[rajeev k]

These are ample testimony to the need of a single all India registration. Remembering the primary school lesson - India is one country and all Indians are brothers and sisters.

[kaushik_s]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Not once, but many times TN cops have harassed me. I shudder to drive into TN in my MH-registered car. I have been stopped to be extorted in most places in TN - Madras city outskirts, Dharmapuri, Kanyakumari, Conoor, etc. They have made exorbitant demands like Rs 5,000 in case of the Conoor cop who insisted that I should take a permit for my Scorpio and also alleged that I was a taxi driver despite being with my family, and I had to pull a few strings to get away from them. Yes, TN may be as bad if not worse than any other State in India. They also harbour notions that anyone from Bombay and who can speak to them in Tamil is some driver running a illegal taxi - I have decided to talk to TN cops in Hindi only hereafter In fact, I found cops in much-maligned Bihars more friendly and less greedy than TN cops.

Yeah, that 5000Rs fine is a common trick that these guys play a lot and it happens in Ooty/Conoor area only. Whenever they see a MUV, even with private number plate, they'll pounce on it and demand 5000Rs fine for running taxi service illegally. One just need to stand their ground and not pay to these buggers. Another incident was that they asked us to open all our bags and stuff on the pretext of checking for extremists (basically they wanted us to pay them some money to let us go but again I told them please check everything and I've all the time in the world and I'm not gonna pay a penny). But other that these two incidents it was pretty smooth in TN although I've not driven that extensively like Kumar sir.
Anyway, about the main topic, so is it that now Gujrat Traffic police don't catch out of state vehicles without yellow stickers?

[wanderer4x4]

This yellow sticker thing is nothing but some archaic, outdated idea from some idle police officer or bureaucrat with nothing else to do. It might have been somewhat useful in earlier Amby, Premier, Jeep only days where the headlamps were uniformly shaped. But, now with multireflectors and with headlamps coming in all shapes and sizes with different shapes of the reflector dome, I don't think a tiny strip of yellow will stop the glare unless 50% of the headlamp is covered. And I think cops are also not that naive to not know it. But, to them its another godsend money making tool and they use it to hilt to loot us hapless road users.

We don't need these draconian useless rules, what we need is decent road sense and manners like using low beams, parking sensibly etc.

In between cops in Assam had started harrassing people on the pretext of you using someone else's car. Means even if you were driving a car registered in your brother/father/sons name, you have to have a duly signed "authority letter" from the original owner. I've not seen anyone carry this, but to get away after paying Rs 50 - 100 to the cops. BTW, this rule was never enforced for the taxi drivers even when they were running on white plates as most taxi drivers are already chums with the cops.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by kaushik_s

Anyway, about the main topic, so is it that now Gujrat Traffic police don't catch out of state vehicles without yellow stickers?

All vehicles registered in GJ have the yellow stickers since presumably they come with them from the dealer when they buy them.

GJ cops pounce on all vehicles, regardless of their registration, and your protestations that you are from outside the State fall on deaf ears. Happily, they do not do this in the highways, I have found them only in Ahmedabad city and also a problem for motorists bypassing the city using the Ring Road.

[triggercool]

Last year while going Rajasthan same thing happen to me as I was passing through Ahmedabad city ring road stopped for direction. I had to pay rs.100 for not having yellow on Bolero headlight.

[KkVaidya]

Originally Posted by Bapu

If you are still stopped, explain that this is a DL / PB vehicle that that the rule is not applicable in your state. The cops will let you go.

Hello Bapu,
I don't think cops will listen to this argument. Its like when in Rome, Do what Romans do.
So If you are in Gujarat, You got to have your headlight plastered.

Originally Posted by kaushik_s

is it that now Gujrat Traffic police don't catch out of state vehicles without yellow stickers?

