[dot]

A thought provoking incident happened to me today. First a little background.

For the last two years, I meet this traffic warden daily on the route to work and back home. He is not a regular police guy. I guess they are the ones who are employed by police to regulate traffic. So this guy, nameless to me, smiles every time I pass him, everyday. In fact, I noted his cheerfulness to a whole lot of other drivers. Maybe they are regular on this route too. Inspite of baking sun or dripping rain or biting cold winds, this guy will smile and control traffic with vigour at a small T junction in Kalyani Nagar, Pune. Last August, on a very wet morning when I was passing him, I saw him standing without an umbrella, totally drenched, but controlling traffic with gusto. When I passed, he gave a small salute to me. I went ahead, only to feel like a fool not to offer an umbrella which was lying inside the car. I decided that if I meet him in the evening I will give the umbrella. So I had kept the umbrella ready to quickly pass it on to him. However in the evening when we met, he already had an umbrella. Felt happy, smiled back and kept going. An unknown cheerful man occupies a small bit of my morning and evening and keeps me happy.

Today, when I was coming back, he beckoned me to stop. I did and rolled down the window to hear him speak for the first time. What he said astonished me. A friend of his, another traffic warden, was hit by a vehicle sometime back and had to be hospitalized. Some tests including CAT scan and others need to done immediately and they need about ten thousand. He said that he has got about five thousand already from people such as me who he kind of knows. I took out my wallet and gave him whatever was there. I had about eleven hundred. I wish I had more. He smiled again and said that on Monday when I come back to his spot, he will give back the money. I smiled, hit the window switch to roll back the window and set the tranny on D.

Later I learned that another office colleague has also helped him.

I do not know if the accident story is true or not. In my mind it is true and I hope the unknown man and my smiling friend is doing better. I dont want to think of any negative possibilities. And I am not expecting eleven hundred rupees.

[amitwlele]

@dot - Good deed indeed.

I sometimes feel sorry for the Traffic Wardens at different junctions in Pune. I don't think they have the same powers as the regular traffic cops (Am i right??) So sometimes i see people not really following their instructions, especially the cabbies. I think one such nut must have knocked down his freind.

Also i have noticed these wardens only after shifting to Pune. Don't recollect seeing them in Mumbai anytime.

[selfdrive]

@dot, thats surely a good deed. I hope the warden who was hit gets well soon.
Your attention to this smiling warden must be appreciated as must his efforts in getting your attention!

[Irish]

dot,

You did a wonderful task by helping him but I doubt his story. I am not sure but he may be in a real trouble.

Lets see if he comes back to you on Monday morning!

[ariesonu]

I find one every time I cross the Western Expressway subway on ackurli road, leading to Lokhandwala Complex in Kandivali. He's always wearing a brown uniform a size too big for him & bit eccentric. Can sometime behave like a police officer but losses his edge very soon. Been there since I moved here about 3 years ago.
Your post made me recall that small guy, doing something so that make our so fastedly controlled life an another inch peaceful.
May god bless these guys.

Raab Rakha.

[rjstyles69]

Indeed a wonderful gesture from you my friend, my regards to you and may your tribe grow. In case he returns the money, please do give him something as a token of your appreciation for his job.
Bangalore infact has quite a few of these guys manning traffic during the peak hours. I have seen few who stay out there in the rains. Only chap that I have seen is a dude who is a painter by profession and lives in Neelasandra, Bangalore.

Every morning he is out there on the main road which connects Neelasandra and Koramangala doing his part by manning traffic. Purely does it as social service coz I don't think he is employed by anyone. Surprisingly most people follow his instructions while on this road.

[demonashes]

Dot,
Good gesture from you. Looking at the story, I don't think it would end negatively. These are the real faceless heroes of the cities we live in, their work is never acknowledge and very few people respect them. I've seen most drivers not caring for their hand signals on street, just because they aren't powerful enough to fine them on the spot.
If he had to con people, he wouldn't have to wait for 2 years I guess, but interested to hear what happens on Monday.

[Irish]

Originally Posted by dot

A thought provoking incident happened to me today. First a little background.

For the last two years, I meet this traffic warden daily on the route to work and back home.

2 years? I missed this earlier. I would say that he was honest in his sayings.

[dot]

Irish, demonashes. rjstyles69, ariesonu, selfdrive, amitwlele,
Good to hear from like minded folks. As most of you have added; yes, sometimes we do tend to become short sighted at all those things which make our own lives a little better.

[simplyself]

Even if what he said was untrue ( I dont think so),your money is not wasted. Not that you owe him anything but he was a sincere, cheerful part of your road scape. So let there be no negative thoughts.

