[saurabhgupta710]

What's a ride/drive if it doesn't fulfil your quench to live more, dream more?

A teaser of what the planned route looked like:



Prologue:

After living in Bangalore, I have always wanted to ride (back then owned a Bajaj Avenger Street-220) to my both set of parents (my in-law's place, my parent’s place) and back to home. “Home-run” as I always refer/address this dream.

Fast-forward to Jan’22, during one of my conversations with wifey, I expressed my wish to take Titli, my 2-yr old little indie-girl and Toothless, at least once to both our parent's home (Jabalpur and Mumbai). Little did i knew, the manifestation would work four-fold and the dream would be done and dusted in this very year that too, in the first half of the year. As I share this adventure with you all, I am happy to say, ~4300 Km across the country driven in a hatchback, spread over 2 weeks (with travel only on Weekends & Remote Working on Weekdays, we made it possible). Done and Dusted!

My in-laws were in Bangalore and were planning to return to their hometown (Jabalpur) in mid of June, and we were discussing options. That's when the thought popped up, why not a road trip? Since hybrid working is in force, we decided to take the plunge, get approval for remote working and plan the trip.
(A quick side note, in 2021, after the lockdowns & Covid restrictions were lifted, my in-laws drove down from Jabalpur to Bangalore, and a short vacay to Gokarna and back; and then return to Jabalpur - all on a 8+ yr old i10 Era and my FIL who is 68-yr old, drove his car by himself in the entire trip and routes).

I came up with this as a tentative plan to get a go ahead from Home Ministry (Wifey):


Phase-1:
Route: BLR-HYD-Nagpur-Jabalpur:
Start on Saturday early morning and cover as much as we could. My FIL and I debated and deliberated that with 3drivers (my FIL, wifey, and myself) a 4.30 am start should get us a touch down by ~12am.
Sunday would be a rest-day and the next 5-days would be remote working.

Phase-2:
Saturday early morning begin our journey to Mumbai:
Route:JBP-BHOPAL-INDORE-DHULE-NASHIK-THANE-BORIVALI
Sunday would be a rest-day and the next 5-days would be remote working.

Phase-3:
Saturday early morning begin our journey to Bangalore (way back in 2016, I did a solo ride on BlackPearl (Bajaj Avenger Street 220) and reached in 17.5hrs (door-to-door ~1010km). Since I had done this route earlier, i knew it was possible.
Route: Borivali-Vashi-Expressway-Pune-Kolhapur-Bangalore (the NH4 route).

In the next couple of days, we decided that 11th June seems to be ideal to kick this in motion. (as i had to be back in Bangalore anyhow by 26th June due to some work commitments).


And thus, begun the execution of Phase-1:



T-1 day: Date: 10-Jun-22:
Car is all set and loaded. This is first time, the boot is loaded 100% with luggage, and all seats occupied.

For 11th June, the itinerary was simple (at least on paper), Start early from Bangalore and try to reach Jabalpur, or as close as we could.
Route: Bangalore-Hyderabad bypass (Nehru ORR) - Adialabad-Nagpur bypass-Pench-Lakhnadon-Jabalpur.

Drive Stats:

• Start time: 5:00 AM on 10 June
• End time: 3:00 AM on 11 June
• Total Distance (home-to-home): 1408 Km
• Total Time: 22hours

Few glimpses of the trip:


Sunrise are a mandatory stop


After breakfast, we switched drivers and my FIL took the wheel while I sat in co-passenger and relaxed for a while.



Around 2:00PM, we stopped for a quick road-side bottle soda stop and I got back to driving








Crossed Hyderabad around 1:00 PM.







Somewhere on the Nizamabad - Adilabad patch, we stopped at a Rajasthani Dhaba, where Sev bhaji was the best thing I have had in the recent times! It was just delicious.



Post lunch, continued to drive until we reached Hinganghat outskirt. Took a quick tea and bio break near Hinganghat, MH at WaghVilla restaurant. FIL took over for a while and then Wifey drove after Pench up to home (Jabalpur).







