[prince_pervez]

Originally Posted by Dieselite

as pointed out in this thread earlier one should use the Police as a threat first

Isn't this the norm ? To call the police first and let them arrive and take charge ? Problem is we try to settle this on out own first as we know getting the cops involved is going to be a biased affair tiliting towards language or finance side. Really, the average citizen is on his own.

[CoNrOd]

The number of such cases seems to increasing by the day; it already seems to be quite frequent in bangalore and even when you really do hit someone and try to help (as in the case of jaysmokesleaves; http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street...-accident.html) the law is never on your side, they are just out to fleece you.

This trend has unfortunately led to a number of people advising against stopping under any circumstance. I too was almost convinced of this view till a few days ago...

Me and my mom had gone to drop my dad off at the airport early in the morning and were returning via university road towards hinjewadi. After crossing the parihar chowk intersection, we came across a bad accident. Just opposite the old octroi naka (before sangvi junction) was a man lying on the road, his scooter a few meters ahead of him. He was bleeding profusely and his helmet had been thrown off his head (it was one of those cheap helmets with almost no padding and no fastening clip). This was at around 5:45 am.

I stopped my car at the side of the road and got down to see what was happening. A few bystanders were standing at some distance from him, just staring at him. I asked of anyone had called the ambulance or the police, to which everyone said no. This kind of shook me, they were just coolly standing there and looking at him. I had left my phone in the car, so I asked the driver of another car (who had just stopped next to me to see what had happened) to call the 100 or 102 (my car was stopped a little ahead). He picked up his phone, started dialing some number and drove off....

Seeing the situation, I ran to my car and tried desperately to call 100, 102, but there was no response. So I drove ahead to the octroi post and my mom got down and told the guy behind the counter of the accident and asked him for the nearest police station's number (sangvi being the nearest). He too first tried 100, but no one answered, so he searched for the number and called the station. They answered and said they would be there in 5 mins.

As soon as this was over, we drove back to the scene of the accident and the same crowd was still there; i noticed many people in their cars slow down to see the accident, some even got down to have a closer look, but no one did anything to help. And its not just taxi drivers in indicas who stopped and got down, I even noticed some educated people from a honda city, a palio, and a swift get down, see the guy and walk off.

The time was now 5:55; all that had happened above took 10 mins. Once I got back to the scene, my mom started calling medipoint hospital (which was the closest private hospital) and I went to the guy and tried to check his pulse. Now I could be wrong since i'm no medical professional, but I couldn't find a pulse. but since he had sustained such a severe head injury (the left side of his temple was smashed and his blood had oozed to a distance of over 2 metres.) its possible that the pulse was too weak for me to detect. While I tried to check his pulse, I got a closer look at him and now understood why people didn't want to come near him.....lets just say it was not a pretty sight, at all.

I was just about to ask some of the bystanders to help me lift him and put him in my car when the police came. As soon as they took the corner at sangvi phata, I got back to my car, asked my mom to get in, and took a u-turn to get back in the right direction; the reason for this action was that I don't trust the police, at all. I was the only guy in a car who had stopped to help, I was on the same side of the road as the accident and my car has a dent on the right side fender; fearing the police's thirst to try and get a hit and run suspect, I slowly kept on driving and saw the police take the man into their van on my rear view mirror; i felt relieved and silently prayed for the man's life.

I am not proud of the fact that I backed off just as i saw the cops, but i'm not a maharashtrian, and if even by the slightest chance I get stuck in a police case, I don't have the ability or the means to fight it through. Just seeing the whole incident shook my mom; she hasn't slept properly for the past few days.

My bottom line is this; no matter what happens, PLEASE ACT LIKE A HUMAN FIRST and an Indian second. Atleast try to do your best (ensuring you won't get stuck with the law) before you decide to ignore an accident.

MODS, if this is the inappropriate place for this thread, please shift.

