Re: Mistake by me, but big Mistake by a Traffic COP I don't know what had actually transpired between dre@ms and the SI. So wont comment on right or wrong. I'll share my personal experience.
Year 2007, I was new to Pune and riding a bike from Deccan towards Laxmi Road (my first on that route) and was not aware that the Sambhaji bridge (Lakdi Pul) is No-entry for two wheelers. I crossed and stopped at the Police post at the end of the bridge, and requested the constable (who was inside the post) for directions to Laxmi Road. He came smiling and asked me to pay fine. On asking for the reason he told me. I said that I was not aware of the same and there is no sign board at the start of the bridge. He said that he understood that I didn't knew the rule otherwise I would not have stopped to ask for directions from him and grinned. I got pissed off as I was sure I didn't saw any sign board, on asking he said there is one and I my look for that next time. I was asked to pay fine of Rs. 100, that I paid (as there was no point arguing as if a sign board was there then I would have missed that) and got a receipt.
On the way return I came through Z-Bridge and again went to start of the Sambhaji bridge to look for the sign board. I found a small board written in Marathi language depicting a motorcycle. I asked a fellow on the road for the meaning he said "No two-wheelers allowed on bridge". And there was no other board in either english or hindi. When I told about this incidents to my colleagues who reside in nearby localities, they said that this board is a money minting machine as unsuspecting people get caught at the other end and are asked to pay fine. Traffic police staff can be posted at the bridge entrance but not done deliberately. This has been highlighted in local dailies on more than couple of occasions. Almost all people, excluding those fore-warned about trap by their friends/ family, get fined in this manner whether they are from non-marathi background or otherwise. As during rush hour no one can focus on the small board.
The point I am trying to make here is that police in every part of India have unique ways of making money (here flouting the rules for putting up a traffic sign board). Every thing goes fine till you pay fine without asking questions and if you ask even the most genuine question these guys start behaving rudely. Sometimes if they had an off day at their office or home then you can expect all kind of 'pleasantries' from them.
The incidence I mentioned above is one of the many I've faced during my stays at different cities across India.
One more incidence I would tell here. Year 2008. Me and my friend were riding his bike in Ambala Cantt. (Haryana). There at Indira Gandhi Chowk, traffic police was stopping every biker and asking for relevant papers, and fining (extorting money, as no receipt was given) from those who were not having all the documents. We were told to stop and asked the documents. My friend showed all the documents, and when the SI could not find any issues, he rudely told my friend to take off his helmet when he standing in front of him. We felt really bad, as this could have been communicated in a much civilized way. Though my friend complied to 'the order' he was fuming and I could see on his face. We stood there for next 10 mins and waited for further instructions. None came, so my friend asked him that whether could we leave. At this the SI said "tere ko badi jaldi padi hai, khada reh chup chap" (you seem to be in hurry, stand quietly). This enraged my friend through his head, he shouted full volume in a typical army way (my friend was Captain in Indian Army and was on vacation) "You bloody police man, I am polite to you that doesn't mean I can take what ever you may say. You are misbehaving without any reason and for this I can immediately get you suspended. Call your CO, I want to talk to him now". The SI's face faded immediately seeing the sudden outburst, the constables accompanying him back tracked. The SI timidly apologized and tried to tell they as doing a random check, so it sometimes they have to be strict. My friend replied that he very well knows what they were checking pointing to the money bag that they had; he noted the SI's name and asked the police station that he was attached to. And then he told SI that he could have called the Army Police and got him arrested for extorting money from public, but now he'll just call his CO and inform him about the whole thing. Then we left, once at home, my friend called the police station and got the number of CO; narrated the whole story and asked whether it is needed of him to come and file an FIR. The CO said "not required, he'll look into it". We couldn't followup as our vacations were over and we had to leave for our workplaces.
It's not the rules that the police staff shows (even the rules are bent for their objective of extorting money), its the unruly behaviour that gets most of us pissed off. If I have done traffic rule violation, I am ready to pay the fine as that was my fault, but in no situation I expect some empty headed guy shouting or misbehaving with me. |