Traffic on Tuesdays - Send a Signal

I think it's about time someone explained to drivers in Chennai what their indicator lights are meant for. That there's absolutely no use in switching them on after you've turned. That the point is to indicate that you're going to turn. To give the vehicles behind you an idea of your intentions, so that they have the time to react accordingly.

I've lost count of the number of times a stationary car, parked on the side of the road has pulled out a few feet in front of me -without any warning. The concept of MSM (mirror, signal, maneuver) is completely unknown. To them it is just ... M (maneuver). Sometimes I wonder if ignorance is any excuse for lack of common sense. I mean, even if you had never heard of MSM, would you pull out into moving traffic without looking to see what was coming? While walking down the street, would you turn and cross it without stopping to look both ways? For some reason the people of Chennai seem to do exactly that!

It is basic common sense. Whether you're a motorist or a pedestrian, you need to be aware of the traffic around you, and ensure that they're aware of you and what you're going to do. In other words, you need to check your mirrors and signal - before you start moving, before you change lanes, before you make a turn, before you pull over to the side of the road - before you do anything at all.

Your mirrors, all 3 of them, are meant for you to see what's behind you. They're not meant to be kept closed or be used to style your hair. And last but not least, your hazard lights are meant to indicate that there is a problem - not that you're going straight at a junction.

I guess this advice doesn't really apply to most of you who read this post (at least I hope it doesn't ;) ). But I wish there was a way to get this message across to people who would benefit from it. I would love to print it out and hand it out to all the staff in my office, but unfortunately there is a language barrier, and I don't know enough Tamil to translate it. (oh alright - so I don't know any Tamil :p ). So, if any of you feel inspired enough to translate it for me, I would be very, very grateful. You could email it to me at childofchennai@gmail.com. And I'm hoping you'll spread the word. Forward it to your friends and coworkers, pin it up on your notice boards. Who knows, maybe it will get through to somebody.

Driving me crazy....

The traffic in Chennai is one thing that really gets my blood boiling. It's a topic that I could go on and on about. But as difficult as it may be, I'm going to try to restrict my rants about traffic to no more than once a week. And, instead of lamenting about the state of things, I've decided to put them in the form of driving 'tips'. Who knows, maybe someday they can all be compiled into a little book and made compulsory reading in schools ;) ... so feel free to let me know if you have anything to add.

Starting with the very basic concept of COURTESY. For ultimately that's what good driving boils down to. Every move you make on the road must be made with the comfort of your fellow road users in mind. Anything you do that causes them annoyance or stress, or causes them to have to suddenly brake or swerve - is nothing but rudeness on your part.

And what if you're on the receiving end of this rudeness? As tempting as it is to get annoyed and try to 'get even', I'm afraid the only right thing to do is to take a deep breath .... and let it go. (well okay, maybe you can swear a bit - under your breath). Because if you do anything else, like try to slow them down or cut them off or keep your hand pressed to the horn, that makes you the rude one. It's not worth it. You're better than that. Just let them go (..... jerks )

And remember - driving is not a race. The point of it is to arrive at your destination safely - not to overtake the vehicle in front of you, or accelerate wildly to avoid catching a red light. Stay calm. Enjoy the journey.

I hope I don't sound too preachy. I know it is quite likely that you already know all of this and don't really need me to tell you. If you're already a courteous driver, kudos to you. But maybe you know someone who should read this - your driver, your staff, your friend, your friend's driver....? Maybe you can help get the message out there. Circulate it among your staff, email it to your friends, translate it for the drivers - spread the word.

Next week - Horns and high beams.