[veezhun]

I did a search for SM Sabde. He seems to have an interesting background.

Probe into police officer's suicide plan

From what I have searched, he seems to be a State Police Service Officer and not an IPS officer. Therefore, he must have been an Senior PI in 1998.

Can anyone confirm whether it is the same person?

From the article:

"22 February 1998
MUMBAI, Feb 21: The Mumbai police today ordered an enquiry into the suicide plan by a police officer, allegedly resorted to as a result of harassment and humiliation by his seniors.
Apparently, senior police inspector S M Sabde of Crime Branch Control had planned to commit suicide on February 8 at the police headquarters at Crawford Market. Before killing himself, he had allegedly planned to shoot the then Additional Police Commissioner (Crime) S P S Yadav. Sabde had even instructed his wife to kill their children and herself after hearing of his suicide."

[dkhatau]

This is just a ploy by the police to hide there inefficiencies in life for not doing the duty properly. It is a universal rule for everyone to divert attention one has to do something sensational and insane , so that the real issue of traffic management goes for a toss. Whatever protest we make about the issue it will go to deaf ears as government never listens to public opinion once they get elected. Anyways hoping that sanity prevails and such orders are not implemented to there fullest. They can catch a guy who is playing loud music above certain decibels, that would be logical. Lets keep our fingers crossed.

[ramie2400]

Actually the truth is nothing will be happening,only one needs to be careful at nights when they have check-naka's,after 11.30 thats the time they would catch you if you are blasting music,Ive been fined Rs.200 for blasting music on carter-road in 2005 in my zen.The loud music nusicance rule was present that time also

[kumar_ranjan]

After reading, it makes me think why did I spend a fortune on ICE when I cannot listen to it while I drive . I wish they amend the rule and be applicable for playing very loud music.

[KSM-Vtec]

Ramie who else but you could be fined for blasting. With all those devices setup in your car you can actually scare the cops.

Originally Posted by ramie2400

Actually the truth is nothing will be happening,only one needs to be careful at nights when they have check-naka's,after 11.30 thats the time they would catch you if you are blasting music,Ive been fined Rs.200 for blasting music on carter-road in 2005 in my zen.The loud music nusicance rule was present that time also

[GTO]

Originally Posted by navin

I would argue that Music soothes the Savage Soul. Given Mumbai's traffic condisitons music should be encouraged not stopped as it would reduce road rage.

Music is the best stress-buster there is, and can have a phenomenal calming effect. The government can't do much about the dismal state of our roads; why not let road users handle it the way they want without disturbing others.

Originally Posted by GTO

There isn't a chance of such an absurd rule ever being followed. Or implemented. Those who blare loud music out of our cars, sure....may be fined (just as before). But if you are listening to music at an acceptable volume, no one is going to clamp down on you.

Come on, guys. Laugh it off and move on.

Further to my previous post, here is another point. How would the traffic police enforce this rule?! Sitting in an air-conditioned car with the tinted glasses rolled up and the stereo playing at a decent volume level, no one would be the wiser. Impossible to detect.

[ramie2400]

Originally Posted by GTO

Further to my previous post, here is another point. How would the traffic police enforce this rule?! Sitting in an air-conditioned car with the tinted glasses rolled up and the stereo playing at a decent volume level, no one would be the wiser. Impossible to detect.

Right said GTO,when i travel 10kms for my work everyday,i cross about 6signals at approximately 10.30am and i hardly see 1 or 2 pandus,guess rest all report late or arn;t bothered as everybody is in haste to reach at work/office,and probably every single gap someone or the other tries to squeeze in,including me also so how can one come to know if anyone is listening to music or the stereo is "ON".

Think the cops will be moving around the traffic signals halts sneaking each and every car like "Beggars" and catching the culprits

[AkMar]

There is a full page article in the Hindustan Times today about this issue, featuring an interview with Respected Shri Sabde. Here are some quotes:

No matter how low the volume of the music system is, the driver will be fined even if he is caught listening to an iPod or mobile earphones.

So we can use media players other than the iPod or our cellphone

When he was told that many people use the radio for getting traffic updates, here is what he had to say:

The drivers can always SMS to know about traffic snarls or phone the control room for traffic updates

So listening to music while driving is distraction, but sending an SMS or calling the police control room while driving is not! He says that the person sitting next to the driver should do this SMSing. But does everyone have a co-passenger in their car?

Here are some more extracts from the interview:

The law states that the maximum fine for listening to music is Rs 100 and we would work towards increasing it. But for now we would fine Rs 500 for listening to music while driving

This is daylight robbery!!

