Anecdote
Friday last, 9.45 am, Chamiers Rd/Cenotaph Rd Intersection.
I've just been pulled over by traffic cop for jumping a red light (the damn thing had turned red before I could drive off. Don't ask). We get out of the car, and follow the guy. He's clearly a rookie.
"LLR-a? You're not allowed to drive in traffic."
"Oh yes I am!"
" Read your LLR properly- it says in there that you can't."
I fish out my LLR and (triumphantly) read out loud, "The attention of the holder of this license is drawn to rule-3 of Central Motor Vehicle Rules 1989. Which prohibits him from driving any motor vehicle unless he has besides him a person duly licensed to drive the vehicles and in every case, the vehicle carries "L" plate both in the front and in the rear of the vehicle."
I sound quite indignant, and Rookie senses that I'm about to pick up a fight. And so we are taken to meet the boss. The Boss regards me balefully and parrots out, "LLR-a? You're not allowed to drive in traffic. Read your LLR properly- it says in there that you can't." Before I reply, Rookie, tells his boss with a smirk, "She's claiming that there's no such rule." I feel belligerent, and dearly want to break his nose. The Boss continues his interrogation,
"What are you doing driving in traffic?"
"Learning to drive in traffic..."
"You're not allowed to do that! You're supposed to practice on empty roads."
"But I've already done that! And anyway, there's no rule that stops me from driving in traffic."
"No, you can only drive in traffic when you have your license! What if you cause an accident?" I want to say to him, you moron, a driver's license does not automatically endow anyone with perfect driving skills.
"How do you propose I learn to drive in traffic, then?"
"YOU CAN DRIVE IN TRAFFIC ONLY AFTER YOU"VE GOT YOUR LICENSE"
"But there is no such rule!"
"When I tell you something, you must listen. Instead you go on insisting that the rabbit has three legs..."
"BUT THERE IS NO SUCH RULE!"
"You're a girl, so I can't say anything to you. You'll claim that I harassed you."
"Err, if you say so."
"Now get lost."
"Ok"
See how the cops made no mention about my actual offense? It's symptomatic of a special kind of idiocy that's endemic to the authorities.
And that, folks was my tryst with the law.
Questions and Observations
-Why is switching on the indicator while changing lanes not standard practice in India? It makes me very nervous not doing this. In Kerala, putting on your right indicator while driving on a straight road apparently means that you're allowing the person behind to overtake you. Scary.
-Bike drivers are a nuisance to civilised society. Also, auto drivers. Ok, some car drivers too.
-Oh god, how I love power steering!
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16 comments:
'Madras roadla Lane switching'
-- 'Bike drivers/auto drivers are nuisance'
Ellam NRI type peter :) i say
The mallu rule is actually not wrong - its kinda true - atleast from what i know.
Driving in India is WAY safer than driving elsewhere - iam pretty sure. I can explain if u want :)
1.Are you saying that auto and bike drivers who drive with blatant disregard for rules and for common sense AREN'T a nuisance? You mean you DON'T feel like strangling them? You must be the epitome of patience, then.
2.Pray tell, what is wrong in clearly indicating to vehicles behind you that you're changing lanes? Sheer commom sense, I'd think.
3.Safer? How? It's nerve wracking, that's what it is. All the pedestrians, cats, dogs, cyclists and bikers one must avoid killing! I don't know how it's safe by any stretch of the imagination. I can only comment about the USA- well, people there drive in an orderly fashion.
Maybe you're talking about highways? They're brutally unsafe here. I should know, I lost my father in a road accident.
Hey
- my point was in India - like in all other issues - theres a lot of self regulation involved - meaning - although the basic traffic rules hold valid - the lack of infrastructure makes their interpretation kind of hard.
Lanes - no use in the term if theres just one or two - which just do 30/40 Kmph - i always thought - It is very important to observe this discipline when on a highway - i was joking about it in the context of madras - see ?
I guess bikes/autos are a pain in the butt sometimes. But Standard props if ur going to live in india :)
About the safety part: I used to think i was a confident driver when i drive in chen - couple of days before i took a turn on a friend's Audi along an autobahn near Wiesbaden where the minimum allowed speed was 120 mph (miles not Kms) - i did about 10 mins on one stretch before i stopped because i got so scared - in the 10 mins - i passed atleast 1 mangled merc, 1 upside down truck and like half dozen ambulances - and my german friend saying tut tut all the time.