[prince_pervez]

^^ Thats a valiant and commendable effort. He who saves a single life is as though he has saved the entire humanity. Hats off to you. When I know for sure that I have not run over someones foot or brushed a biker or a human and asked to stop on the road, I will not do that.

Besides, what you did makes sense as there were other people on the road accessing the situation so I guess it was safe to offer help. But I really do not know if on an unknown stretch, in wee hours or after hours if I see a biker beside the road moving his limbs frantically then whether I would stop to offer help or not. It is best to call the police or 108 in that scenario. No point in getting trapped in a booby trap.

[CoNrOd]

Yea, i guess your'e right. the situation needs to be assessed properly before taking any decision. My only point was don't assess such situations purely from the point of veiw of a trap. Like you said, keep moving on and contact some emergency number to ensure the person (if really in trouble) gets the necessary help.i mean imagine, what if it was some relative of ours (or even us!) in the same situation! just lying bleeding on the road and nobody stops to help thinking its a trap..

[COUGAR]

I bought this to the attention of some cops when I met them last week for some other matter. I was assured action in the form of deployment of police (as of now more traffic marshals, and later actual cops) around Sadanand chowk. There is a need for increased patrolling on the stretch between Wakad (where the expressway ends) and the DRDO labororatory but as of now there is a severe shortage of cops at all ranks.

Another not so gentle cop went into a longish rant about how "you software types" don't shows the guts to file a complaint when things happen and how that contributes to the situation. Perhaps he has a point.

[Peregrine]

Little Digression from my side. Those who have lived long enough in Pune will agree with me when i say that this kind of incident would not have happened 10 years ago. The entire character of the city has changed in last 10 years. It has become a much more "goondagardi" afflicted city.

I have a young baby and a wife and honestly i don't think i would be able to stand up to such gangs knowing that my wife and baby are in the car.Yes i will try to call up police/ friends etc - but if push comes to shove i will have to pay up. It is a sad state of affairs but "civilized" behaviour is something which i don't expect anymore in Pune .

P.S can we dial 100 from a mobile phone ? and does anyone answer?

[sandip]

Since we are talking about beig hoodwinked by groups on Pune roads let me share my experience in which the Police were also involved (IMO) -

Nashik Phata at 2000 hrs. I never use the wrong way on any road, so even though locals do it both side of the service lane, I chose to take a U turn to use the subway towards Bus Stand and go to Hotel Kalasagar.

At the main juction there is green signal for traffic going towards Pune but the U turn signal is not there. The outsourced traffic police/cop/whatever (they have been outsourced to private organizations and the traffic Police just "manages" them by sitting in some corner of the junction), sigals me and the 407 to my left to make the U turn. I wait perplexed as I am not sure he is signalling to me and so does the 407. Many hand gestures and whistles later we (Me and the 407 driver) is sure he means us, so we slowly,tentativly take the turn, connect to the service road and the 407 zooms by me - because there is another outsourced police wala standing infront of me waving me to stop with a Mah Police constable in his uniform with a smirk smile in his face waiting to challan me.

I keep telling the guy that there was this police wala who asked me to go ahead and he doesnt believe that "A police wala asked you to BREAK the signal". Well he is right in his interpretation. Thats what I am telling him. So to convince him, I come out of the car (No - no stealing mugging of any thing because I lock my car and double check it before coming out) and point out in the direction of the guy and BEHOLD there is no one there. However I manage to spot the earlier guy who had waved me to go ahead, trying to mingle with the crowd and walking towards the Nashik Road side. I point him and the present guy says " Woh policewala nahi hai".

And this is not a one off incident. Almost same thing happens once mre on this road infront of CME and once again near Swargate.

PS : Yes my registration is MH40 A.

PPS: SO what rules are suosed to be same for ALL.

[gou]

Originally Posted by MX6

So from Bangalore, this has now come to Pune. I guess it would be good to say, I never went there (wherever they claim you hit someone). Then call 100. Basically having lot's of people support you would also help.
As Aargee points out, if those guys get physical, then god save the driver.
I'm going to get the HVK car recorder fitted in my vehicle soon. Even if the buggers go to the extent of putting up false FIRs, there will be proof at hand.