My Linea does not have the yellow sticker on RHS headlamp and was not at all troubled during our GJ trips in November/December 2010 and September 2011. I stayed in Ahmedabad and Surat. Perhaps, my Linea was lucky.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Not once, but many times TN cops have harassed me. I shudder to drive into TN in my MH-registered car. I have been stopped to be extorted in most places in TN - Madras city outskirts, Dharmapuri, Kanyakumari, Conoor, etc. They have made exorbitant demands like Rs 5,000 in case of the Conoor cop who insisted that I should take a permit for my Scorpio and also alleged that I was a taxi driver despite being with my family, and I had to pull a few strings to get away from them. Yes, TN may be as bad if not worse than any other State in India. They also harbour notions that anyone from Bombay and who can speak to them in Tamil is some driver running a illegal taxi - I have decided to talk to TN cops in Hindi only hereafter In fact, I found cops in much-maligned Bihars more friendly and less greedy than TN cops.

Surprised to hear that. Was this only outside on the TN highways or inside the cities too? My parents have been driving a GJ registered car in and around Chennai for the past two years, and haven't been harassed even once. In fact my father's been caught breaking the traffic rules twice and fined for it; on both occasion he was advised to get the NOC as early as possible. No fines on that matter. However, both of them can speak Tamil fluently - was that a differentiating reason? Asking as I'm planning to drive my MH registered car to Chennai a few months from now. Clarification - I can speak tamil too

Originally Posted by J.Ravi

My Linea does not have the yellow sticker on RHS headlamp and was not at all troubled during our GJ trips in November/December 2010 and September 2011. I stayed in Ahmedabad and Surat. Perhaps, my Linea was lucky.

Ditto here. So is a friend who does the trip to Gujarat regularly. I think this is going down.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

Surprised to hear that. Was this only outside on the TN highways or inside the cities too?

I have been stopped by pesky cops in Madras city, Conoor town and on the highways in several places such as Dharmapuri, Marthandam & Tuticorin areas.

[Nitrous Power]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

So is a friend who does the trip to Gujarat regularly. I think this is going down.

Enforcement of yellow strip is mainly in Ahmedabad city and Ring road only. I have not seen cops stopping vehicles for missing yellow strip on highways at all.

[esteem_lover]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Not once, but many times TN cops have harassed me. I shudder to drive into TN in my MH-registered car. I have been stopped to be extorted in most places in TN - Madras city outskirts, Dharmapuri, Kanyakumari, Conoor, etc. They have made exorbitant demands like Rs 5,000 in case of the Conoor cop who insisted that I should take a permit for my Scorpio and also alleged that I was a taxi driver despite being with my family, and I had to pull a few strings to get away from them. Yes, TN may be as bad if not worse than any other State in India. They also harbour notions that anyone from Bombay and who can speak to them in Tamil is some driver running a illegal taxi - I have decided to talk to TN cops in Hindi only hereafter In fact, I found cops in much-maligned Bihars more friendly and less greedy than TN cops.

You say you had to pull 'few strings to get away'. In my book, you do not have to pull any strings if you have not done anything wrong (anywhere in the country), unless of course you have done something wrong, you could pull more than a few strings, maybe even the moustaches of those cops and get away with your problem.

Originally Posted by kaushik_s

Yeah, that 5000Rs fine is a common trick that these guys play a lot and it happens in Ooty/Conoor area only. Whenever they see a MUV, even with private number plate, they'll pounce on it and demand 5000Rs fine for running taxi service illegally. One just need to stand their ground and not pay to these buggers. Another incident was that they asked us to open all our bags and stuff on the pretext of checking for extremists (basically they wanted us to pay them some money to let us go but again I told them please check everything and I've all the time in the world and I'm not gonna pay a penny). But other that these two incidents it was pretty smooth in TN although I've not driven that extensively like Kumar sir.

See, no moustaches or strings were pulled and nothing was paid. Now why would someone say these cops are the worst in the country ? Left to anyone's imagination.

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

Surprised to hear that. Was this only outside on the TN highways or inside the cities too? My parents have been driving a GJ registered car in and around Chennai for the past two years, and haven't been harassed even once. In fact my father's been caught breaking the traffic rules twice and fined for it; on both occasion he was advised to get the NOC as early as possible. No fines on that matter. However, both of them can speak Tamil fluently - was that a differentiating reason? Asking as I'm planning to drive my MH registered car to Chennai a few months from now. Clarification - I can speak tamil too

AGAIN.

