[joybhowmik]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

+1 to racer_m.

I have been experiencing this behavior day in day out every day.

Hardly surprising.
Empty roads are a scarce commodity in urban India. Add to that stress related hormones pounding through each and every driver.
What one gets is a mix - more dangerous than drunk driving!

[RajeswaranK7]

Originally Posted by ravradha

It was about 8 pm and no one was stopping at the signal. Atleast 10 cars and 10 bikes crossed the 'red' signal.

@ravradha
Whenever you stop at a signal which is deserted, please stop at the left hand side giving ample way to such morons. Imagine what would it be if it was a tipper lorry instead of a Scorpio, those guys never give a thought before jumping red signals late in the night. I experience the same in that signal and the one near TB hospital whenever i return late from work, so I made it a point to stop, but at the left side giving enough space. If they wan't to go and crash, let them. I won't advise you to teach a lesson to these guys, its like advising someone who smokes, to quit that habit, they know that its wrong, but they still do it, don't waste your time in trying to educate these morons. These guys do it not by mistake, but deliberately. Drive safe.

[man_of_steel]

Just bumped on to this video.

http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/new...er-bike/267047

The Truck driver is termed as 'negligent' by the media here. Yes, he was speeding a bit. But can the driver be completely blamed on this? The lady was on his blindspot the whole time.

[dass]

+1 to Racer M.

I follow traffic rules most of the times and when these morons do try to intimidate me, I just ignore and look the opposite side with a poker face. There have been times, when I just smiled at them when they are busy trying to run me over and that seemed to have caught their goose.

[Stiggy]

Originally Posted by ravradha

Sorry about that.

Yesterday while driving back to my house, on the Chrompet-Thoraipakkam 200 feet road, I stopped at the Vel's signal.

It was about 8 pm and no one was stopping at the signal. Atleast 10 cars and 10 bikes crossed the 'red' signal. The scorpio (Yellow board) behind me kept on honking non-stop for about a minute. I moved only on green.

After 50 meters, he rashly overtook me and threw profanities!

I was

The problem is not with him, but the larger society. What to do to change this?

Originally Posted by meetbadri

We can’t do much on this. Replying to these people is just a waste of time and patience. We should only concentrate on our driving and follow the traffic rules properly. We can only change the society by changing ourselves.

Maybe I'm a bit daft, but when someone yells profanities or hurls abuse, I smile and wave. They LOVE that

[Gokrish]

Originally Posted by ravradha

After 50 meters, he rashly overtook me and threw profanities!

I was

The problem is not with him, but the larger society. What to do to change this?

There are umpteen of them in Chennai and in other places. Have experienced this even during broad day light when the signal was still red for me and vehicles crossing on the permitted side! They belong to a different breed from Mars with no traffic sense and regard for other road users. Just ignore them and carry on with your driving! At times I wonder whether they drive/ride the vehicles or the said metal pieces drive/ride them. Everyone seems to be in self imposed hurry to go somewhere!

[alavandar]

Originally Posted by man_of_steel

Just bumped on to this video.

http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/new...er-bike/267047

The Truck driver is termed as 'negligent' by the media here. Yes, he was speeding a bit. But can the driver be completely blamed on this? The lady was on his blindspot the whole time.

Thanks for the link. Both the truck driver and the woman are at fault. The lady is on the middle lane, trying to over take the truck from left and immediately take a right turn. What we call at sea a "crossing the bow". The truck driver is at fault because he should have stuck to the middle lane and leave the inner lane for the use of vehicles which may turn right at the signal.

I agree, she was on the blind spot of the truck driver and was taking a stupid risk.

Responsibility: 75: 25. 75 p.c. mistake of the lady.

[Kumar R]

Originally Posted by alavandar

The truck driver is at fault because he should have stuck to the middle lane and leave the inner lane for the use of vehicles which may turn right at the signal.
Responsibility: 75: 25. 75 p.c. mistake of the lady.

