Superstitious Beliefs of People on Roads

[been there]

some petty things like your car's brake fails and you bump into nearby wall or tree or a branch of tree fall on your car while on the move, or a meteorite fall over your head!!! -whom you can blame ? the manufacturer or service center or God or your own bad luck?

Let's get a context here.

There are automobiles all around the world, and there are trees all around the world where cars are driven, and brakes can and have failed in many countries, and meteorites can and have fallen in many countries.

But why do we (we as in indians) alone attribute these random events to some god, some omen or what ever that scares us the most. Because when we put this on some superstition, it stops us from analyzing the causes, understand the reasons and prevent it from occurring to us or some one else. In essence, we don't learn from it, and keep making the same mistake again and again. Different drivers, different cars, different places and times, but the same mistake.

And about blame, why blame anyone at all? Do we always have to?

 

[jayadev]

But why do we (we as in indians) alone attribute these random events to some god, some omen or what ever that scares us the most.

Why does an Indian think that it is only in India people are so superstitious ?

Cat was considered to have mystical power back in 5000bc in Egypt. Europeans consider cat as good omen and some relates to witches. Even today Witches (woman) are secretly burnt alive in certain European countries. western countries are also practicing human sacrifice to win some competitions etc.
I do not think superstitious is geographical or just in India . It is inside whole human race.

Adolf Hitler Planned attacks on rest of countries with certain esoteric and mystical charms which had source from japan, the inverted "swastika" symbol was on his flag.
To win war america brought couple of astrologers from India. and it goes on in daily life of everyone on road ,in home,school,at war .

India being one of the oldest living civilization has vast amount of Knowledge, most of them are lost and what remains is bits and pieces scattered everywhere.It us our ignorance why we cannot connect it legibly for proper reasoning.

 

[been there]

You're just proving my earlier post on "wanting-to-believe".

I wasn't too incorrect after all.

 

[EnfieldRyder]

I've read some of the most interesting superstitions or blind beliefs here, I agree with what Jayadev & Been there have said... I would attribute all these to the fact that we do not want anything bad happening to us at any point of time, be it taking delivery of new car, applying for new loan or whatever it maybe. People only blame each other only to skirt the actual issue at hand & deviate from what is the issue is currently & we see this more prominently with Politicians

People may or may not believe superstitions however they very much have been there for generations & they might exist for generations to come as well, there are lot of things involved here not just us but there are external forces involved as well that can make or break a situation

I am not too staunch a believer, however if I sneeze or for that matter if anyone sneezes when leaving home, I come back in sit for 5 secs & then leave... this I do just so there are no issues & yes whenever I step out of my home as well I just Pray to God & go on with my work.

 

[TSIVipul]

Well,my story is quite different,I not at all believe in any of such incidents and nor I am ready to believe any of them in the future too.What I know is that I worship 'Maa' and whenever I sit in the car before my journey first of all I touch the steering once and wish 'Maa' to bless me and then I leave for the journey.
This was the only superstition I follow..

Here is one incident from my side too:
Its in the July this year that we friends met a major road accident due to which even I too had to spend 18 days in hospital(3 days in ICU too).
Actually that night we were returning from my friend's birthday party which we celebrated some 60 kms away from our city and at the night at about 11:50 we started from there to return back,we were in three cars a Honda City, a Safari and an Accord V6,I was in City.Since I drink very less so I was fit for driving but still I felt like fever and hence I didn't drove back instead I slept on rear seat by tying the seat belts(because while sleeping,if the car brakes suddenly so I could got hurt,so I tied seat belts too).

There is some pir(a small mosque type something,I think it is the place where holy Muslim spirits are buried) on the way and the friend who was driving was good drunk so just in the front of the peer,he trying to save a truck hit a dog(don't know if dog was dead),we stopped and saw that the dog was lying near the road and was crying.Some people asked us to put some money in the pir but since we all were drunk so we haven't entered the holy place,instead I just prayed Maa and asked to bless us and paid 101 rs to the person to to put them in the pir for us and he did it..and what happened after that is as follows:

Again cars started,Honda city in front of all and just about 2 kms later,our driver vomitted in the car(DRINKING EFFECT)as a result he lost the control,the first bruished a stationary truck,then it orverturned due to slipping into the pits on the road...result:
All four of us were in ICU..
But I don't feel that the dog and the pir had anything to do with that,it was liquor that caused the accident..nothing else.

