[sgiitk]

A colleague was returning from Varanasi to Kanpur In the Varanasi - Allahabad section he had a nightmare of an experience. This was about a weeks ago and was around noon time.

He passed and paid toll at a booth. A little further on he came across a barrier put up by some boys. He stopped and they demanded toll, and threatened him if he did not pay. He refused and somehow managed to drive through. He was followed by about four fellows in a Jeep. At the next toll barrier a truck deliberately reversed into him smashing the front end of his Santro. The rowdies came past and told him that this time we have left you alive, but the next time ....

If this is the state of law an 9dis) order on a major National Highway in the GQ in broad daylight them God help us!

[Travelbug]

That's a Horrific situtation to be in. Hope your friend didn't got hurt. These things do happen on our highways.

[gomzi]

That was a nightmarish experience!

I hope he is not hurt physically. Mentally, I think I would be traumatised for a while by this, especially if this happened when travelling alone.

I don't think he will be travelling by that road anytime soon. Did he report this to the police or publicise it in anyway?

Trust us to go and spoil a good thing

[rajeev k]

What is happening in our country. This is daylight robbery. Are these rogues running a parallele system?
Advise your colleague to lodge complaint (I hope he would have already done).
What did the official toll collecting agency say on this. These bullies may be operating hand in glove with the toll agency.

[dadu]

I didnt get some part of it, he was followed by 4 fellows, therefore the Santro was ahead of them.

Then your colleague stopped at the next toll and there was a truck ahead of him paying toll, who reversed ??, how would the people following and the truck be accomplices since its a moving truck, they cant have a truck moving all the day up & down, paying toll.

Perhaps your colleague got nervous and came very close to the truck and the truck backed up just like they do while starting up and he corelated it with the guys following.

Ideally, he should have gone to the security staff on the next toll and told them about this illegal collection.

I think you already know that it would have been much worse had it been a real gang, than just the warning. But unfortunate it happenned.

[@400Kph]

I think he should have got down and complained at the next toll booth.AFAIK the NHA has some kind of patrolling system who can take care of such people. Unfortunate it happened.

[sammyboy]

Originally Posted by rajeev k

What is happening in our country. This is daylight robbery. Are these rogues running a parallele system?
.

No bro, the rogues are running the system.

[Superleggera]

If this happened at midnight-one can understand - this is way too much!.

[aaggoswami]

Thanfully they only damaged the car and not him. When my parents were to visit Allahbad, they were warned of such incidences. Thankfully, all things went on smooth. But traveling in UP, Bihar and Orissa is a bit dangerous that is what we were informed. On the trip to allahbad, at one place in a small dhaba where my parents ( along with two relatives and driver ) stopped for breakfast, there came is a minister with body guards. That was tension giving, but the dhaba man was quick to provide those ministers and guards food before my parents.

Now this is something that happened to me when I was returning home after dropping my mom to her village near Bhavnagar.
The roads were excellent and I was keeping Baleno in 60-80kmh mark ( strict warning from parents ). Suddenly I saw a log in my lane just after a corner ( a high speed one ). The other cars and state transport bus also stopped. Why ?

The log was deliberately dragged in middle of road which can lead to serious accidents. There was a group of young boys selling " Prasad " which you have to buy. They were even armed with knives and sticks. Somehow the cars and ST bus managed to get away. A Marshal jeep with 15 people were on our tails for long. Angered, the ST bus driver stopped the bus and came out with iron rods. I too stepped out in mood to fight. ST bus passengers were now screaming towards them. The jeep left. But the point is that safety on our roads is non existent. The ST driver did report this to police and last I heard at Tarapur was police took some action.

This is not the first time this has happened. IIRC, when pune-mumbai expresshighway was opened, a wife was assaulted in front of her husband ( read this is OD letters section ).

We must have ourselves armed, nothing else.

[EssYouWe]

Ouch!

Bad one.

We carry a couple of baseball bats when we travel through UP or Haryana.

[TarCruiser]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

A colleague was returning from Varanasi to Kanpur In the Varanasi - Allahabad section he had a nightmare of an experience. This was about a weeks ago and was around noon time.

He passed and paid toll at a booth. A little further on he came across a barrier put up by some boys. He stopped and they demanded toll, and threatened him if he did not pay. He refused and somehow managed to drive through. He was followed by about four fellows in a Jeep. At the next toll barrier a truck deliberately reversed into him smashing the front end of his Santro. The rowdies came past and told him that this time we have left you alive, but the next time ....

If this is the state of law an 9dis) order on a major National Highway in the GQ in broad daylight them God help us!

Thanks for updating, I was contemplating a family trip Delhi-Kanpur-Allahbad-Varanashi-Ranchi-Jamshedpur trip this winter. I will now surely drop it and move by safer mode train.

Also in todays newspaper I read about the naxal effect on Ranchi-Jamshedpur section, recently maoist had beheaded a police personel.

These are sad stories from East India.

[SS-Traveller]

"Chanda" collection on the NH2 is a pretty common thing, especially during festivals like Durga Puja/Kali Puja/Diwali/Holi. I've faced such demands too, off and on over the years, but a tenner or twenty usually keeps the boys happy - though they might start off asking for Rs.500! It is when one tries to run away without parting with paltry sums that they get up to all kinds of mischief, like throwing bricks at the car, trying to put logs under the wheels, or even chasing you.

@sgiitk: Who said anything about law and order existing in Eastern UP/Bihar/Jharkhand??

[Hoopoe]

On a few recent trips to Rajasthan I was disgusted at the sad condition of the road (all potholed, full of tractor trollies and two wheelers) while still paid hefty toll. Well, even our government is looting the people now collecting toll even when our highways are the most pathetic.

One foreigner who visited our office recently was taken to Agra to show Taj Mahal. After a long time of complete and tense silence while the driver drove on the busy Delhi-Agra highway (so called smooth by Indian standards) he innocently asked the driver when they will hit the 'highway'. We all should be ashamed of the condition of our existance. After all, we are equal participants in the squallor we create--including the machos who carry rods and baseball bats while driving around.

[EssYouWe]

Originally Posted by Hoopoe

After all, we are equal participants in the squallor we create--including the machos who carry rods and baseball bats while driving around.

Hehe! I guess that was aimed at me.

Just for the record, we are a family of 5 and it is used for long family trips. And, we have never wielded it :P. The areas we drive through aren't dotted with old age homes exactly.

I would be sorry if I was not able to defend myself if the need be. You can also rest assured that it'll never find use as a weapon of aggression.

I do want to know why you insinuate 'machos carrying rods and baseball bats' for the sad condition of roads? Do we use our rods and bats to go around poking holes into highways? Or do we go around collecting chanda from innocent highway drivers?

Come to think of it. Your post has offended me quite a bit.

[prince_pervez]

I won't be suprised of they have kept some officials in the loop.