Just before entering Jabalpur, she noticed that one of the headlight is not working (about 2 weeks ago, I had replaced the stock bulbs with Philips Rally 100/90. And I was cursing myself under the breath. On smooth roads, it was working, but the moment a jerk would be there, it would go off.) Anyhow, the 1 light alone and very minimal traffic enroute home, helped us sail through and reach home.
It was a fun drive pheww!!!...Her happy face after reaching home after a terrific drive.




PS: She did manage to do the night drive, for the last few hours.

Sunday was a rest-day.
Monday morning started with Toothless getting some TLC with a nice wash on the exteriors and the interiors cleaned up with vacuum. After a tiring 3 hours session, Toothless looked spick and span, and was all ready to take on the highways again!
Since I had seen the mechanic removing the bulbs and installing new ones. I had some idea of what to look for..and bang on it was, the lose holder was the culprit. I fixed it up, tested and the lights were perfect. (Drove the car for ~70kms in nighttime to be sure).

The next 4 days were remote working for both of us. On one of the days, in the late evening, I suggested that since we were all free, we should go to Gwarighat (bank of Narmada river), and right when we were ready to leave, it started to pour heavily, and it kept raining until we were back home. Managed to get out of the car for 5 mins, amidst the crazy rains.

[saurabhgupta710]

Toothless visiting Sai Mandir, Khamaria - the mandatory place to be at



Phase-2:
Now, for the 2nd part of the trip, we took 2 cars:
1) Wifey, Titli and yours truly in one - as we were planned to move ahead and reach Mumbai.
2) My in-laws, who were to head back from Maheshwar

With few new suggestions kicking in, the plan improvised, and it was decided that:
a) Day 1 Friday, we will seek blessings of Lord Mahakal,at Ujjain
b) Day 2 Saturday, visit Maheshwar – Ahilya Fort and Handlooms (read shopping! &#128521.
c) Day 3 on Sunday for Jabalpur/Mumbai respectively.
Now, during weekday, it so happened that in one of the many WAG’s that I am a part of, the location of the village was shared where the TVF series Panchayat was shot. I promptly decided to add the "Phulera Gaav" – as a pitstop. All of us were excited to visit and see the village in real.
Come Thursday evening, we started to prepare for the journey.
Date: 17-Jun-22
For Friday, the idea was to reach Ujjain by evening, do darshan of Lord Mahakal and then retire for the day. Somehow, we got delayed and had a late start at about - 7.30 am from Jabalpur towards Ujjain.




The roads are in superb condition and paying toll for such roads is worth! Absolutely worth.











Somewhere on the road, spotted this board - "Thala"

A quick detour to Phulera, was worth it!


Pradhan ji ka ghar


Paani ki taaki (tanki)


Phulera gaav ka mandir


Toothless, Rani and all of us, posing with some village kids at 'Sachiv ji ka Ghar urf Panchayat Office'

After that, we were back on the track and enroute Ujjain. Just as we decided to take a tea break to recharge our batteries:



the Rain Gods decided to let it pour:




We decided to stay closer to the temple. Reached the hotel around 7.30pm, got freshen up and then relaxed for the day.
The next day, 18 June, Plan was to perform Abhishek pooja (where you can go upto the garbhgraha) and seek blessings, and that is what exactly we did.
Date: 18-Jun-2022
Woke up early at about 5:00 am (took Titli for her daily business and during that time I managed to have a glance of the Bhasma Aarti being performed, on the big screens that are put up). I had attended one, long ago, when I was in my early teens.



Came back, had some tea, got ready and went for Abhishek Pooja with wifey.
Not sure, why. But an interesting way of confusing the pilgrims/darshanarthi:

• Weekdays - G-Pay, UPI, all modes of money accepted (BitCoin – NOT in INDIA)
• Weekend: Strictly cash, and the closest ATM to the Mandir was out of currency!

For Abhishek Pooja - they have specific dress code to follow, men in dhoti, vest, and gamcha, and women in saree. If you don’t have the required attire, you can of course buy it from the shop near the change room. As we had pre-planned it, we were in our respective ethnic clothes that we carried. Your's truly at the temple, after the pooja:



Mahakaleshwar Temple, Ujjain:


Liked this beautiful graffiti on one of the structures near the mandir:




Post the pooja, we all got ready, had our breakfast, and started for Maheshwar.

