In Mumbai, people literally muscle & scramble over one another to get into or out of local trains. Someone once mentioned that amongst the thousands of ants in an anthill, no two ants ever collide with one another, but Indians selfishly push one another to gain advantage as a matter of course almost everywhere, & Mumbai locals was one prime example.

I guess Bangalore peak-hour traffic is another example.

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I dont think its polite and clever advertisements are the reason why people drive with more discipline in other countries - or even other cities. It is by strict enforcement of the law. There is just not enough enforcement. Today I almost had a bad accident as a biker decided to save 4 meters by not going around a circle. And another vehicle was behind him. There is no law. The cops have been catching a few people - last week I was stopped for running a yellow.

When I was waiting for the ticket several two wheelers and autos came the wrong way on a divided road. When I pointed it out to the cop he said that there arent enough cops. But I think the cops are too gentle - they dont enforce the law seriously enough.

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We Indians have a lot of attitude problem and lack even basic discipline. People are too selfish and that selfishness make them to go to whatever extent right from traffic problems to murders. Today I was standing in a queue for paying water bill, one person is overtaking to pay ahead of me :)

As pointed out by RS, police is too kind or lethargic or doesn't want to do anything. I had a very bad incident last December when 3 people came on a scooter on the wrong side while I was crossing road after getting down from office shuttle. When I questioned them, one of them slapped me. We had a fight and I was all alone. People who came for help were all aged and I couldn't get much support. I called 108, they said to hold them, but all 3 of them had left the place.

Next day I lodged a complaint by providing vehicle number after roaming 3 police stations. Still now there is no action. Such incidents are happening around Bangalore without any control.

Same was the case 2 weeks back, when me and my were travelling in a scooter. An auto driver hit our vehicle from back and the auto hitted my wife too hurting her shoulder. Auto driver is scolding me with absurd words after having done mistake himself. I called 108. From there, call was redirected to a Police Station.  Is anybody hurt and needs to be moved to hospital? When I told the misbehaviour of auto driver, he said these issues will be happening. For such small things you should not call 108. Goto police station and lodge a complaint.

I still had the history of how police will work despite of  lodging a complaint and hence kept quietly as a bad day. I wrote on Facebook wall page of BTP. They are saying to call 103 for traffic complaints  and not 108. Just to lodge a complaint, you have to run from pillar to post and there will be no action whatsoever by police after lodging complaint. It is total helpnessness. Might is right  here and you have to argue or fight otherwise you have to know some Police or use influence to get justice. Offender will also do the same thing.

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Recenrly some son of a bachelor had parked his massive SUV in front of our gate - that too half projecting out in to the street. After looking for the guy for about 20 minutes,  I called the cops and remarkably, they came pretty quickly. Just as they came the guy came as well.

He claimed he had left the car for 5 minutes ( to drop his wife off at the `hospital' - there is no hospital near my house ). I didnt buy his story and insisted that the cops book him. The cops were pretty unwilling even though he was caught red handed. The told him that it was only because I insisted they had to take him to the station. So they did - or at least made him follow them there. I dont know what happened after that - but would like to know.

I find it quite remarkable that these cops can be so lax about completing the job - given that they did 90% of it. Even when I was stopped the cop asked me whether I wanted to pay a spot fine or get it mailed home. When I said spot he was somewhat unhappy as it meant he had to do some work - namely take me to the other officer and use a blackberry. All that took 10 minutes - which i dont think it should. The have the technology to fine you where you are - why must they send you to a cop who is in the middle of a junction ( in this case under Yeswantpur flyover ) - so I had to risk life and limb to cross over to the middle. ( and by the way, the cops bike had only Kannada license plates  - I pointed this out to them as well ). The cops were very civil, which is nice, but they were also too unwilling to fine. 

In my case I dont think the fine was entirely justified as I was crossing Yeshwantpur circle and there isnt enough time to cross after the signal changes so I was stranded in the middle. This is again an example of bad design. First, a free left turn shoudl be made from 8th Main to Tumkur road to remove the congestion there. Then, adequate time shoudl be given between the two signals for traffic and people to cross over.

Ramesh

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