Dear fellow Bikers and Drivers!

Hi.

You know me already. I’m the one who shares the road with you everyday to reach my workplace, and to come back. I share the highway with you when I pack my bag and set out to explore. You and I meet on a daily basis. You and I belong to the same community.

But, I’m also the one who is afraid to stop at a yellow light today thinking you might not wanna stop and hit me from behind. I’m the one whose heart doesn’t just skips a beat but freezes when you open your car door without checking your rear view mirror. I’m the one you blind with your high beam and I’m also the one you do not think about while randomly braking on the open highway. I am your fellow. And I have a few requests to make of you today. A member of the community speaking out to other members.

We have been quite rowdy lately, been posing dangers to each other. That’s no good. No? We can do better and hoping the same I laid out some suggestions.

You see I do not hold any statistical report from the last year(s) to pinpoint for you the major errors we make but we can all spot blunders, right? I tried to compile a small list of them. Try reading them with an open mind and let’s hope to be a little more considerate towards each other the next time we meet.

  • Folded Rear View Mirrors?
    I could never understand why you folded your RVMs inside while riding. Then once I followed a John Abraham and asked him to stop and first solve this mystery for me. He explained with quite a conviction that he’d rather look at himself while riding! Who uses them for changing lanes?, he said. Please don’t do that. John never does that. Try using your RVMs before changing lanes or braking and not just waving of your hands which brings me to my next point.
  • Waving hand to turn?
    I see you sticking out your hand or just the fingers or nothing at all most times before turning or changing lanes. Try using the indicators please, even in city. The guy behind you will be very thankful to you as heΒ  would focus less on predicting your next turn but on his own steering.
  • Earphones?
    You make your calls, listen to music and even text while driving/riding. Please try to listen me honking too.
  • Red Light means…?
    Let’s try to start the trend of stopping at signals and not just when the traffic policeman is there. Good idea, no? Your deciding to jump the signal makes me slow down and be warned even when I have a green signal for myself!
  • Blankly joining the highway?
    When you decide to enter on a highway from your bypass or city road, try respecting the fast moving vehicles on the highway and move in only when there is room. Your coming-in randomly and scaring me is not a good idea. Of course I will be careful too.
  • High beam?
    This scares me, irritates and tortures me like no other. Please try to switch to low beam at least when someone gives you a dipper. Remember “Use Dipper at night”? It means something. It would mean to dip your light when you see oncoming traffic. High beam in the city isn’t useful either, unless you’re riding late night on the empty road.

That’s it. That’s my list. I can go on but most of the remaining points are for you like the one about helmet/seat belt. Let’s not let “No-One-Else-Does-It” be our excuse for getting away. To exercise further precautions and knowing the rules of the road, try reading this document from Delhi Govt. It’s actually very useful and informative.

I thank you for your time.

Yours truly
A fellow Biker

Want to contribute and help us become sane drivers? Do share your thoughts, ideas, complaints and suggestions in comments.

This goes as 4th enty into 7 Days 7 Posts.

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