• Start time: 10.30 am
• End time: 3:00 pm
• Total Distance: ~150Km

This time, we decided to stay inside the fort at Maheshwar (on the banks of river Narmada and Ahilya fort was a mere 100m walk from the hotel).
We crossed the Pithampur Industrial Area, and as usual, the Google Maps Aunty took us from ‘time-saving shortcuts’ with pathetic roads. Good part, we did cross the Force and Mahindra plants.



The junction where we got back to the highway, had Sugarcane juice carts. We took a quick break and I gulped down 2 glasses. It was refreshing! The guy was kind enough to add ginger, mint leaves and lemon into the machine.

While my FIL, Titli, and I decided to endulge in siesta, wifey and MIL went on to explore the Maheshwari handlooms sarees. Maheshwari sarees are famous for the craftsmanship of the weavers for generations and their outstanding work with silk and cotton materials. Devi Ahilyabai Holkar established Maheshwar (in Madhya Pradesh) as the seat of Holkar Dynasty (suggests Wikipedia). She was the one who introduced people with this art form and got silk to this village. Trust me, the fabric is just wow!! Well, ladies did enjoy the trip 😉
We ordered our lunch and dinner from a nearby restaurant, the hotel has tie-up with. The food was good.
Post a quick nap, at about 5.30pm - Titli, my FIL and yours truly decided to walk down the fort and then take a stroll at the bank. The stroll turned into a couple of good slow paced walks and conversations, as we relaxed and enjoyed the breeze and cloudy weather on the river bank.

[saurabhgupta710]

I will now let the pictures do the talking:
PS: All pictures are shot from mobile (pixel4a) and no edits.

View from room - Maheshwar Temple and Raja Rajeshwari temple with the backdrop of Narmada river.




Ahilya Fort (also known as Maheshwar Fort) - shot from the river bank



Some more shots of the fort:
























Titli at the fort and river bank:








Happiness!

A quick selfie:



Wrapping up with some more shots, at the river bank-







Devi Ahilyabai, was laid to rest here:


After shopping, the ladies were bit tired. Well needless to say that!
Missus wanted to visit the bank, and I happily obliged to accompany. Dropped Titli and FIL at the hotel and took wifey and showed her around.

Fort, in the evening lights:



Finally, came back at about 9:00 pm, ordered food and eat happily. Concluded the day with final packing and loaded the boot before going to bed.


Sunday, the roads that unite us, took us to different cities.
Date: 19-Jun-2022
Distance: ~ 550 Km

Wifey, Titli, and myself - started for Mumbai while my in-laws started for Jabalpur.

Departing shots from Maheshwar Fort:






Both the cars were targeting a touchdown home by dusk.
While rains slowed down us in between, I managed to drive with a single fuel break around the MP-MH Integrated check-post and a lunch break at Daulat Food Court ~ 45km before Nashik to reach my parent's home at 6.35pm. (This place has a EV station and is working. Has good food, good ambience, but not so good restroom).
We tried the aamras and puranpoli:


Somewhere around Igatpuri-Kasara ghat section:










My in-laws got stuck in Traffic and crossing Bhopal took a lot of time + Google Aunty goofed up a couple of times, they managed to reach by 9.30pm. My FIL, though an old man, is an enthusiastic driver who loves his machine and driving too!

2022, brought me back to Mumbai by road. My last visit was in 2019 and post the covid scene I couldn’t visit my parents. The city looked more crowded, and so did the skyline.



(PS: Now, my family did not knew anything about the trip. And while on a call with my sister a day before, she did express her dismay that I was in Ujjain and coming to Mumbai won’t be a tough task. I shrugged the idea citing the limitation due to ‘report to office’ condition and she did not budge, thereafter).

First come first, my mum was surprised to see us at the door all unannounced. Then came my Dad and in the end (after a lot of urgency being faked and no details to be revealed, we managed to get) my Sister home. They were all surprised, rather shocked, happy, and especially excited to see Titli, after a year's time. Sunday evening was spent narrating the adventure we have had so far, with some good chai and rains.


