[Samurai]

Originally Posted by hrman

follow all road rules including wearing a mask

Mask inside the car? None of us were wearing masks in the car while passing through numerous checkpoints. Cops just looked closely and let us go. I think families don't have to wear mask in the car.

[hrman]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Mask inside the car? None of us were wearing masks in the car while passing through numerous checkpoints. Cops just looked closely and let us go. I think families don't have to wear mask in the car.

In Bengaluru, the BBMP has announced it is not mandatory to wear a mask if you drive solo in a car but if there are 2 or more people (family or not), masks are mandatory.

https://www.whatshot.in/bangalore/we...driver-c-24574

I have heard of cops in Delhi, Pune insisting for masks in the car even for solo drivers. The interpretation is still fuzzy if you ask me. The cops can invoke the National Disaster Mgmt Act mandating masks in public places and the 2019 ruling of the Hon. Supreme Court citing a private car on the road as a public place.

From news items on the net, it appears the safest bet to avoid arguments with cops is to wear a mask even if solo in the car, although it medically doesn't make sense.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india...6ehxlpwML.html

https://indianexpress.com/article/ex...e-car-6577891/

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by hrman

Ill only sum it up in a few words. "Do no wrong, face no consequence!"

I don't think the Bengaluru police will unnecessarily harass you if you have all documents in place: DL, PUC, RC copy, insurance, and follow all road rules including wearing a mask, wearing a seatbelt, wearing a helmet, following signals, speed limits, no illegal mods, no sun film etc etc. The list is huge, but not a problem for a law abiding citizen.

That's like the creator of Snakes & Ladders and the creator of the dice, telling us - Do No Wrong, Face No Consequence!!

Here is what the Bangalore police plays with, and all stories I hear from my dad, driver, friends etc, apart from innumerable personal experiences :

# Manipulating the yellow light theory to claim people moved in red, happened with me recently.

# PUC - technically there is no need for PUC for BS4 and above for at least 5 more years, since it conforms to all emission norms, we do have it, but what I'm saying is the system is gamed to create massive revenues via PUC, testing 100% of all private vehicles for maybe fractions of percent ill-maintained vehicles, and ignoring literal charcoal and ash spewing trucks, lorries, public buses etc.

# Sunfilm - thanks to a gang of so called "deprived" people in NCR, 100% of whom were cabbies point to be noted, a draconian law was declared that sunfilm mustn't exist, as usual we abide, but it's about time the police forget about it, or rather catch a couple of MLA's running around in thick black glass, oh sorry, what was that? Their character is verified because they are MLA's and I'm a mango man? Pure horse excrement.

# Seatbelt - I was pulled over despite wearing a seatbelt but they couldn't see because my tee was black as well, I urge them to not jump out like papparazzis (copperazis) when trying to catch someone, makes their attempts look lame, kind of like panhandling.

# Mask - no rule that one must wear mask inside a car, the cop agreed with that too when I asked him in local language "are you insane?" when he aggressively asked me to wear the mask, I told him I can't suffocate inside my car with all glasses up.

# Two of the 3 violations cited to me were completely made up, in areas I haven't even gone to, should I comply with the great rulers on that too? Foolishly, I actually did, in the interest of future peace of mine.

There is a contrasting behavior of the policemen, with people who don't know Kannada, and those who do, I experimented with this when I just spoke English the first half and when the bogus citations were read out I hit back in the language of the land - marked difference, they almost don't talk much after that. They are almost always polite, won't blame them there, but they do try to muscle you and make a laundry list of violations if you don't know the local language since they know you can't debate it.

There are no absolutes, the law protects us, the government makes the law, we make the government.. none is above the other. We throw the dice, they throw the snakes (khaki colored), I can say for sure that just being the makers of rules, entitles no one to be the godhead of the world and the others, mere conformists.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Mask inside the car? None of us were wearing masks in the car while passing through numerous checkpoints. Cops just looked closely and let us go. I think families don't have to wear mask in the car.

The logic of insisting on wearing masks for all members in your car even if they are family members is weird.