This is an interesting video clip and the woman is very very lucky to escape unhurt. On this occasion though, the truck driver can only be faulted very slightly. The biker in the video had no blind spot and was well placed to appreciate the danger of crossing such a heavy vehicle. This is a common hazard that bikers and autos make by zipping across a lane and expecting vehicles behind to magically adjust their speeds. Now that everything is fine, I hope she learned a lesson on changing lanes sensibly.

I'd give a 95-5 responsibility between the biker and the truck.

[deathwalkr]

Originally Posted by man_of_steel

Just bumped on to this video.

http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/new...er-bike/267047

The Truck driver is termed as 'negligent' by the media here. Yes, he was speeding a bit. But can the driver be completely blamed on this? The lady was on his blindspot the whole time.

Truck driver should have been on the middle lane leaving the right lane free. That said the lady should have known better than to cut across a truck from so close :( Recipe for disaster.

Ah well

[alavandar]

Originally Posted by deathwalkr

Truck driver should have been on the middle lane leaving the right lane free. That said the lady should have known better than to cut across a truck from so close :( Recipe for disaster.

Ah well

Overtaking from left and immediately taking a right turn is outright carelessness.In my opinion the truck driver is ignorant that someone is acting so stupid. Calling him a negligent truck driver is trying to shift the blame where it does not belong.

[deathwalkr]

Well in an ideal world, the truck would have been on the middle lane going straight, the lady would have been on the right turning right and none of this would have happened.

In this case blame is not solely on the truck driver's part. He was helpless to prevent what happened. Seeing the truck driver on the right lane do you think the lady would have thought he was also going to turn right like her?

Hate it when 2 wheelers make a big attempt in weaving in from my right side at the back, squeezing in through the left, cutting in right in front of me and overtaking the vehicle in front through the right side. Why go to so much trouble when they could have just overtook me and the vehicle in front in one straight line?

[srikanthns]

Originally Posted by deathwalkr

Hate it when 2 wheelers make a big attempt in weaving in from my right side at the back, squeezing in through the left, cutting in right in front of me and overtaking the vehicle in front through the right side. Why go to so much trouble when they could have just overtook me and the vehicle in front in one straight line?

You just described the impatient two wheeler rider in Trivandrum while you are waiting at signal. This gets on my nerves really!

[ashkamath]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

I have been experiencing this behavior day in day out every day. On an average about 10+ vehicles ignore the stop signal prompting the vehicles behind the genuinely rules following crowd to start honking desperately. Sometime the vehicles in front yield to this pressure but have seen if the vehicles in front dont budge the honking stops

I had a first hand experience with the crowd honking desperation recently. I was driving (@ Bangalore) from Horamaru side joining the ORR and being peak hour there was heavy traffic. The road at the railway crossing section really narrows down and with heavy pot holes, causes a serious bottle neck as it is.
we all know how the honking and desperation at the railway crossings generally are. I inched forward with a barrage of 2 wheeler riders around me jostling for every millimeter space and suddenly the railway gate started to close down. I was about 10 feet from the gate and with a car and couple of bikes fighting it out with oncoming vehicles I decided it prudent to stop and wait. But then the horrendous continuous honking from behind got the devil out in me and I was literally hounded to make a run for it. I admit I lost my cool and made a dash for it and I could see the gate closing right in front of me. I passed with the gate literally grazing my car top and I felt shivers running down my spine. I was absolutely upset with the honking crowd behind ( a couple of 2 wheeler riders passed the gate with me but most just had to stay back for all the ruckus they created and only I would have been the victim if something had gone wrong).

The mob frenzy is too much during such situations and I can only hope in coming days that good sense prevails with these riders / drivers. Surely they know how to make a bad driver out of a decent driver.

[Count510]

Originally Posted by srikanthns

You just described the impatient two wheeler rider in Trivandrum while you are waiting at signal. This gets on my nerves really!

It's not just Trivandrum. Happens everywhere. Come to my city, you'll find Trivandrum a joy ride. In my place you will come across just ONE sane & sensible in a whole day. That is, only one proper driver would be spotted every day. Trust me on this. And, are they abusive! I'd rather live in a village.

[Thad E Ginathom]

And how about the hatred and loathing from drivers behind when one stops to give way to somebody else? A few seconds is all it takes.