The next 2 days were spent working remotely. As Wednesday was Mum's birthday, we decided to do something about it! Just a day before her birthday, an impromptu plan came up to go to Alibag (even after living for more than 50 yrs of their life in Mumbai, my parents haven’t been there) and we decided to book M2M Ferry for onward journey (a new experience for all of us) and return by road. However, the early morning heavy showers discouraged my parents from venturing into the sea. And so, we had to call-off that plan. But we immediately thought about what else can be done, and unanimously decided to head to Dahanu near Mumbai.
Plan was simple. Seek blessings of the Goddess Mahalakshmi at Dahanu, and then head to the beach. Spend some time and head back before the chaos at Fountain hotel begins!

[saurabhgupta710]

Dahanu Mahalakshmi Temple




Dad had ordered some freshly made snacks for the ferry trip, that came to our rescue. After seeking darshan, enroute Dahanu beach, we spotted a place with a bench and lots of greenery for our breakfast break. A perfect outing!




Titli's first time at beach:



All of us had a good time at the beach and while returning, impromptu chat made us to head to Danapani Beach before returning home. I added Madh Jetty, to the list – as its close-by.

Came back home, all exhausted and tired.
Thursday being a remote working day, Friday was kept aside for relaxing and some catchups.

Phase-3: Let’s do it, one more time!

The aim was to head back to Bangalore on Saturday, so Sunday can be spent relaxing and getting ready for the week ahead.

• Start Time: 5.15am on 25-Jun-2022
• End Time: 12:00am on 26-Jun-2022
• Distance: ~1020 Km (door-to-door)

Enroute, took a quick breakfast break at Maggi Point in Lonavala and some Chikki shopping at A1 Chikki.




Toothless posing


Titli enjoying the breezy morning

Took a quick break near Sayaji, to meet a very old friend. After a quick chai break, we continued our journey.

And....Toothless is entering home state!


This will always hold a special place in my life, in my heart!




Suvarna Vidhan Soudha


Quickly took the service lane to get a frame:



Took a halt after Belgavi Vidhan Soudha, to enjoy the weather and have home-made lunch. And as we finished our lunch, once again, rain gods continued the shower spell for almost an hour.

Post that, at about 6.30pm, took a quick refreshment break at CCD Rannebennur. With good coffee and conversations, we slowed down our speed especially post sunset. Managed to reach home by ~12:00am.

Trip Odo:




Odo at Trip Start:




Odo at Trip End:




A close shave:

Closer to Neelamangala toll, I was in a rush to reach home and thus was on a good speed and boom!, the car hit a pothole, as a result, both the LHS rims had a bent, and wheel covers fly out. The next day visited Madhu's and got it sorted along with wheel alignment and balancing.



Here are 2 pictures of the Discs (in my opinion, the rust is a bit too excessive for a car that's not parked in open and is hardly exposed to water, apart from daily washing with a wet cloth, and occasional SVC washes). The car is about ~1.5yr old and 18K on the Odo. Any advice on what shall be done so this can be reduced/slowed down?







4th Service: I got the car serviced on 28-Jun-22 and the SA has come back saying that rusting is a common issue and nothing can be done about this, apart from time to time cleaning with WD40, and keeping it away from water (especially after washes).

Performance:

Toothless was happy to stretch the legs, and we were extremely happy inside the cabin. Despite the 1400Km odd journey in 22 hours with some crazy rains in between, and the return leg of ~1000Km, the car performed flawlessly. The seats were perfect. AC too, along with weather, was just perfect.


Conclusion:
At the start of this cross-country trip the Odo was ~13.5k and ~18K at the end of the trip. So, this trip and this post is my 15K/20K update on Toothless. This ~4300 KM long drive has boosted the confidence that Toothless, is one reliable machine and keeps the driver as well as co-passengers happy, comfortable, and safe. So far, the car has done ~10K Km run on the highway, and the rest of it is city and around. Both of us - wifey and myself are extremely happy with having Toothless as our primary and only machine for long drives.

