[RoadTrippin]

Another sign of a bad driver (with apologies to owners here), is a driver with a car fitted with overwhelmingly loud horns. Hell Red Grill and the super tones and suchlike. Even in our crowded roads with huge ambient noise, if you need such loud horns, i surmise that you are doing something very wrong.

[JoeMichael]

Originally Posted by RoadTrippin

Another sign of a bad driver (with apologies to owners here), is a driver with a car fitted with overwhelmingly loud horns. Hell Red Grill and the super tones and suchlike. Even in our crowded roads with huge ambient noise, if you need such loud horns, i surmise that you are doing something very wrong.

I agree with you to an extend. In an ideal world horn's might be redundant. But in chaotic driving world like most Indian cities - If I have a choice between being considered a bad driver by someone and getting a dent on my car and/or being bashed up - just coz a bike rider with music blaring through his headphones / a day dreaming jaywalker lost in his mobile / a auto guy with non-existent silencer didn't hear my OEM horns - I know which way I would go. Honking needlessly is a bad habit..For me its more about frequency than decibels. That said, I don't support air horns and musical horns.

[pratyush6]

Originally Posted by saket77

I don't know what to term this Omni driver/ owner with which I had a close shave eventually this morning.

I was riding my bike to work and there was a white Omni ahead of me. Suddenly without any indication or signals, the Omni swerves and goes to the extreme left & parks. In the process, I along with another fellow biker need to brake hard so as to avoid being hit by the side profile of the car.

When I move a little forward after recovering, I see the guy taking out his mobile phone and conversing happily over it. I was amused to say the least. Makes me wonder that being half good is as dangerous as being bad! (or may be even more in this case)

You live in a city where no one respects bike rider. Why do I know it? I am also originally from that city. Sad to see how have we changed so much.

I remember last year when I was back home - A doctor's (yes, very well educated) car literally rammed me head on and he simply kept driving on the extreme left of a 2 way undivided road! I managed to somehow escape and I did return to give him a piece of my mind. But of no use. People in Ranchi are 'the worst' drivers I have seen so far. They honk as if there is no tomorrow, never ever stop at Red Lights, believe they are descendents of Kings. Pathetic.

[saket77]

Originally Posted by pratyush6

You live in a city where no one respects bike rider. Why do I know it? I am also originally from that city. Sad to see how have we changed so much.

Good to know you Pratyush. BTW, I will term the bikers more pathetic than the car drivers in this city. Even more are the auto drivers. They have a stupid road sense to say the least. But as there are always exceptions, some people at times end up being at the receiving end for no fault of theirs; that's the major disadvantage related to road travel.
And something very similar happened to you too, sadly:

Originally Posted by pratyush6

I remember last year when I was back home - A doctor's (yes, very well educated) car literally rammed me head on and he simply kept driving on the extreme left of a 2 way undivided road! I managed to somehow escape and I did return to give him a piece of my mind. But of no use. People in Ranchi are 'the worst' drivers I have seen so far. They honk as if there is no tomorrow, never ever stop at Red Lights,

Agree to your observation on honking and jumping the lights. In fact, don't be surprised when you hear somebody honking from behind while you are waiting for that signal to turn green!

Originally Posted by pratyush6

believe they are descendents of Kings. Pathetic.

Even the pedestrians. They cross the road as if they are on a morning walk...absolutely no need to check if a vehicle is coming, or even if one is coming, they will continue in their snail pace while crossing as if they are on some immortal elixir.

[Biraj]

Originally Posted by pratyush6

They honk as if there is no tomorrow, never ever stop at Red Lights, believe they are descendents of Kings. Pathetic.

Your statement fits Ahmedabad as well. The traffic in Ahmedabad is so chaotic that the only way to survive it is "become a part of the chaos".

No one follows any traffic signal and the traffic police doesn't care whether people stop at signals or not. Whenever I stop at a signal, people behind start honking like crazy and look at me as if I have committed some crime by stopping at the red signal. After dark almost everyone drives on high-beam and will flash at the car ahead for no reason.

Another aspect that I absolutely hate on roads (In Delhi as well as Ahmedabad) is the apathy towards right of way. Be it at round-abouts or turns, no one gives way to the car that has the right of way. In Delhi, people can't tolerate someone joining the lane in front of them. If one is in the middle lane and needs to take right thus, gives an indicator to join the right lane. The car on the right lane (even if it is 100 meters behind) will suddenly speed up to ensure that the car on the left lane is not able to join the lane in front of it.

Enough rant for the day.

[saket77]

Originally Posted by Biraj

Your statement fits Ahmedabad as well. The traffic in Ahmedabad is so chaotic that the only way to survive it is "become a part of the chaos".

Unfortunately not just true for Ranchi or Ahmedabad, that's the situation in most parts of the country. Most of the places in my recent travels like Lucknow, Patna, Jamshedpur, Kolkata, Varanasi, Dhanbad...they all are in pathetic conditions.

