Are Indian drivers closet Formula 1 drivers or just plain suicidal

durian

Holy mackerel. I thought Montreal or Boston drivers were crazy. I was obviously so far off the mark.

My company got me a driver to drive me from my hotel to Electronic City and for other trips. My first experience in panic (which was also my first day in India) was at a really busy junction. My driver, without any warning (oh, except the driver constantly hitting his horn), suddenly drives into a really busy junction to make a right turn, cutting off the traffic coming from the right. All the traffic from the right and left lane had to brake to avoid him. The only thing missing was screeching tires.

Speaking of which, I swear the most used equipment in cars must be the horn. These drivers are constantly horning each other. We were caught in a traffic jam with nobody moving - traffic jam ahead of us as far as the eye can see. My driver was constantly lightly brushing the horn at nobody in particular. I was just a constant beep beep. I am certain it is simply an unconscious movement to him. Just like somebody blinking or breathing.

I really feel sorry for pedestrians and husbands/wives on two wheelers. My driver has no qualms coming up behind them (leaning on the horn - what else), and then squeezing them off the road just so that he can get ahead.

My driver is going to drive me to Mysore tomorrow. If you don't see any more posting from me and if you are in the area, please check to see if I am still alive in some hospital between Bangalore and Mysore.

Bernie

WOW - MY FIRST TIME IN INDIA. WHAT A MIND BLOWER. THANKS TO ALL IM'ers FOR ALL YOUR ADVICE. IT REALLY HELPED PREPARE ME FOR THIS TRIP. I'M LOVING IT.

Nick-H

'Horning' --- I see you are using the correct Indian English

Yes, this constant horning drives me mad. As, sometimes, does the assumption that, just because some horns, I willget out of the way!

But, although it scares me, I have to try it, this Indian driving! I've got my International permit, and it is on my todo list to start off by taking a few lessons from a local school.

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rangss

Don't worry. You will be in one full and happy piece after Mysore.

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dzibead

He was just trying to be accommodating to all those other vehicles telling him "Horn Please" !

I had a car and driver for a few days last fall (thanks to our friends at Namaste India Tours, which I leared about on IM), and I told my driver I thought the Indian Air Force must have the best fighter pilots in the world, after all their experience with driving in India traffic. He thought that was pretty amusing. (My driver was excellent, by the way.)

bijapuri

horns aren't used in NASCAR-
hmmmm, what an idea. , , ,
Am bracing for ringtones of bollywood remixes to start appearing on digitized horns any day now

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durian

Oh yeah, I have a question. Some of the trucks have signes that say "Sound Horn". According to my driver, that sign indicates that the truck driver wants you to sound your horn if you want him to move out of the way.

Which my driver then gladly proceeded to demonstrate!!!

Boy, what courteous and thoughtful truck drivers!!!!

Does anybody know why truck drivers have that sign??? Isn't this the version of the "Go ahead, kick me" sign we put on our friends in school??

Bernie

byronic

And at night it is prerequisite to flash high beams with the horn directly into oncomming traffic two seconds before passing so to insure the blinding of driver raceing towards you from the opposite direction...

SHIMLA

The trucks have that sign precisely for the reason your driver explained.

A far more common sign on the rear of trucks is " Horn OK Please". Its actually "Horn Please", meaning, "sound your horn to have me out of your way"!

Till date, I have never understood what the "OK" means and what's it doing between "Horn" and "Please"

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davey

There are only 3 things required for driving in India
1, A GOOD HORN
2, GOOD BRAKES
3, GOOD LUCK
Thats what my driver told me on our first day in India,
We saw one sign on a truck
" Honk Horn Okay Please for Sied" (Sied was how it was spelled) meaning side

soulfood

Funny thread. It bugs me too big time. My trick is to adjust the side rear view mirror so the "horny" guy behind me realises that I'm looking him in the eye. That usually stops him from doing it again.

Btw, we do have our own Forumla 1 driver -- Narain Karthikeyan

Nick-H

This guy always looks like a big kid to me! Hey! Lucky man Big kid with F1 cars to play with May his first big win come real soon...

Indojingai

The horning

- It is assumed that the sounds will make the car in front disappear or change the traffic signal to green, so you can drive on.
- Also assumed that by horning the other driver is just blind, not blind and deaf too.
- Also assumed that the zombies that bring their bicycle on the roads or the beggers or other random people will not choose you for their suuuii-side.

The real reason though is that to us drivers it gives a false assurance that our journey will be safe, and we're doing our part...

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peterji

My understanding is most Indian beleive in Kismet (fate) which means no matter what they do, if its ment to happen it will happen. Unfortunatly they apply this to there driving Which is why they drive like lemins.

readmymind

when i arrived in india i thought my driver must be the WORST driver EVER !! after a few days i realised that he was actually quite good as he got me everywhere i needed to go without incident.

the second driver i had told me that honking the horn was a part of the indian culture. it sure seems to be !

i miss the horns... and the chai... and the throngs of people walking through the market place on a warm evening. i miss india.

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Auntyji

Speaking of driving, on one of my trips back, I hired a taxi for the day. A big old Ambassador-at the first left turn, the driver suddenly braked and then asked me to stick my arm out of the left rear window, to do duty as the left-turn indicator!!! Apparently, the indicator wasn't working, and he could handle the right turns by waving his right arm, but he thought I could help out every time a left turn came up...