@MX6, can you please tell me what is this HVK car recorder and how does it help in such situations? I am really worried after reading this thread and also other thread about similar fraud in Bangalore.

[KRRaj]

Originally Posted by gou

@MX6, can you please tell me what is this HVK car recorder and how does it help in such situations? I am really worried after reading this thread and also other thread about similar fraud in Bangalore.

LOl, that is not some brand if you think so. hvkumar uses a camera and records all his drives and in case of issues like this, MX6 feels that if we also start using cameras to record our drives like HVK, we can try using that video to prove our innocence.

[manjo]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

It is easy to think so. I get particularly depressed when I read of the criminals that prey on the young and the elderly, especially when I read of stuff like children approached in schools by people who pocket their fee money and walk out the door with it, not to mention the school staff that do the same. Well, this is a particularly Indian crime opportunity, maybe, but do not think that it is India. It is India catching up with the world.

I remember in school my dad used to send someone to pay my fees and used to hate it as i felt treated like a baby. He used to say its just a precaution. Now i see he had good foresights!!

Originally Posted by Chetanya Sharma

I remember some people trying to stop me when I was on my way to Mumbai from New Delhi. These people seemed to block the road with cones and looked like they were protesting or something and I was lucky enough that a trucker in front of me knocked down the cone and I could just blast past it.

This happened like twice or something on NH - 76. My driver said they were collection chanda but who knows they might have just pounced on about something I never did.

I dont beleive its for Chanda, similar happened to me last week on my drive to Kerala. It was a small road connecting Hunsur road from the Ranganthattu sanctuary road (forgive me, dont know the road names) early morning hours.
There was a hump on the road and as i slowed down couple of guys came with the Chanda box with 2 in front of the car. I didnt like their looks and was with my wife so i started reving my car and bumping it forward to their knees and finally they gave way and i raced off. I was a bit scared and i still believe they might be thugs..

[shabahmad]

Its a sorry state that mostly we Software guys are targeted by these muggers.
My two cents:
1) It would be very handy to know the location/numbers of nearest police stations on the way of your daily commute, so that if you get stuck in such situation then you would be knowing where to go or whom to talk.

2) Do not display company parking stickers on the windsheild area. Even residential parking stikers. I used to keep the parking sticker in glove box and display then in premise only.
Parking stickers can immediatly identify an IT guy from others and they can be targetted.

[gou]

Originally Posted by KRRaj

LOl, that is not some brand if you think so. hvkumar uses a camera and records all his drives and in case of issues like this, MX6 feels that if we also start using cameras to record our drives like HVK, we can try using that video to prove our innocence.

Thanks KRRaj. I thought it to be some cool and funky device. Tried google search for it and found few posts on team bhp mostly from hvkumar. Since I could not find it I posted this query. Though posts from hvkumar rang bells that MX6 might be talking about him, I dismissed it. Anyways, just laughing at myself

[Surprise]

Definitely you can easily feel hitting down a guy with your car, but during such situations, its obvious one will struggle to be stable with his/her thoughts.

Their intention is to make money & they will not get physical unless they sense that they would be in REAL trouble. Hence during such times, just listen to them a lot & be slow, very slow with your response in confident tone. Always provide some escape route for them to remove themselves from the scene, so that they get out without their ego getting bruised. Ex- May be you could have got confused with a similar color of car which might have involved in some incident, if what you are describing is a true story

[amit_mechengg]

now since we all know their trick the best way to resolve this is by start laughing and telling them that this trick is an old one.

so come back when you have a new trick. tell this in a very jolly way

[manjo]

OT: I wonder how all these goons get their looks. Is there some recruitment agency or contest for them. All of those who do this looks really scary, atleast as far as i have seen. That takes away half of one's confidense..