyway, is just stupid!

[torquecurve]

Was caught in a minor traffic jam near Khadki yesterday due to some Morons who broke traffic rules. I dont know when we will learn to drive inside two parallel lines called 'Lanes'.

[RajaTaurus]

Check out this joker. He tried to squeeze through me and the car in front, both waiting for signal and another car blocked him from right. He is locked in right angle to the traffic direction. I honked a bit and when he turned, I snapped him. Obviously, his face shows some kind of embarrassment, as he left with his head down! Typical Chennai Two Wheeler Eh.?

[noopster]

^^ NIce catch Raja. I wished I had a camera a couple of days ago when a biker was in almost exactly the same position in front of my car but perpendicuar to your biker's position, i.e. pointed directly towards me!

I was so stunned that I just stared at him as he passed across me and merged with the oncoming traffic!

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by RajaTaurus

Check out this joker. He tried to squeeze through me and the car in front, both waiting for signal and another car blocked him from right. He is locked in right angle to the traffic direction. I honked a bit and when he turned, I snapped him. Obviously, his face shows some kind of embarrassment, as he left with his head down! Typical Chennai Two Wheeler Eh.?
Attachment 613982

Great catch!

This happens almost every day, at almost every traffic-signal. It's really funny. Once a guy on an Activa tried the same stunt, and I knew that he had nudged my front bumper while doing so, so I honked for a prolonged duration of 3 seconds, to which he turned back and glared at me and asked me what was wrong, in an almost threatening manner. I knew that getting into a scuffle with such hooligans can never yield benefits, so I let it go and pretended to be engrossed in something else.

[CARDEEP]

The driver hired by my cousin is indeed a bad driver...

Few days back when it rained bit heavy & there was flooding across NCR, he abruptly stopped the Safari for puddle only to be rear-ended by Haryana Roadways bus, & by the evening, he manager to rupture the petrol tank by driving over a boulder.

Guess he stopped for a vehicle that needn't have been stopped for pool of water, & drover a vehicle over a rock that should have been driven by the side of it .

My poor cousin is driving a Santro XP (backup family car) these days.

[racer_m]

Originally Posted by CARDEEP

The driver hired by my cousin is indeed a bad driver...

Few days back when it rained bit heavy & there was flooding across NCR, he abruptly stopped the Safari for puddle only to be rear-ended by Haryana Roadways bus, & by the evening, he manager to rupture the petrol tank by driving over a boulder.

Guess he stopped for a vehicle that needn't have been stopped for pool of water, & drover a vehicle over a rock that should have been driven by the side of it .

My poor cousin is driving a Santro XP (backup family car) these days.

Sorry to disturb you, but one must always be cautious("Scared" is more appropriate) whenever you see a puddle.
Roads in India are a sorry state and you never know when a harmless looking puddle gobbles up your rims/tyres with gusto

[mayankjha1806]

@noopster exactly the same situation albeit in Bangalore. Was on Old Airport road heading towards Marathalli, on HAL signal junction all were stopped with switched off engine for the lights to turn green. Right then a two wheeler comes from behind squeezing through all cars, trucks and busses and kept going on-and-on until he was stuck such that he was facing opposite direction facing me. Everyone laughed, he pulled down his helmet visor possibly due to his own made stupidity. Was a hilarious moment for all.