That means, we will have to wear masks when we are living inside our homes too! Who will monitor that?

I for one haven't wore mask when driving with family in recent times and cops have noticed this from a distance and still let us go. But if at all I am stopped in future, I surely intend to have a calm conversation with them explaining the same.

Needless to say, whenever I step out of the car, masks are on and whenever I get back, my hands are sanitized after placing the mask in the bag inside the door pocket.

[shankarbn]

While I find nothing wrong with police stopping and checking any vehicle, the way they do it is absolutely nuts. They walk out of a hiding spot, at a sharp blind turn, with multiple vehicles overtaking and trying to miss the police in the first place.

I was stopped today and though I was dead slow(so as to not run over this cop man who jumped in front of my car without provocation), I narrowly missed three motorbikes overtaking from my left as I banked my car towards the footpath to park on a narrow road. I was at 8-10kmph while the fleeing motorbikers without helmet were at 40 - recipe for disaster indeed. Why is this drama necessary?

Sadly though, my documents were in order so the cops had to let me go. The only person who got to yell at me was my dog who was in the car waiting while my car's documents were examined by his prospective friend, the copper.

[Foxbat]

So this is whats going on in Bangalore! I drove from Hyderabad yesterday to Bangalore and I am staying near Race Course Road. Absolute madness by the traffic police. Every crossing seems to have 3-4 traffic police standing and stopping vehicles.

I initially thought something big had happened and thats why they were stopping so many people.

I am going back to Hyderabad on Monday, hope I am not fined for having an out of state registered vehicle till then!

[Lobogris]

Originally Posted by hummer

it was not safe to stand out (COVID) for long... I didn't have patience and moreover didn't want to stand on the road during this COVID.

Sorry to hear that you were hassled and lost Rs 500. Could you please explain why you thought it was dangerous to be standing outside?

[nkrishnap]

There is wide spread checks at a few roads joining the main road in the residential community to catch the offenders especially the ones riding without a helmet.

I recently got stopped when I was riding my R3. All documents shown, past offences checked, as nothing yielded, the constable was disappointed. Perhaps his target for the day not met.

However, the police the guts to check in a few areas even if 99 out of 100 break all the rules. Example, I cross Govindapura Signal on Tannery road. There are 3 cops who just sit in one corner and have no guts stop a single vehicle there. A different country rules apply there perhaps. If you follow the rules there, you are definitely an alien there and you are at fault for following the rules

[Tushar]

Seems to be a similar story in Mumbai as well, at least late at night. The roadblocks used to be for breathalyzer tests pre-lockdown. Now, they're generally jotting down vehicle and personal details. 2 wheeler users are stopped without fail, even if you're geared up.

I was just stopped about an hour ago and had to furnish my license. Further, they asked for my address, full name, phone number and number plate. Out of curiosity, I asked one of the officers the purpose of the nakabandi. He said they're monitoring vehicular movement zone by zone in case any crime is reported in the vicinity.

Petty crime in particular has understandably seen a rise post lockdown, which could be why 2 wheeler riders are prime targets. Of course, the cops have 'targets' of their own, so they're looking to make money too. Must say, the way they dart out into the middle of the road, pointing those horribly bright lights right into your face is very alarming. Very dangerous and makes common citizens feel like they're escaped prisoners.

[d3mon]

https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.c...ce%20officials.

As per this link, just stopping you to check documents (without any offence being witnessed) has been illegal for a while. I have never been stopped for such checks, but I think if you stand your ground and insist on being let go citing this rule, it'd be highly unlikely that the cops would waste time arguing with you - after all they could have milked 5 other lesser informed drivers in the same time without getting in any trouble!

[NPV]

Originally Posted by nkrishnap

However, the police the guts to check in a few areas even if 99 out of 100 break all the rules. Example, I cross Govindapura Signal on Tannery road. There are 3 cops who just sit in one corner and have no guts stop a single vehicle there.

