Blocking Lanes at Traffic Lights!!!
You approach a red light and you want to turn right (or left). You see a long line of cars waiting to do the same. You, being a good and sensible driver, join the line. What does the average Joe do? Why, get onto the next lane of course...or the lane next to that! Whichever is emptier. Sole aim being getting as close to the lights as possible so that he is first out when it is green. But say, what happens if the signal opens for just the straight traffic or the ones turning left (or right)? Our Joe is on the wrong lane and is forced to wait on that lane until it turns green for him. And there's invariably many cars behind him who want to take the green. What do they do? Honk!!! But dear Joe has nowhere to go. So, he acts as if he never heard a thing and continues to stay put. Result being they miss the green and there is a lot of traffic piled up just because of morons and jerks who cannot stick to the lanes! Come on folks...how would you feel if you cannot take a green? You'd feel like bashing up the guy in front of you. Well, I can only wish that jerks such as these do get bashed up nice and proper. Would've learnt a lesson or two.
Texting while driving!!!
Talking on the phone while driving is bad. It affects your concentration severely, no matter what ace of a driver you might be. It is a serious hazard for you and other road users. We have laws in place prohibiting this. The checking is infrequent and penalty is mild at best. So much for the law. If you can buy a car, you can buy a bluetooth handsfree, can't you? Buy it, then! Though I strongly believe that talking on the phone, with hands or without hands, impairs driving significantly, given India's traffic and the amount of time one spends on the road, it is almost impossible to abstain from making calls at all. We can live with the handsfree, I guess. An unusually slow car in front of you? Chances are he's on the phone! Swerving car? Phone it is. And if this wasn't enough, younger drivers have resorted to texting!!! Simply because the police can't see the phone in your hand, below the steering wheel!!! Texting is one of the most addictive vices, if I may use that word! One simply loses all sense of time and surroundings while typing messages on the phone. And you have to take your eyes off the road, too! Not done! Pullover to the kerb and answer your calls, whatever their nature!
Sneaking in between lanes!!!
That empty space ahead, between those two cars is so tempting, isn't it? It is tempting only because no one ever thinks of what you'd do after getting there. If there are two lanes, then there are two lanes! Period. It is no business of yours to be creating a new lane just because there is space! If you squeeze into the space, then a few cars will line up behind you and lo behold, the road has suddenly become a tri-carriageway. But until where? Only until the point where things narrow a wee bit and you get into a spot! And then what do you do? Try to push out the driver on your left or right, and start up a nice noisy honking spree! To what end? Just for reshuffling the pecking order? Worth it? Stick to your lane, for God's sake!
Wrong Side!!!
Driving on the wrong side of a dual carriageway? Yeah, we know the divider break is only a 100 metres away on the wrong side while 500 metres away on the correct side but, that does not give you the right to drive into oncoming traffic. Imagine the risk you are putting yourself at and all the possible snarls that you may cause just by one act of irresponsibility. Not to mention the swear words you'll get to hear from co-users. Simply not done. Whether car or bike, DO NOT drive on the wrong side to get to the divider break. It may take you a few more minutes but the peace of mind is sure worth it. Respect other drivers and respect rules and conventions.
Changing Lanes!!!
This is very common for us Indians and no big deal at all! If the lane next to me is moving faster, well, I get onto it. Simple. But the catch is, it doesn't end here. If the lane I just left is suddenly moving quicker, then I better get back there! And it goes on and on! And every cab fellow and every dumb, moronic driver does this! All the time! Come on guys, don't you get tired of honking, blinking and steering? Considering that you get to the destination (signal or turn or wherever else that you stop doing it) at most, a minute or two earlier, if that! Imagine all the headache of changing lanes and the risk of denting your car and others' cars and the abuse you get from fellow users. Worth it? Naaaaah! Stick to your lane and you'll reach home just fine.
Jumping Red Lights!!!
It is the most foolish thing to do. You'd feel a chump if you got mowed when doing it. Seriously, what on earth can anyone gain by jumping a signal which will last 90-120 secs? Come on, differentiate yourself from uneducated cab and truck drivers. Respect the rules. Set a benchmark. No matter how empty the roads are, no matter how late at night it is, it doesn't do damage to wait a few seconds.
Jumping the Queue at Toll Booths!!!!
Man, this really sucks! As if it wasn't irritating enough to have drivers pass ahead of you and try to squeeze in between you and the car that was in front! This is a very commonplace thing in our cities and not many people care when a car, or a couple of them, or maybe a whole lot of them pass you on your right, on a single lane road and try to get in-lane when there is oncoming traffic.
Now, an increasing trend is to do the same when cars are queuing at Toll Booths!!! Boy, that is the limit, really. Say, would you ever do such a thing when in a queue to buy movie tickets? Or food coupons? Then why at Toll Booths, man? What are the other patient drivers? Fools? Or, insane? If everyone starts overtaking one another, then where are we heading, seriously?
Everyone's waiting dude! You aren't the King or the President! Nor are you driving an ambulance! So please, fall in Queue!