Choose your side!

Driving around the city is getting more difficult with each passing day. The almost exponential increase in the number of vehicles on the road does contribute towards this fact.But the chief reason - crazy driving on the streets - some drive as though they are on their own deserted private road,without consideration for the other vehicles on the road- hate them..worst fellows.No road sense.

When you overtake,choose your side :
(in this part of the world,we keep left)

Worst are the kind who try to overtake you on the left,even after you have switched on the indicator to signal the intent to turn left. Worst of the worst,are those who overtake you on the left when you are halfway into the turn already - forcing you to hit the brakes. People,know that the driver of the car cannot always see things on their left,especially when you are speeding to his left coming outside of a blind spot,when he is taking a left turn at a junction.

At a signal junction,i was on the very left of the road, with left-turn indicators flashing,and was leaning into the turn already when a guy on a bike suddenly came into my view from the left,where i was forced the jam on the brakes.And guess what,he did not take the left but proceeded to go straight.Impossibly, he turned back and mouthed profanity at me as he sped away.As if it was my fault. Maybe thats his way of showing gratitude that he was not under my wheels.Probably got his license through bribes,if he had one in the first place.Bless him.

(Getting a driver's license here in India is one of the easiest things to do - no testing your knowledge of the fundamental road rules,and the actual driving test for a car with the r.t.o involves you switching gears and taking a turn-the condition for a fail grade is that the vehicle must not jerk to a halt)

Here are some road safety authority rules for the uninitiated.

You may overtake on the left when

• You want to go straight ahead when the driver in front of you has moved out and signalled that they intend to turn right.
• You have signalled that you intend to turn left.
• Traffic in both lanes is moving slowly and traffic in the left-hand lane is moving more quickly than the traffic in the right-hand lane.

You must not overtake when

• You are at or near a pelican crossing, zebra crossing or at pedestrian signals.
• A traffic sign or road marking prohibits it.
• You are approaching a junction.
• You are on the approach to a corner, bend, dip in the road, hump-back bridge, brow of a hill or on a narrow road.
• You are in the left-hand lane of a dual carriageway or motorway when traffic is moving at normal speed.

You may be willing to take risks and die in the process,but spare a thought for the others on road,who do not share your enthusiasm for death.

Safe driving!