Here’s an incident that happened a few days ago.
I was driving home from a place near my house with my friend Varun being the pillion rider. I took a right turn to enter Veera Desai road.
And then a couple of cops blocked my road!
They herded me to the side of the road.
For a second I thought it may about a stunt that Varun was discussing with me. You must have seen how those Moto GP racers turn their bikes. They bend so low, so low in fact that their knees almost touch the ground. I was very near to doing it on that turn.
But I didn’t do it.
Then when I looked around it became quite clear why we were stopped. There were other riders on the sidewalk and none of them had a helmet on.
I should explain here that the vehicle I was driving was an eleven year old Bajaj Sunny Zip that belongs to my mom. Now she uses her possessions with the utmost care and that is why the peacock green coloured Sunny was still running. It is really a little more than a plank, seat and engine on a couple of wheels. But I love it.
Then the following conversation took place.
Policeman1: Beta, you should not travel without a helmet, it is risky.
Payas: Sir we were just traveling back from a shop nearby. Hence I felt that a helmet was unnecessary. (I thought- Risky, yeah right. You should have seen what I was about to do.)
Policeman1: Show me your licence. (He was in a good mood, there is always shade and a cool breeze in the place we were, but an explanation from him was unlikely.)
Payas: Here you go sir. (I gave him my beloved licence in loathe. My licence is dear to me for the following reasons:
1. It is mine.
2. I am one of the few in my age group to have a permanent licence.
3. It is for applicable for both LMV(light motor vehicle) and MCWG (motorcycle with gear)
4. It is applicable for another 20 years.
5. It was acquired with a lot of hassle and patience.
6. And it has a decent photograph of mine on it.)
Policeman1: Insurance papers of your vehicle?
Payas: I don’t have them sir.
Policeman1: Papers for the registration of your vehicle?
Payas: I don’t have them sir.
Policeman1: Papers that show that you done the P.U.C. of the vehicle?
Payas: I don’t have anything besides my licence sir. (I had lost my patience at the word ‘papers’.)
(Policeman1 confers with Policeman2)
Policeman2: Rs400 fine. (The police had lost patience with me.)
Payas: And what if I don’t have them?
Policeman2: We confiscate your licence (for you are a liability and a danger to society and I don’t know how you got the licence in the first place).
Payas: (Thinking- all this for driving a 60cc vehicle with a 3 liter fuel capacity that is slower than my bicycle?) How would I get my licence back, sir?
Policeman2: You would have to go to the R.T.O. near Andheri over bridge, pay you fine there and then you will get back you licence.
Payas: I will have to call my parents sir, will you please excuse me?
Policeman2 put my licence in his front pocket.
Policeman2: Sure son.
Varun: I have a couple of hundred bucks. Take them if you will.
Payas: Nah I have the money too. Its just better to talk to my parents, you know.
I talked to my dad and he advised my to pay the fine as getting back the licence once it was gone would mean trouble. This action suited me as well.
Payas (to Policeman3): Sir I am willing to pay the fine, may I get my licence back?
Policeman3 (to Policeman2): What are his infractions*?
(* I first came across the word ‘Infraction’ in a computer game called Need for Speed: Most Wanted. Though in the game its cool to have many many infractions.)
Policeman2: No helmet and no papers.
Policeman3: No papers at all?
Policeman2: No. None.
Policeman3 (addressing me): Then son your fine would exceed Rs 400.
Payas: How is that, sir?
Policeman3 (opening a booklet wherein they mentioned the law): Here see,
Infraction 1- Driving without a helmet.
Fine Rs. 100
Infraction 2- Driving without carrying the
Insurance papers.
Fine Rs. 300
Infraction 3- Driving without carrying the papers
that show that the P.U.C. has been
done.
Fine Rs. 500.
Then he added a couple of his own infractions.
AddedInfraction1- Your vehicle has an MH 12 number plate and it obviously has not been transferred to Mumbai.
AddedInfraction2 – Your vehicle must be more than 10 years old and hence you should get it certified.
I heard 2 more infractions.
MoralUnsaidInfraction1 – Looks too young to drive, must have acquired his licence unfairly.
MoralUnsaidInfraction2 – You are an idiot and hence our BAKRA no.1 for today.
Payas: I have just Rs 400 sir.
Policeman3: But your fine exceeds a thousand.
Payas: Please excuse me this one time sir, it won’t happen again. (I have kept my word and not driven my mom’s Sunny again). I am very sorry.
Policeman3: You are young so we will let you go this time.
He then went to the policeman in charge who was some distance away and got me a receipt.
A RECEIPT that says “Receipt for the payment to the Government”.
That receipt is posted here.
As you can see the fine is just for Rs 100.
For the lowest infraction-not wearing a helmet.
The 3 policeman pocketed the extra 300 bucks and the GOVERNMENT of
I had paid my first bribe.
MORAL OF THE STORY : Wear helmets for 2 wheelers and fasten you seat belts for 4 whelers.
A confession- I really would have liked to have written this post in Marathi as that is the language this conversation took place in. But I am sadly inept in my lovely mother tongue and I hardly read, let alone write. But I intend to correct that in the future and one day I will be good in Marathi.
Oh and I really didn’t say Sir so many times.