4-experiences that I wanted to share:

EV Infra setup: feels like the infra setup is coming up but will take some time.
On the entire route (apart from Bhopal-Ujjain-Maheshwar-Malegaon) it was impressive to see the EV charging stations being setup and in use at some places. (reading T-logs here, I did realise the dependency EV owners/drivers have on this infra and the stress they go through if the station is not working or are diverted to another one). PS: I did not see any charging station from closeby, apart from the 1 at Daulat Food Court close to Nashik.

Knowing Local language, can be a saviour:
On 19th June, when we crossed in from MP to MH, on the outskirts of Malegaon, we were stopped by “Traffic Cops” – first citing “tinting+sunshade is illegal” – 1100 INR is minimum fine (told the cop) & then “a dog in the car” needs parent state license, permit and MH state permit.
So when we were stopped, I was assuming it was due to other state car, and I was right, all other cars AP, PB, CG were pulled aside. I rolled down the glass and spoke to officer politely in Marathi (and that’s when Titli came towards the window and he saw a dog in the car), after hearing me speak Marathi, he asked me to get out with all papers and all passengers. All this while, the conversation was in Marathi. I obliged, only with documents and clearly told him, its hot my family cannot be coming out. If he has any concern, I can show him whats’ inside the car. He started to argue on the first point. I came to the car, opened the driver seat door, removed the shade and showed that its 70% VLT and is not blocking any view. Just then, a local car with heavy tinting passed by and he waved a hi at them. I immediately, politely reiterated to him – Sir, the car has at least more than 50% VLT tinting, and nothing can be seen. Please let me go.
That’s when he said – dog is there, no papers and all. I went to the car, got the ‘Fit to Travel’ certificate and all vaccination records out.Yes, I was carrying it all. Produced and ran him through. Though, I know, he could not get a bit of it. (before starting from Bangalore, I was well aware, thanks to my friends in WAG who mentioned, MH cops might trouble if you don’t have all papers in place. So, we had got it done). I then tried telling him of my roots to the state, etc..and then he tried to match my surname (a North Indian) – the vehicle papers (KA reg vehicle) in Maharashtra and speaking fluent Marathi. The conversation ended with no major blow to the pocket or his ego.



Outstation cars being forced to pay in cash at Mulund toll-naka :
So, this happened on 24th Jun at about 1.30pm in the afternoon when we were travelling to Thane, at Mulund toll-naka. Right ahead of me was a RJ27 passing car and I noticed the guy on the booth exclaiming “FastTag Invalid” and screaming to pay in cash. The gentleman, aged guy, paid and went off. But I felt, it was a gimmick. Next came my turn and he did the same to me. I politely told him in hindi that I have sufficient balance and he needs to try again. He did not do the scanning properly, I believe, on purpose. He tried again for 2-3times and then screamed to pay in cash. I changed my tone and pitch and spoke in Marathi – “that I am not paying a penny in cash take the toll from FastTag or let me go else lets go to mulund police chowki and we’ll find out why your scanner doesn’t work on non-MH cars”. He scanned and asked me to go away. Within a minute, I got the debit message.

Punctured tyre scam by biker on Khed-Shivapur Toll Plaza:
On 25th June, we were enroute Bangalore. As we approached the queue, a bike pulled in and the co-passenger pointed to the left front tyre and pointed that its flat. I was on wheel and did not feel what he said. Wifey shoo’d him away, giving him a tough look. (I read a lot on many platforms. And as and when I come across something, I make her aware.) And at the right time, she took the right decision. Next 5 seconds, they fled out of toll. She then told me what they said, and then we discussed how people had reported this issue few years back. I was astonished to see, this is still happening.



With this, i wrap my travelogue, and my 15/20K Ownership review and update (Tata Tiago XT Petrol | 1-year ownership review).

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[ajayc123]

Wow! That was an amazing read, and a very gutsy effort for your family to take such a long tour, and covering really huge distances on each driving day.

Nice pictures and brilliant commentary. Very absorbing.

[saurabhgupta710]

Originally Posted by Aditya

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

Thank you for the prompt approval 😀

Originally Posted by ajayc123

Wow! That was an amazing read, and a very gutsy effort for your family to take such a long tour, and covering really huge distances on each driving day.