Unfortunately, this is true in some areas of Bangalore where there are too many "powerful" locals who care two hoots for the law. In some other places, the traders/shopkeepers also contribute to the lawless traffic by being the regular/permanent offenders - wrong side driving/riding without helmets and the cops turn a blind eye even while stopping others who are 'unknown' to them example New Thippasandra main road/BEML road.

[nagr22]

When I first read this thread I thought to myself that it's a good initiative and I don't have to worry because I literally follow every single traffic rule. I just took my car out after 3 weeks to run some errands and I was driving along NH75 somewhere between KR Puram and Hoskote. I was following google maps and I missed taking a turn near TC Palya so I slowed down and pulled over to the extreme left in a safe spot and turned on my hazards to check the directions again. Out of no where an RTO officer comes with his camera phone and takes a picture of my car from multiple angles and tells me in Kannada that I have parked in no parking and zoomed off!! I was dumbstruck and clueless as to what happened because it was barely 10 seconds since I pulled over outside the shoulder of the road! And then I saw autos and two wheelers using the left most lane riding in the WRONG side of the road and the cop didnt even bother to take a picture
This incident has literally made me question my choice of being a law abiding citizen.
In the past there have been numerous instances where during my trips within city I have parked my car almost half a km away from shops located in narrow roads (much to the annoyance of my wife and friends) just so that I wont impede free flow of traffic. I can already forsee them laughing at my face after I narrate this incident.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by nagr22

I was following google maps and I missed taking a turn near TC Palya so I slowed down and pulled over to the extreme left in a safe spot and turned on my hazards to check the directions again. Out of no where an RTO officer comes with his camera phone and takes a picture of my car from multiple angles and tells me in Kannada that I have parked in no parking and zoomed off!!

Sure it was an "RTO" Officer ? Asking since it's not their business to mind traffic and no-parking, etc, that's the job of traffic police.

_-------_

In other news, couple of friends on their 2 wheelers were stopped by traffic police in Bangalore today and asked for documents to check. When license, insurance were in order, they were asked for PUC. Both had certificates that had expired during the lockdown and they were told there's no spot fine for the offense but they will issue them Challans that will need to be paid in the court (Rs.1000). They were finally let off with a warning to get the PUC done immediately which they got done this evening.

[JithinR]

Originally Posted by nagr22

I was following google maps and I missed taking a turn near TC Palya so I slowed down and pulled over to the extreme left in a safe spot and turned on my hazards to check the directions again. Out of no where an RTO officer comes with his camera phone and takes a picture of my car from multiple angles and tells me in Kannada that I have parked in no parking and zoomed off!!

I have done this a few times (parking on the side of the road with my hazards on my bike) for various reasons (gloves not fit properly, helmet chin strap not tied, one of my rear view mirrors a little loose etc).

I guess the Bengaluru cops are on overdrive mode for all the lost revenue during the lockdown. After all, we have seen colleagues/friends who spend above their means and are in a perpetual cycle of borrowing money/paying back EMI on their credit cards.

It is no wonder that for these traffic cops who are used to living day in and out on bribes + their government salary found their life made difficult during the lockdown. Now it's time to collect.

NOTE: If they actually had the guts to catch locals (the ones who don't listen to cops then my perspective would be different). I have seen traffic cops almost manhandled by these drunk louts while a teetotaler like me in full riding gear is asked to give a breath analyzer test (which drunk moron is actually going to take the time to put on full riding gear and then ride a bike sanely).

[Ranger747]

Thanks for sharing all these experiences guys! I'm a careful driver and I'm all for more law-enforcement and fines. My only concern is that all what is happening is not in the right interest of enforcing the law. What is happening is more of a selective application of the law. That's what I don't like. While they 'fine' a barely noticeable Sunfilm, many other real violators, who puts people's lives in danger by, for example, driving wrong way on road, driving overloaded trucks with stuff hanging outside, driving dangerous goods carelessly etc, gets a free pass.

Other point is what others also have highlighted, try questioning back a little bit, and then you will be waiting around on the road for long time for them to just look at you and get your licence back.

Hope this situation improves over time.