Are Indian drivers closet Formula 1 drivers or just plain suicidal

The biggest problem I face everyday -

I drive my motor-cycle and invariably, everyone honks like hell at me suggesting that I jump the stop line way before the signal hits green.
It's disgusting. This happens everyday at every signal.
More so, the drivers think I criminally waste the real estate between the stop line an the place where the road actually divides. Guess what, the passers-by think I am wrong!

Hats off to you for obeying traffic rules, and resisting the bullies who want you out of the way so they can ignore them. I rant and rave a lot about bikers in Chennai. I'm sure you can understand why. I can understand that life on our roads for the good biker must be really, really frustrating.

I mean the politicians and the authorities, John. Why is not road safety not even on their list of important things, let alone high on it? When did the Prime Minister of India last mention it?
As per US, 'bike' would tend to be a bicycle, rather than a motorbike. But a biker might ride a motorbike, and a cyclist a bicycle!

Thank you for the clarification

I agree with you, Nick I can understand how you'd have felt driving in the roads of Chennai - life is frustrating for any good driver.

I am particularly frustrated with the Taxi drivers in the city - the cars and the SUVs that have Yellow license plate. The way the majority of them drive could particularly be classified as 'rash'. Initially I had the opinion that this behaviour reflects on their being under educated and their socio-economic set up.

I came to understand my presumptions were wrong, when I travelled to Pondicherry in a Taxi. The taxi driver turned out to be one of 'those' drivers I hated in the roads. I admonished him this travel could not continue with the safety compromised, especially with my family members sitting in the rear, clutching to their lives.

The taxi driver cribbed (yet complied) and gave me a fantastic explanation, which challenged the science I had learnt in my school and college.

Distance / Time = Money!

He seemed to challenge the laws of Physics!
All my life I had come to terms with the equation; Distance / Time = Speed.

He argues, the longer the distance traveled in the shortest possible time would mean $$$$$$

He apparently failed to take into the account one equation, though - the faster one travels, the lesser the fuel efficiency. Or it may just be just that the fuel efficiency is too little a factor to be considered.

In any case, I learnt a lesson - stay clear of Taxi wallahs in the roads. They are pretty smart and they consider a congested city traffic and the innocuous two-wheelers a deterrent in their quest to achieve higher distance / time ratio.

Please watch out for the Yellow license plates - chances are higher that the driver would be an irresponsible citizen than a white license plate drivers.

Oddly enough, when I take a taxi, the driver is usually fairly good. I suppose that, when you are travelling in one, you don't notice the others, like when you are driving yourself, when you notice every one that cuts you up, tailgates you, bullies and abuses you.

I'm not surprised at the formula. Add to it the number of hours that these guys work, sometimes are forced to work, and deaths are the the only possible result.

Add the bus drivers. The private coach drivers are worse.

The other day, I had a giggle, though. The biker thing of cutting accross from the right to take a left. This guy did it to another biker, who ran into him. As they had only just started from a signal, there was nothing dangerous, but they were having a nice little altercation as I drove on.

Fuel efficiency. Now, there's a thing. There's nothing efficient about it, and the rest of the world calls it fuel consumption, which is accurate: your engine consumes fuel. More, or less, according to your driving style. The marketing men, I'm told, are responsible for seeding the term fuel efficiency, as being more culturally acceptable.

The Indian car buying market is obsessed with this fuel efficiency --- but when they get into the car, they mostly drive in the most fuel in-efficient way possible, by alternating hard acceleration with hard braking...

Hey ho!

You have to watch those sweeping generalisations Nick-- on one hand you say--- They mostly drive in the most fuel in- efficient way possible---- but on the other hand your average old school Enfield rider has a unique ability to seemingly short shift to top gear in one fluid motion and cruise along at a constant low speed, which is the most fuel efficient way to ride. I am an expert rider, but i cannot hold a 350 enfield at 25 to 30 kmh in top gear, but an Indian rider can do it easily--in the same way an Indian seems to be able to set the idle on his Enfield at something like 500 to 750rpm-- but if i set the idle low my bike becomes prone to stalling. In the west when you pull up somewhere on your motorcycle, the first question asked is How fast does your bike go ? or What is the max horsepower ?--where as in India the question is always What is the fuel consumption of your bike ?----------Trees for the Forest-- i think

the term heavy crank ring any bells? if not just google it.