On One day,we had to go for a contract opening.So I and my father left for Delhi,on our way a goat was killed by our Innova,but what I did was came out,called the owner of the goad,caught his collar and left him(don't know why,but I hadn't hit him)asked sorry and paid him some money...on the same day WE GOT THE CONTRACT..

 

[macsvin]

Another typical example (atlest yes in my home) is purchasing black color car/ dress. It is not good sign of fortune. Even my bike & Activa is Gray. had a lot fight to convinced my mom for this color as well :)

 

[Figoian]

Interesting topic & specially to me... There are a lot to list.

Many have told me or doing this. Move the car forward first and not in reverse. Even if they find no space to more forward, they still change to 1st gear and move just a CM (or even MM) and then engage reverse. No logics have convinced me yet on this.

Other thing I have observed. If they see a temple or something devotional (even while driving), they just look at there do something like prayer, and some even close their eyes for few seconds. Yeah, that smiley depicts my reaction exactly.

Tying Lemon, Green Chillies and what not in the car? Some of those "Black Color Dolls" would look even horrible. This always reminds me a dialogue in one of the Tamil Movies "There are more than 750 parts in your vehicle... Would your vehicle run better with this "Lemon" instead of those?"

Other common one is Number 8. Then why RTO is asking us to drive 8 to give us licence? I think, we should seriously recommend RTO to change their process.

I never have heard the one Jalex shared here. Beleive me, I am still ROFL, thinking how would we all enter the car? It's damn Right Handed Driving here...

Superstitions? Well I remember seeing competitors in Rallys who would only put on their right glove and right boot first and they say that if you put the left ones first, You will have a bad day or worse a crash.

Also seen some people entering their cars with the right leg in first at delivery, You should see it. They look so much like Mr. Bean while doing that.

 

[rekharam]

I request everyone to please share their opinions and stories too. Especially if anything is related to autos, it’s welcome.

One of my friend drives the car first front no matter or whatever the situation. He never reverses before driving front at least a mm.

Drive Safe!

 

[Prads]

One of my friend drives the car first front no matter or whatever the situation. He never reverses before driving front at least a mm.

Drive Safe!

I do that & many of my friends do that,but usually I slot in First Gear & then slot into reverse.

 

[rekharam]

I do that & many of my friends do that,but usually I slot in First Gear & then slot into reverse.

Is it necessary to slot into first gear before reversing? These days I don't reverse park, so as soon as I start the engine reverse it.

 

[Prads]

Is it necessary to slot into first gear before reversing? These days I don't reverse park, so as soon as I start the engine reverse it.

Well it is argued most cars wont engage reverse if you dont slot it into first when you start,but for me & everyone I know it is just a superstition,I have observed people from Karnataka seem to follow this more keenly than others

 

[mastersquall]

i do not do because superstition but because this way it get slot in reverse without any force

 

[Figoian]

Well it is argued most cars wont engage reverse if you dont slot it into first when you start,but for me & everyone I know it is just a superstition,I have observed people from Karnataka seem to follow this more keenly than others

Seconding Prads, it's just nothing but superstition. Slotting it to reverse could be a problem at times and I too have experienced it many times. However, one can just slot it to 1st and then to reverse. Not really required to move a little in front and then to reverse...

 

[tasuray]

So far I have heard about the cat crossing is that once upon a time in some county in England people used keep cats as their pets. When the cats ran out of the house, the owner of the pet also ran out behind it to take it back to house again. So a notice board was hanged to draw the attention of the drivers' to drive cautiously because suddenly a person may come behind a cat in front of them. Probably stopping for a cat emerged from this, though I do not know how far it is true.

 

[Prads]

So far I have heard about the cat crossing is that once upon a time in some county in England people used keep cats as their pets. When the cats ran out of the house, the owner of the pet also ran out behind it to take it back to house again. So a notice board was hanged to draw the attention of the drivers' to drive cautiously because suddenly a person may come behind a cat in front of them. Probably stopping for a cat emerged from this, though I do not know how far it is true.

that is quite an interesting story,but some have stuck this superstition mainly towards Black colored cats,but cats do create alot of problem when running across a busy road
i had a two wheeler serve into my path cos of a cat almost ramming him & the cat.