[sustran] Re: FW: India - Bosch Horn commercial

[Sunny Kodukula]

Yes Sudhir you are right about the eye for an eye. Then dont you think 
that these vehicles are moving in the areas where there is a standard. 
Then the next question is will we consider the individual vehicle db for 
standard or the ambient value as you point out for air.

It will surely be a nice idea to remove all the air horns and the fancy 
three step horns which are mounted on most of the two wheelers (and cars 
too) which scare the cyclists off their pedals.

I beg to differ on the last point you mention it is not just people 
living next to road but also people who live in gated residential 
communities. I am a victim of loud noise in a residential area far from 
the main road. This time it is not only the horn but loud music too 
which make my window panes shiver (this is in Delhi).

cheers
sunny

On 19/11/09 3:36 PM, Sudhir wrote:
> Dear Rutal
>
> excellent discussions
>
> an eye for an eye would make everybody blind :-)
>
> yes, first we need to look at our own Noise pollution standards.. many
> countries still don't have one yet..... Even in India for mixed landuse we
> don't have anything for them. In India we have them for industrial,
> commercial and residential areas. Latest ambient air quality standards
> propose uniform standards across the city - why different for noise?
>
> people trying to improve accessibility live next to roads - paying huge
> rentals, living in 60-100 db noise and breathing most polluted air.....
>
> SG
>
>
> 2009/11/19 Rutul Joshi<joshirutul at yahoo.co.in>
>
> >  I agree with Sunny, Madhav and Sujit.
> >  Let me draw your attention to the voice overs when the 'helpless woman' is
> >  stuck in front of 'the mob(!)'. The voice over says, "I am not afraid of
> >  obstacles" and the male voice, " zero compromise horns from Bosch...when
> >  there is no compromise, there is no fear!" She blows horn because she is not
> >  afraid of 'obstacles'! It is an outright pro-honking commercial which
> >  aggressively potrays the priority of car-users over the pedestrians. I do
> >  not think that anyone can legitimize it by using the 'helpless woman' card.
> >  What is zero-compromise horns, btw? And what is this portrayal of 'no fear,
> >  no obstacles' philosophy here?
> >
> >  One can also not buy the argument that horns are like all other approved
> >  auto products with high environmental standards. Everything fixed on a
> >  motorized vehicle may be 'approved' but not necessarily harmless. It is
> >  always the thousand horns blowing at a time, which make life miserable in
> >  cities.
> >
> >  Finally, it is never about one commercial or this commercial per say. but
> >  is always about how 'just' are we. We understand that advertisers have to
> >  exaggerate things but we also bane cigarette commercials. Personally, I
> >  think horn commercials are as contagious, powerful and anti-social as
> >  cigarette commercials and they should be banned. There are also double
> >  standards here on the company's part. Would they have the same commercial in
> >  their European market?
> >
> >  best,
> >  Rutul.
> >
> >  PS: As an awareness campaign, I would borrow Madhav's idea. One day, all
> >  the pedestrians in the city should move around with horns! Would they
> >  out-number the car horns?
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >  ________________________________
> >  From: Sunny Kodukula<sunny.enie at gmail.com>
> >  To: Kanthi Kannan<kanthikannan at gmail.com>
> >  Cc: sustran-discuss at list.jca.apc.org
> >  Sent: Thu, 19 November, 2009 11:46:39 AM
> >  Subject: [sustran] Re: FW: India - Bosch Horn commercial
> >
> >  Sorry Kanthi, I am not satisfied and when a pedestrian is treated like a
> >  moving "thing" on the street (not even a road) which will make way with
> >  sound, this is really sad and also not treating other humans alike,
> >  forget the animals that's another story for the blue cross.
> >
> >  I like the word pedestrian "indiscipline", if the people walk on roads
> >  it is indiscipline and cars go in the middle of two lanes it is
> >  perfectly fine. Our cities we try to control the people who cross the
> >  roads at grade than trying to control the cars that do not stick to
> >  lanes. Anyway, Who is Bosch to decide what pedestrian indiscipline is!
> >
> >  The lady in the commercial always had the option to leave her car behind
> >  and walk in the "narrow" street. So Bosch is actually supporting people
> >  driving cars in narrow streets and also to honk.
> >
> >  those were my 2 cents
> >
> >  cheers
> >  sunny
> >
> >
> >  On 19/11/09 11:05 AM, Kanthi Kannan wrote:
> >  >  Dear all
> >  >
> >  >  Greetings!!
> >  >
> >  >  I have contacted the ad agency and here is what they have to say. Please
> >  do
> >  >  go through it and check whether it is acceptable.  I am personally
> >  satisfied
> >  >  and feel that there is no need to take this up at a different level. ( My
> >  >  feeling many of you might not share it).
> >  >
> >  >  Regards
> >  >
> >  >  Kanthi Kannan
> >  >
> >  >  THOSE WHO WALK CANNOT DECIDE AND THOSE WHO DECIDE DO NOT WALK
> >  >
> >  >    "Horns are approved standard equipment in all auto products. All Bosch
> >  >  products comply with the highest environmental standards worldwide.
> >  >  Indiscriminate honking is not a practice Bosch encourages. Nor is it what
> >  >  the Bosch Horns TVC promotes. As much as it does not seek to promote
> >  >  pedestrian indiscipline.
> >  >
> >  >  The commercial  reflects (and possibly exaggerates) what any driver would
> >  >  encounter on any given day in most busy city streets: a mob in a heated
> >  >  argument in the middle of a narrow road, blocking all traffic, without
> >  >  intending to do so. Clearly the mob before the young lady driver in the
> >  >  commercial do not pay her any heed and a continue to block the road and
> >  her
> >  >  path. The volatility of the situation in the commercial is what makes the
> >  >  young lady choose to stay in her car and not put herself at any personal
> >  >  risk. Her conspicuous, brightly colored car at a standstill, she waits,
> >  >  hoping they will notice her clear the road, giving her right of way. They
> >  >  don't. She looks helpless. As a last resort she blows her horn. It is
> >  >  certainly not a case of indiscriminate honking."
> >  >
> >  >  --------------------------------------------------------
> >  >  To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit
> >  >  http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss
> >  >
> >  >  --------------------------------------------------------
> >  >  If you get sustran-discuss via YAHOOGROUPS, please go to
> >  http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the real
> >  sustran-discuss and get full membership rights.
> >  >
> >  >  ================================================================
> >  >  SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred,
> >  equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries
> >  (the 'Global South').
> >  >
> >
> >  --------------------------------------------------------
> >  To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit
> >  http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss
> >
> >  --------------------------------------------------------
> >  If you get sustran-discuss via YAHOOGROUPS, please go to
> >  http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the real
> >  sustran-discuss and get full membership rights.
> >
> >  ================================================================
> >  SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred,
> >  equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries
> >  (the 'Global South').
> >
> >
> >
> >        Keep up with people you care about with Yahoo! India Mail. Learn how.
> >  http://in.overview.mail.yahoo.com/connectmore
> >  --------------------------------------------------------
> >  To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit
> >  http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss
> >
> >  --------------------------------------------------------
> >  If you get sustran-discuss via YAHOOGROUPS, please go to
> >  http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the real
> >  sustran-discuss and get full membership rights.
> >
> >  ================================================================
> >  SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred,
> >  equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries
> >  (the 'Global South').
> >
>
>
>
>