The drives would be conducted in evenings across the city, especially in areas like Carter Road, Bandstand and Bandra reclamation. Young drivers who tend to speed on these roads play loud music and the drive would be aimed to nab them

And the most funny:

Driving and listening to music is a double stress.

[Zappo]

Thats actually not very difficult. Its just the way cops now enforce the no cell phone rules. I know of a couple of cases where the fined the driver because the person was speaking in a bluetooth headpiece while driving. In the second case, one of the managers in my organization was fined when a cop came and knocked on his glass. When he rolled down the glass the cop simply said that I saw you were speaking on the phone a while back. That will be a fine of 500 rupees.

Its always a choice between will you pay here or do you want to be dragged to the station. For music also you can be sure that if the enforce this stupid rule and then a cop comes and knocks on the glass you will instinctively reach out to lower the volume or shut down the stereo. And thats that.

[bblost]

Originally Posted by Zappo

Thats actually not very difficult. Its just the way cops now enforce the no cell phone rules. I know of a couple of cases where the fined the driver because the person was speaking in a bluetooth headpiece while driving. In the second case, one of the managers in my organization was fined when a cop came and knocked on his glass. When he rolled down the glass the cop simply said that I saw you were speaking on the phone a while back. That will be a fine of 500 rupees.

In both these cases they could have shown the call history to show they were not using the phone.

If they were using the phone then they were breaking the law. Hence being fined was correct.

[ramie2400]

I wish Respected Mr.Sabde had committed suicide so that our city would have been in peace,I hope you are seeing this Mr.Sabde and you can go-ahead for the incomplete task of yours

[tsk1979]

The police say that they are enforcing the law.
By that logic, since the manufacturer is allowing the use of music in car by giving music systems in cars, shouldn't the police go and fine the manufacturers?

Police is interpreting the law here, not enforcing an existing law.
If a law was in place, all cars with stereo's fitted from factory would not have got ARAI certification, right?
Where are the PIL lawyers when you need them

[BenjiRoss]

The quoted reason behind the move is that drivers cannot hear the horns.
If the same logic were applied then the laws that should be enforced are:
Car manufacturers cannot use any feature to reduce noise levels in the cars.
Car manufacturers should place louder horns.
Drivers should be encouraged to horn.

Also car manufacturers who have provision for ICE etc should be fined.
Companies like Pioneer , Kenwood, etc would become illegal!

I guess people who frame laws actually have pretty low IQs! Their attempts at improving driving safety simply reflect their IQs.

Just a final query - is this a fun thread or is it actual true news! My mind is still screaming out that it is a prank!!

[Mad Max]

Originally Posted by bigron

Mad max: You live in india.the questions you have raised dont mean anything..Its simple, you have loud music which people outside your car can listen and enough to attract the attention you get challaned.And frankly if you have the ac on in a car and you listining to music you cannot increase the volume beyond a certain level cause it gets too loud.and i know this cause i ve the whole nine yards fitted in my car when it comes to a music system.And as i said its india,you want to avoid the cops decrese the volume or have the ghandhis ready in your pocket.Simple.

I know, I know. But we shouldn't take these crazy laws without a proper fight. I mean, if this was 50 years ago when India was still struggling with literacy, then I guess acceptance and moving on would've been an easy way out. But now most of us have seen the world, live in a global economy and should hold the government representatives responsible for making such asinine laws. I think my response was not in anyway justifying blaring music to make everyone deaf but more towards ensuring a clear law is in place, a common enforcement is made and working on more important things.

Which one issue would we like to solve today, cars blaring music or the current traffic situation/congestion? The perception towards tackling more important problems at hand rather than sticking effort in something as insignificant as blaring music from cars is what we should be focused on. And our elected representatives seem to have their head in a hole when it comes to global problems and seem more interested in creating weird laws to solve a problem which contributes <1% to the overall situation. Let them solve Mumbai's traffic situation first and then concentrate on these things.

80-20 rule

[Amien]

Originally Posted by GTO

Further to my previous post, here is another point. How would the traffic police enforce this rule?! Sitting in an air-conditioned car with the tinted glasses rolled up and the stereo playing at a decent volume level, no one would be the wiser. Impossible to detect.

Originally Posted by Zappo

Its always a choice between will you pay here or do you want to be dragged to the station. For music also you can be sure that if the enforce this stupid rule and then a cop comes and knocks on the glass you will instinctively reach out to lower the volume or shut down the stereo. And thats that.

If they are serious about this, they can even clamp down on "stealth" music listening. But the problem here is not weather you'd be able to get around the rule, the problem is that such a rule exists, and instead of doing something about it the default reaction of everyone is to find a way around, myself included. I guess this is what we have to blame for the sorry state of affairs.