Nice pictures and brilliant commentary. Very absorbing.

Thank you Ajay, yes,it was a long distance on few days and luckily all went perfect. This was a first of its type long trip for Titli.

[Atom]

Amazing trip , Wishing many more happy long trips

[Freespirit27]

First you go up there in #Respect for adopting a Indian breed and taking her for a ride of a lifetime!

Second my love for the a Tata's (and Mahindra) goes up, each time some one posts the no nonsense performance abilities of their products.

A lovely travelogue and I didn't realise how fast I read through such a long trip kudos there.

Finally this rusting of brake drums/parts is something I have seen a lot on many of the vehicles and my mechanics/service guys usually attributed it to coastal cities we live in..so seeing it here does raise a question mark on quality or design relook.

[Raghu M]

Amazing man! Got a flood of memories after watching some roads and rain. No, I am not from that part of the country, the memories are all from previous road trips. Toothless looks really good. While I upgraded from a hatchback, if I get to buy a beater car, it will definitely be the Tiago. It's one of the best looking hatches today. Very well written, hope you enjoy a lot more trips in that beautiful one!

[Gannu_1]

Haha dude the Panchayat serial’s location shots are great. Looks like you guys had a great trip.

Originally Posted by saurabhgupta710

Any advice on what shall be done so this can be reduced/slowed down?

Don’t fret man. This is normal. These discs are made of grey cast iron and will rust if they are exposed to water and your car is parked aside. As for the rusting on the face of the disc’s hub, apply some copper grease. I usually sand the surface down and clean it with a brake cleaner spray before fixing the wheel back but some folks apply a copper grease. Works as an anti-seize lubricant.

[saurabhgupta710]

Originally Posted by Atom

Amazing trip , Wishing many more happy long trips

Thank you so much!

Originally Posted by Freespirit27

First you go up there in #Respect for adopting a Indian breed and taking her for a ride of a lifetime!

Second my love for the a Tata's (and Mahindra) goes up, each time some one posts the no nonsense performance abilities of their products.

A lovely travelogue and I didn't realise how fast I read through such a long trip kudos there.

Finally this rusting of brake drums/parts is something I have seen a lot on many of the vehicles and my mechanics/service guys usually attributed it to coastal cities we live in..so seeing it here does raise a question mark on quality or design relook.

Thank you, she turns 2 this Friday. and i am very content that we have taken her on such a journey.
Toothless, Tiago is one amazing machine. Embracing the flaws and rest is just about perfect for me!

Originally Posted by Raghu M

Amazing man! Got a flood of memories after watching some roads and rain. No, I am not from that part of the country, the memories are all from previous road trips. Toothless looks really good. While I upgraded from a hatchback, if I get to buy a beater car, it will definitely be the Tiago. It's one of the best looking hatches today. Very well written, hope you enjoy a lot more trips in that beautiful one!

Thank you Raghu. Glad it refreshed your memories from the road trips you've done and inspires you to take one soon.

Tiago - indeed is, barring and embracing the few flaws i still vouch and suggest Tiago as first car (the perfect city beater, highway mile muncher)
PS: the new Plum colour looks amazing in flesh.

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

Haha dude the Panchayat serial’s location shots are great. Looks like you guys had a great trip.


Don’t fret man. This is normal. These discs are made of grey cast iron and will rust if they are exposed to water and your car is parked aside. As for the rusting on the face of the disc’s hub, apply some copper grease. I usually sand the surface down and clean it with a brake cleaner spray before fixing the wheel back but some folks apply a copper grease. Works as an anti-seize lubricant.

Thank you Ganu, yes, it was good.
The TASC guy said they have cleaned and done some spraying on the discs and around. Even the Madhu's team had sprayed WD40 and cleaned it. That apart, will definitely try your suggestion.

[razor_crest]

That's one helluva travelogue. Really amazed at the amount of distance you had covered in the day-long trips. Pays off when you have more than one driver.

[Crank]

Very nice travelogue. Waiting for a couple of personal appointments to resume my road trips.

How is the performance of Tiago on the highways? Is toothless an automatic or manual?