Can you recall places where according to you the traffic is upto reasonable senses?

Originally Posted by Biraj

Another aspect that I absolutely hate on roads (In Delhi as well as Ahmedabad) is the apathy towards right of way.

Right of Way in Indian traffic? What is that?

[deadguy25]

Sporting TBHP- IDS sticker and cutting-across all the lanes without using the indicators.

[dreadknight5]

Originally Posted by saket77

Unfortunately not just true for Ranchi or Ahmedabad, that's the situation in most parts of the country. Most of the places in my recent travels like Lucknow, Patna, Jamshedpur, Kolkata, Varanasi, Dhanbad...they all are in pathetic conditions.

Can you recall places where according to you the traffic is upto reasonable senses?
Right of Way in Indian traffic? What is that?

I guess you haven't visited Hyderabad. Let me give you a better picture of the traffic sense we have in here.

Hyderabad sells these Super Advanced 2 Wheelers which come equipped with a High Powered Turbo Charged Personal Force Fields. Armed with this, all 2 Wheeler drivers in Hyderabad ride on the roads like 3 year olds run in the park.

Then come in the heavy duty vehicles that insist on overtaking each other on a 2 lane road at 25 kmph. The excitement of watching them perform overtaking at such breath taking speeds is indescribable to say the least.

Then come in the typical white collared folks who not only honk at you on red signals, but make it a point to show the finger if you don't comply with their request to jump the signal.

I will not go to describe Cabs/ Autos and Govt Buses since the drivers in India have probably been mass cloned using a particular gene signature. So knowing them in 1 city = knowing them all over India.

I can go on, but you get the picture

[Shiv_1984]

Originally Posted by saket77

Good to know you Pratyush. BTW, I will term the bikers more pathetic than the car drivers in this city. Even more are the auto drivers. They have a stupid road sense to say the least. But as there are always exceptions, some people at times end up being at the receiving end for no fault of theirs; that's the major disadvantage related to road travel.
And something very similar happened to you too, sadly:



Agree to your observation on honking and jumping the lights. In fact, don't be surprised when you hear somebody honking from behind while you are waiting for that signal to turn green!



Even the pedestrians. They cross the road as if they are on a morning walk...absolutely no need to check if a vehicle is coming, or even if one is coming, they will continue in their snail pace while crossing as if they are on some immortal elixir.

I agree to you upto an extent saket but it's not their fault always. Being from Ranchi and living in Bangalore from past 10 years, I can say only one thing about my native City Infrastructure. It's Pathetic.

With no intentions to bash Ranchi, nothing have changed all these years. The main arterial road remains the same with ricks, autos, all types of motored vehicles plying on the same narrow lane (bother to call it road, hun?). I mean, look at it, even the best in the business would loose patience.

They installed signals which stopped working in few months. Those poor cycle ricks don't even understand what those red lights mean, those who understand don't follow because there is no law enforcer and what not. There were only 2 flyovers in the city when I visited last in 2012, more so in an era, when they are considered the only way to decongest the booming traffic. We had a safari which everytime we took out on the roads had an additional bruise, so much so that my dad sold it saying that it isnt worth driving this big car and we lived with our humble 800.

I love Ranchi as much as you do but the sorry state of affairs has ruined the capital of our country's mineral rich state. Our inept politicians have sucked every blood out of it.


From Ranchi to Kolkata:
-----------------------
Last week I was in Kolkata to visit my Uncle. I was sitting in my uncles's Alto with cousins and asked the driver how does he manage to drive the car with driver side ORVM folded? Isn't he bothered on what's beside?

His reply: 20 yrs back when he learnt driving, these mirrors were not there and now he is expert enough to drive without any in the car. Amusingly, he said, i just scan once and everything gets stored in my brain.

There was nothing more I could do than smile and forget it.

[saket77]

Originally Posted by dreadknight5

I guess you haven't visited Hyderabad.

Hello dreadknight,

I have read a lot many horror stories about Hyderabad traffic too, right here on this forum. Also, my BIL & sister live in Hyd, have heard from them about the situation too.

Don't really know how & when people will change this attitude towards their own well being & safety. May be its too much to expect it at a place where a delay of few minutes in reaching the destination outweighs some lives!

Originally Posted by Shiv_1984

I agree to you upto an extent saket but it's not their fault always. Being from Ranchi and living in Bangalore from past 10 years, I can say only one thing about my native City Infrastructure. It's Pathetic.

I love Ranchi as much as you do but the sorry state of affairs has ruined the capital of our country's mineral rich state. Our inept politicians have sucked every blood out of it.

About the political scenario, the less we talk, the better. Jharkhand politics is nothing less than a national joke & embarrassment. About the infrastructure, some roads are being rebuilt but I must add that most highways have now become much better in the recent years.
Though, the city's main roads are congested as ever, I am sure that there is no respite in the recent future with no flyovers coming up anytime soon. Roads other than the 'main road' have improved and frankly speaking they are not bad at all. But there is a need to enforce the law of lights in the city as most of the signals are hardly monitored by the Police/ traffic cops.