I felt like - hey - in india the number of incidents (like scratching some car, bumping into a scooter) might be higher - but because speeds are low - there is a lesser likelihood of serious incidents. I guess this stupid confidence makes people more prone to break rules in India - because in a fucken autobahn if some1 jumps a signal - hes sure screwed
It sure is pathetic logic - but Does this explain why i made the comment ?
Im sorry, i feel stupid - i shud av shut it
Hey,
The Kerala rule is actually standard highway practice but doesn't apply on city roads. On a highway flashing your right indicator is a signal that you are allowing the vehicle behind you to overtake. Of course, you must be in the left lane at the time.
And let's not curse auto and bike drivers alone please. Some of the worst driving I've seen in Bangalore happens precisely because of power steering. Motorists driving SUVs that occupy three-quarters of a road swerving left and right at speeds of at least 60 kmph simply because turning the wheel requires no effort. Car drivers are in my opinion just as reckless as auto and bike riders and much more dangerous for the sheer size of their vehicles. Let's not point fingers here.
I find it had to believe that you are not allowed to learn to drive in traffic in India.
ah, the eternal class-divide.
those who have cars, and those that don't. those that do hate the ones that don't and those that don't hate the ones that do. i for one hate both. but one must hate the biker dudes more.
so a, rtp are the bike owners, ?!* has clearly never been on a bike.
i like walking. :)
A: Self-regulation? In India? Realy? We can't even form queues, for god's sake.
Sometimes there are three lanes. And if you're like me driving in the leftmost lane, and need to move towards the rightmost, then what's wrong in putting on the indicator? I'd be a lot happier if I could do it, that's all. Spoke to a couple of friends who're accustomed to driving in America, and they feel the same too.
I've only just started driving in Madras, and therefore have only just begun to really appreciate what a big pain bikes/autos are. :)
Well, comparing driving in the autobahn with driving inside a city (Chennai or NYC, it doesn't matter) makes no sense at all. Wikipedia says that driving in the autobahn is as safe/unsafe as driving on any highway in Europe. I can't quote statistics to you, but I'm pretty sure that Indian Highways are more unsafe than their western counterparts. Primarily because westerners actually follow traffic rules. And use their common sense while on the road.
RTP: Never driven on a highway, so I had no idea.
From what I've seen bike drivers are the worst offenders- and they're a danger to themselves. Some car drivers are no better, as I've mentioned in the post.
jjtb: Heh. Nothing to do with class. I just don't want to hit a motorcyclist, would prefer banging into another car! I've been on a bike on several occassions, but luckily with safe drivers.
Bobo: Heh. I like walking too, except in T.Nagar it's traumatising, what with the traffic and bad sidewalks.
Driving around madras is kinda making you particularly belligerent :)
First the paavum Traffic cop - now the rest of us
- driving just takes practice and it'll all be fine
LOL
I always thought Chennai was one of those places where they were lax. As in just lax. Conservative, yes, but surely lax.
wait, vis-a-vis JJtB's reply, driving a car doesn't mean colliding only with other cars. the entire road is your punching bag.
the hierarchy where from a particular point on it, that vehicle can pick on everything below it. something like
pedastrian < cyclist < scooter < motorcycle < car < truck < auto < bus < cop car.
i feel most nimble on my feet. hence like walking. :)
A: No one gets away with calling me an NRI. Or with calling Indian roads safe. :)
Goethe's Curry: Hello! They were probably looking for a bribe...
Bobo: Interesting, how you place auto above lorry and below bus :)
indeed, auto drivers fear almost none. :)
I was looking for information on Indian Drivers license and I landed here :) Interesting thread indeed.
WoW @ the right indicator rule! I would have never guessed that. At least it's not as dangerous as the other rule/custom I came across. Flashing light to mean that I_can't_stop_and_I'm_coming_through. AFAIK, in the US, it's the total opposite. Flashing light usually says, you go ahead and I will wait. Now, think about an American driving in India. That could be freaking dangerous :)
Maybe car driving in Indian cities is not very dangerous for the person driving the car, but for the others. I don't think Autobahns and interstates are any more dangerous than Indian highways! A, I have never been to Germany, but it's hard to believe that they have traffic lights on autobahns!!
One of the commentors (is that a word?) thinks India is the safest to drive and thinks that bikes/cycles/autos are NOT a nuisance is either in denial or has never driven in India - especially Arcot Road... :-)
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