Originally Posted by saurabhgupta710

Knowing Local language, can be a saviour:
On 19th June, when we crossed in from MP to MH, on the outskirts of Malegaon, we were stopped by “Traffic Cops” – first citing “tinting+sunshade is illegal” – 1100 INR is minimum fine (told the cop) & then “a dog in the car” needs parent state license, permit and MH state permit.
So when we were stopped, I was assuming it was due to other state car, and I was right, all other cars AP, PB, CG were pulled aside. I rolled down the glass and spoke to officer politely in Marathi (and that’s when Titli came towards the window and he saw a dog in the car), after hearing me speak Marathi, he asked me to get out with all papers and all passengers. All this while, the conversation was in Marathi. I obliged, only with documents and clearly told him, its hot my family cannot be coming out. If he has any concern, I can show him whats’ inside the car. He started to argue on the first point. I came to the car, opened the driver seat door, removed the shade and showed that its 70% VLT and is not blocking any view. Just then, a local car with heavy tinting passed by and he waved a hi at them. I immediately, politely reiterated to him – Sir, the car has at least more than 50% VLT tinting, and nothing can be seen. Please let me go.
That’s when he said – dog is there, no papers and all. I went to the car, got the ‘Fit to Travel’ certificate and all vaccination records out.Yes, I was carrying it all. Produced and ran him through. Though, I know, he could not get a bit of it. (before starting from Bangalore, I was well aware, thanks to my friends in WAG who mentioned, MH cops might trouble if you don’t have all papers in place. So, we had got it done). I then tried telling him of my roots to the state, etc..and then he tried to match my surname (a North Indian) – the vehicle papers (KA reg vehicle) in Maharashtra and speaking fluent Marathi. The conversation ended with no major blow to the pocket or his ego.



Outstation cars being forced to pay in cash at Mulund toll-naka :
So, this happened on 24th Jun at about 1.30pm in the afternoon when we were travelling to Thane, at Mulund toll-naka. Right ahead of me was a RJ27 passing car and I noticed the guy on the booth exclaiming “FastTag Invalid” and screaming to pay in cash. The gentleman, aged guy, paid and went off. But I felt, it was a gimmick. Next came my turn and he did the same to me. I politely told him in hindi that I have sufficient balance and he needs to try again. He did not do the scanning properly, I believe, on purpose. He tried again for 2-3times and then screamed to pay in cash. I changed my tone and pitch and spoke in Marathi – “that I am not paying a penny in cash take the toll from FastTag or let me go else lets go to mulund police chowki and we’ll find out why your scanner doesn’t work on non-MH cars”. He scanned and asked me to go away. Within a minute, I got the debit message.

So, if one is from another state and does not know the local language authorities fleece them. Is there any other way to manage this situation, if one does not have a surname that shows nativity or does not know the local language.

[shyampsunder]

Originally Posted by Crank

So, if one is from another state and does not know the local language authorities fleece them. Is there any other way to manage this situation, if one does not have a surname that shows nativity or does not know the local language.

I am from Chennai, and have driven extensively across Maharashtra, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh. I have never paid a penny in bribes to any cop that has flagged me down.

The most important thing to remember: Know and follow the rules

Some of the episodes I have encountered:

1. Since I used to rent a self-driven car like Zoomcar or Revv, it's mandatory to pay state road taxes when you cross the border. Nowadays most states have it online but many folks new to this don't know and fall easy prey to the cops. In my case, the vehicle papers didn't include a PUC and the Mumbai cops wanted me to pay a bribe but I knew that cars within the first year of purchase don't need a PUC and I explained this and was let off.

2. FastTag gives multiple options to tolls if the automatic scanning doesn't succeed. One is the handheld scanner, the other is manual entry using the car number plate which gets debited later from your account. Every time somebody has told me FastTag is not working, I stand my ground and don't budge. Worst case I offer my credit card. They usually relent and let you go. It's not worth their time to argue. What the OP did, was the right thing to do.

At the end of the day, it's far easier to extract some money from somebody who is violating the rules. Cops don't want to waste time with someone who is on the right side of the law and knows the law. Talk to the authorities in a calm and jovial manner and they will know that this is not someone who can be easily rattled.