However, my contribution to the city is that I DRIVE SAFE. Even at night with nobody around, I will & I do follow the traffic lights, keep my patience at all situations, and mind my civic sense. I hope with a few people like me around, this spreads like a forest-fire.
Next time, you are around, just drop a PM, will be glad to meet up.

Regards,
Saket

[sinharishi]

Originally Posted by Biraj

In Delhi, people can't tolerate someone joining the lane in front of them. If one is in the middle lane and needs to take right thus, gives an indicator to join the right lane. The car on the right lane (even if it is 100 meters behind) will suddenly speed up to ensure that the car on the left lane is not able to join the lane in front of it.

Enough rant for the day.

Using indicators to change lane! where in DELHI/NCR I thought i am the only one on the streets of capital! You broke my heart man!

Its been a year, and i am so frustrated with the drivers here that i even gave up driving! Our car just had one minor dent before moving here, since then i have seen people getting attracted to my car for no reason!

[dark.knight]

I will take your Mumbai & Delhi & Hyd/Pune etc and raise you Bangalore, the undisputed hell on roads. Cabs take care of high speed torture while autos do the opposite (why do auto drivers pose like they are driving a F1 machine when their top speed is <5km/h?). Two-wheelers love to zig and zag 20 times a second, specially in stopped traffic (either all of them suffer from hyperactivity disorder or they love to torture cars). Buses, well they have a simple policy > get outta the way. This combined with a 100% jaywalking population, potholed roads, interstate lorries, water tankers etc make this the worst city on earth.

Ok I've done my rant, no offense meant. I'm sure everyone's city is just as bad

Something that should be done across India and my fellow BHPians have mentioned it time and again > Fine lane changing heavily,make usage of indicators a norm, fine jaywalkers heavily and fix the potholes at critical junctions. As a BHPian and even before that since the day I've learnt to drive, I've never changed lanes rashly or obstructed traffic or honked without reason. We as BHPians must initiate the change.

[dreadknight5]

Originally Posted by dark.knight

I will take your Mumbai & Delhi & Hyd/Pune etc and raise you Bangalore, the undisputed hell on roads. Cabs take care of high speed torture while autos do the opposite (why do auto drivers pose like they are driving a F1 machine when their top speed is <5km/h?). Two-wheelers love to zig and zag 20 times a second, specially in stopped traffic (either all of them suffer from hyperactivity disorder or they love to torture cars). Buses, well they have a simple policy > get outta the way. This combined with a 100% jaywalking population, potholed roads, interstate lorries, water tankers etc make this the worst city on earth.

Ok I've done my rant, no offense meant. I'm sure everyone's city is just as bad

Something that should be done across India and my fellow BHPians have mentioned it time and again > Fine lane changing heavily,make usage of indicators a norm, fine jaywalkers heavily and fix the potholes at critical junctions. As a BHPian and even before that since the day I've learnt to drive, I've never changed lanes rashly or obstructed traffic or honked without reason. We as BHPians must initiate the change.

dark.knight --Having driven in Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad, I can safely say that in terms of Zero Traffic sense, Hyderabad takes the cake. In fact , check the traffic rule violators in Bangalore. They are probably from AP driving the way they do over here.

In Hyderabad, I learnt to look both sides of a road before crossing it, even if they road is a 1 way. I got knocked down while crossing the road 2 times within my first week in Hyderabad. The 2 wheeler driver knocks me down( while riding on the wrong side) and has the audacity to ask me to watch out for traffic. I point out that this is a main road with proper 1 way signals posted , and he casually tells me " So what if it is 1 way, no one follows this".

Biggest problem in Bangalore is the roads. Damn governments never had the sense to make them wide. The side roads and short cuts that I used to take in Bangalore for most part of the 90's are now equipped with signal lights while the size of the road has remained the same. The amount of Traffic in Bangalore is ridiculous to the extent that I hate visiting Bangalore. It is no longer the city I grew up in. I could drive all the way from 100 feet road, Indiranagar to Majestic in 20-25 minutes without exceeding the speed limits till the year 2000. Last time I was in 100 feet road, it took me 30 minutes just to complete the 100 feet road stretch.

Auto drivers, Cabbies and Bus drivers in India are mass cloned from some guy who only knew how to ride a cycle in the park. So unfortunately as side effect all these drivers imagine they are in a park when they drive on any road. So yeah, they are same everywhere.

[500ContyCruiser]

Not sure if this has been posted here. Please delete if its duplicate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ8SxeL2CmA

Will be interesting to watch the full episode / season.

[IronH4WK]

Originally Posted by 500ContyCruiser

Not sure if this has been posted here. Please delete if its duplicate.

LMAO!! their reactions are priceless!

they're lucky they made out there alive