Good men, Good deeds.

[AutoNoob]

Originally Posted by dot

For the last two years, I meet this traffic warden daily on the route to work and back home....
....I took out my wallet and gave him whatever was there. I had about eleven hundred....
...I dont want to think of any negative possibilities. And I am not expecting eleven hundred rupees.

Originally Posted by amitwlele

@dot - Good deed indeed.

I don't think they have the same powers as the regular traffic cops (Am i right??) So sometimes i see people not really following their instructions, especially the cabbies.

When I was in Pune, I read about the problems faced by these wardens. They assist in regulating the traffic while the traffic cops spend most of their time in minting money from the unsuspecting drivers. Wardens have tough jobs and extra long shifts, upto 16hrs . And since they are not on the regular rolls of police, they don't get even minutest of facilities that those thick skinned cops enjoy. Pays are paltry. They are people in need and thus being exploited.

@dot : Nice gesture my friend. I hope that all the road users make their work easier by simply following their directions and not picking up fights with them.

[mdsaab]

Oh my GOD!
hey do you live in kalyani nagar? I do.
Are you talking about this traffic warden who stands at the t junction of nagarwalla school? My dad who has a shop in sai nagari has helped him before. And i myself gave him 500.
He smiles when you pass, then gives you salutes. And then flags you down one day. What he told me was that his father was serious and in hospital, needs some expensive scans, will cost 8000 or so, needless to say i pulled out my wallet and handed him 500. He asked me for more, but i told him i am a working man with a family to support and thats all i could give him right now. Whatever it is whether he uses this story again and again and again. I say to myself, the guy goes about his job honestly everyday and is hard working. What does a couple of hundred matter. But i really hope he is not using this as a method to fleece people like us who would definately offer our help financially or otherwise for a good cause. It would take our confidence in such people away, and we would start thinking not once or twice but a hundred times before helping someone again, always wondering somewhere in the back of our minds, hey is this guy conning me?
I really hope this is not the case here.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by amitwlele

Also i have noticed these wardens only after shifting to Pune. Don't recollect seeing them in Mumbai anytime.

There are tons of them in Bangalore. In fact, they are there on most busy intersections.

On the ORR, there are 3 places where flyover/underpass construction is going on and there is an inexplicable amount of dust in the air. It's a pity the kind of conditions these guys have to work in. Cops will be nicely sitting at the side or in a dhaba sipping tea while these guys manage traffic.

Worst part, hardly anyone gives them a hoot. I have seen Volvo drivers/cabbies abusing them and even manhandling them just because they were regulating traffic.

Originally Posted by mdsaab

Oh my GOD!
hey do you live in kalyani nagar? I do.
Are you talking about this traffic warden who stands at the t junction of nagarwalla school? My dad who has a shop in sai nagari has helped him before. And i myself gave him 500.
He smiles when you pass, then gives you salutes. And then flags you down one day. What he told me was that his father was serious and in hospital, needs some expensive scans, will cost 8000 or so, needless to say i pulled out my wallet and handed him 500. He asked me for more, but i told him i am a working man with a family to support and thats all i could give him right now. Whatever it is whether he uses this story again and again and again. I say to myself, the guy goes about his job honestly everyday and is hard working. What does a couple of hundred matter. But i really hope he is not using this as a method to fleece people like us who would definately offer our help financially or otherwise for a good cause. It would take our confidence in such people away, and we would start thinking not once or twice but a hundred times before helping someone again, always wondering somewhere in the back of our minds, hey is this guy conning me?
I really hope this is not the case here.

Exactly! Unfortunately but actually, there are about 99 who con and 1 person who's genuine. For the money we earn, giving them something wouldn't hurt us. But, the prospect of being conned always lurks in the head.

@dot : You've done a good deed nevertheless!

[pjbiju]

Good gesture there dots. You deserve an applause for this.
Yes, there could exist a doubt in our mind, if the warden was trying to pull a fast one on you (like a security guard in our society tried). I think we should still be optimistic. A smile can make so much of change in our lives.

[Googleman]

It's the same old story which every maid, traffic warden, security guard, car cleaner, milk supplier etc.. say

My maid use to play this game with me and my neighbor was helping her thinking we had lots of money and would not effect us if we give couple of thousands to a poor lady. I helped her once not, twice but once this became a regular practice I started cutting the amount from her monthly pay. I was still helping her with giving her money in advance but not letting her fool me by the story and ofcourse gave a mouthful to the neighbor and stopped talking to her.

If you helped the needy (ofcourse they are in need otherwise they won't ask for help) maybe situation is different than someone getting admitted in the hospital, you are doing a great job.

Please ensure, next time you research a bit before helping.