Originally Posted by hvkumar

I have been stopped by pesky cops in Madras city, Conoor town and on the highways in several places such as Dharmapuri, Marthandam & Tuticorin areas.

Thought you said Madras City outskirts. Now city also included ? Also for your kind information, I drove around in the same Madras city and it's outskirts with a MH-12 M-800 for 3 years and was never once flagged down. I always follow the rules of the road, maybe sometimes over speed (80 on a 60 zone), but not once was I targeted for driving a MH vehicle in Madras/TN.

Guess your experience was different to mine or the others here.

chill


P.S. I do not know much Hindi, but I will try to speak in Hindi too if I am caught by the rogue TN cops


P.P.S. Extremely sorry for going off topic since this thread is about Gujarat and the yellow sticker.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by Nitrous Power

Enforcement of yellow strip is mainly in Ahmedabad city and Ring road only. I have not seen cops stopping vehicles for missing yellow strip on highways at all.

Yes you are correct on that. But at the point where the expressway ends at the inner ring road, the police cordon is (was) quite well known for fining on the missing yellow stickers. A lot of non-GJ cars used to get caught over there even though they don't intend to enter the city, but miss the SP ring road. Btw I haven't been stopped inside Ahmedabad city too. The friend I spoke about; his wife is from Ahmedabad. The trips are home-bound trips. However he's never been fined, leave being stopped. Hence my comment about it going down.


Edit: Saw your earlier posts on this thread. Guess we are harping on the same thing!

[hvkumar]

Now why would someone say these cops are the worst in the country ? Left to anyone's imagination.

I have no intention to convince anyone. If you think I am a liar, so be it. If someone takes my experience and be guided accordingly, so be it too. Each to his own experiences and impressions.

Thought you said Madras City outskirts. Now city also included ? Also for your kind information, I drove around in the same Madras city and it's outskirts with a MH-12 M-800 for 3 years and was never once flagged down. I always follow the rules of the road, maybe sometimes over speed (80 on a 60 zone), but not once was I targeted for driving a MH vehicle in Madras/TN.

I have been stopped by cops in Madhavaram which is as Madras city as Chembur is to Bombay.

I always follow rules, I have never been stopped by these cops for breaking any rules, they have always stopped me after seeing my Scorpio with a MH registration.

I stand by whatever comments I have made earlier.

[NetfreakBombay]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

GJ cops pounce on all vehicles, regardless of their registration, and your protestations that you are from outside the State fall on deaf ears.

Faced this in Ahmadabad ring road last week. Was stopped as soon as cops notices MH registration plate.

Ultimately, he checked DL/Registration/Insurance/PUC. Since everything was in order, he noted down basic details like destination and contact # and let me go. Another Scorpio had to cough up 500 Rs for expired PUC (no receipt of course).

Originally Posted by esteem_lover

In my book, you do not have to pull any strings if you have not done anything wrong (anywhere in the country)

I guess you have never been stopped during election season. During that time cops are authorized to seize the vehicle for use in election duty. This brings out "standard" rate card that depends on size of vehicle. And this is just an example.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by NetfreakBombay

I guess you have never been stopped during election season. During that time cops are authorized to seize the vehicle for use in election duty. This brings out "standard" rate card that depends on size of vehicle. And this is just an example.

My Scorpio has been seized twice during election time in Bihar & MP and it was with considerable difficulty that I extricated myself from some unscrupulous cops. In Bihar I had to pay Rs 1,100 and in MP Rs 2,000 to get myself out - and this only after I had to lecture them for 30 (in Bihar)-100 minutes (in MP) about my credentials, that I was a UN advisor, how I would like to talk to their senior officials and my stubborn refusal to hand over the car keys - and sheer luck - that I succeeded in getting out of their clutches. What was the rule that I had broken? In both cases, I managed to escalate the matter to the office of the IG himself using some connections, but how does that change the way India is run?

In the Ahmedabad Ring Road, many vehicles bypassing the city are invariably stopped if the cops see that they do not have a yellow sticker on their headlamps.