--- as you know, redninja, I do not understand the hands-on aspect of biking at all.

In India, not following rules is a privilege, a status symbol, and an indication of how important you are. Everyone onw wants to eliminate corruption but don't know what it is.
I am not so sure that"bike" necessarily means a bicycle. Bike is used for both, a bicycle and a motorcycle. All my "biker" friends mean a motorcycle when they refer to a "bike"

In your first point, I am afraid that you are very right.

In your second point, yes, there is quite a lot of flexibility in the use of the words in UK English

Ha Ha-- I will try and dumb it down a bit for you. The idea of changing to top gear as quickly as possible, and cruising along at the lowest revs possible, whilst in top gear, is a fuel efficient way of riding ( or driving ), if you ride like this you will use the least fuel. In my experience lots and lots of Indians ride like this-- i see it everyday--fuel is expensive- your average indian will always try to save money. In your original post you gave the impression that all indians are lunatics on the road, and ride like there is no tomorrow, that is simply not the case. Maybe it stems from your limited ability to read the traffic, your limited ability to identify different genres of motorists, which results in you making illogical assumptions, and false generalizations. On the other hand i always have a laugh when you climb on your high horse and start tearing shreds off Madras motorists. As someone who only bought a car, because you got sick and tired of being ripped off by auto drivers, don't seem to possess any real natural driving skills (freely admit to not being able to balance on a bicycle) i cannot believe you are still alive, based on your mindless ravings you should have been killed in traffic years ago. So for all the inquiries on indiamike from wannabe riders and drivers, wishing to dip their toes into the madness of Indian roads, be brave be strong and GO for it--If Nick can stay alive on the roads anyone can--god speed and happy motoring.

Don't take my word for it. Go to www.Team-BHP.com, and see what you fellow Indians have to say about the general level of driving skills in India, especially that of bikers!

Unfortunately, one ability that is widely absent is the ability to read traffic. Once again, you'll find that impression confirmed by my fellow members of Team-BHP. I have no doubt that you will be able to do it: Quite likely you were one of India's good drivers/bikers anyway, but you have now also been polishing your art elsewhere.

So, I, and many Indians will continue to tear shreds off Madras bikers, taxi drivers, SUV bullies and so on and so forth. Or, at least, those who know enough about driving will!

Maybe you can drive, maybe you can't: I do have some awareness of my limits, which is a necessary part of the skill.

Oh, also... I can't ride horses. I can sail boats, though: does that have any relevance?

How many drive-hours you've clocked here, Red Ninja?
Where are the places you've been to?

Any case, your post means little out here.
And what's wrong with you - your tone? It doesn't do any good and it certainly doesn't belong here.
I've got one word for your post - gross.

Well, I made the same mistake some time back: Red Ninja is an experienced Chennai driver and biker! And I have been a little rude to him in the past --- so I am not complaining.

But, it is hardly necessary to be able to drive on two wheels to have the skills needed for four.

while agree that it's not necessary to be able to ride/drive on wheels to have skills needed for four wheel vehicles, driving a two wheels opens a window into a whole new world which is alien to four wheel drivers.

If you are a good driver who respects the road and other drivers, two wheel experience will usually make you a better driver.
If you are a terrible one, it makes little difference. And if you are a (stereo) typical driver, a two wheel experience gives you a license to be a bigger jerk than before.

As to the issue of fuel efficiency, Indians are obsessed with it to the extent of driving the wrong way to save fuel for a few tens of metres. It defies all common sense. A few Rupees is more precious than their life or that of others. Petrol is the most expensive thing most Indians buy on a regular basis. For many, buying a motor vehicle is a major expense. If they could they would probably try to drive without fuel too.

Some bus drivers put the vehicle in neutral when going downhill in the mountains while some seem to turn the engine off.

Pretty serious discussions, isn't it?!

Drive vs Ride - etymology

So, why two terms - we 'drive' a car whereas we 'ride' a two-wheeler.

Sharing my thoughts,

The other day I was reading Conan Doyle, who beautifully describes the victorian-era England, I got to know the possible usage of the terms 'drive' and 'ride' (Someone may correct me if I am inaccurate, after all, this is my inference).

Riding, was used exclusively to mean a man on a horse-back. While a chevalier or a knight 'rides' on a horse, a coachman 'drives' the horse-driven coach.

Extending the analogy in the moder era, it makes very good sense!