Pandumonium...
It seems like all the traffic cops, not just in Mumbai, but in Pune as well, are gunning for me these days.... Its like after Osama , i m the most wanted one now.....
I hv had a clean record until now, as far as vehicles are concerned....but last week was a pathetic one for me.....
It started on Monday, when I had gone to the ICICI bank @ Vile Parle East, Hanuman Road, to get franking done on some affidavit stating that I had a clear criminal record...(like thats possible....lol...). I parked outside the bank, along with some other bikes, and went inside.. My work was completed within 20 mins, n when i emerged fm the bank, voila....no Activa there....and written in perfectly legible chalk writing, VAKOLA... I rushed to the highway and took a bus fm there upto Vakola... Onkar accompanied me there... there, i entered the impound n saw my scooter parked neatly among other unfortunate ones... had to shell out 200 bucks to get it out....but there was another scare.. the Pandu at the counter asked for the papers n PUC... i had everything in the scooter, but was unsure abt the date on the PUC..i checked it out, n guess what.. it was xactly upto that day... LUCKY ME...... i got onto the scooter n literally got the hell out of there......
The second incident happened to me n Aakash in Pune....we borrowed Minal's scooty pep, and decided to ride around Pune, watching the 'sights', if u knw what i mean.... We were also supposed to meet Jaydeep(JD) on Ferguson (FC) road. so we parked the bike on FC road where countless others were parked, and decided to wait for JD near Roopali Hotel, just sum distance from where we parked. As we waited, a Towing van came n stopped in front of us, n it was totally empty.... Me n Aakash were just wondering who wud be d unlucky one to hv his /her bike taken away... just then, Aakash started running, n thats when i realized the it was us....the van picked up just 1 bike from about 200, n it was ours...the reason...coz it was just outside of the white border line.....fucking assholes.....Nonetheless, we just got there in time before they cud load it in their van, n offered to pay the fine there n then....so Aakash shelled out 100 bucks n offered the Pandu... but this was not an easy cookie....again he demanded to c d PUC.... (which we didn't have)n thats when i realized that this thing cud get ugly...n we were in for a big hole in our pocket.... but when i looked at Aakash, I almost burst out laughing..he had made the most innocent of faces, n was looking so pathetic, that even the money-sucking pandu had to relent...he initially was demanding 1000 bucks for no PUC, but we finally got away with just 50 bucks for that, totalling 150 bucks for both offences, parking n PUC....n to top it all, it wasnt even a bribe...we got the 'PAVTI' for both....haha....
The third incident, was yesterday....again at Pune.... Me, Aakash, Amod, n Minal had gone wid Vishal for swimming at Geometric, and after having a gr8 time there, we were returning home, with Minal pillion to Aakash on her scooty, while me n Amod squeezing behind Vishal on his caliber.... thats when we were told to stop at a police stn by a lady Pandu...(mabbe i'll call her Pandi....)we slowed down n halted for sumtime, but nothing happened, n we started going again....but alas....there, with full headlights n horns blaring wildly, 2 guys (potential pandus of the futures) came up behind us n told us to come to the Chowki... so we complied, and there, we got the most unpleasant welcome...(like I was expecting a cake n music ...)the Pandus n Pandi were inclined to book us for running fm the police, n confiscated Vishal's bike n started noting down his details....but as time went by, her sternness started to wane, and we realized that the Pandi was just looking for sum extra allowance or Chai Paani....(mabbe her son's bday was approaching...)So quite intentionally, we offered to pay the official fine for going triple-seat...that was mouthed to Rs. 500 by the Pandi.... n when she realized that we were actually ready to pay that sum, (although we were not...), she started the regular sweet talk.... n again, we shelled out just 150 bucks...making it look like, "Jitna tha sab laaya hoon Maalik".....
So it seems like the last week was just not lucky one for me...but then again, as aligned to my nature, i decided to look at the bright side of things...in all 3 cases, the outcome cud hv been even worse....What if my PUC had expired a day before?? what if the Pandu @ Pune didnt think 'Aakash was a 'Lahaan' Mulga"??...what if the Pandi @ Wakad had stuck to her initial sternness n decided to take us to court??? Well, all I can say is, I learnt many important lessons which I had ignored countless times..... the most important ne being..never take the Pandus for granted...once they hv u in ur sight, get ready to get short by abt 200 bucks.....well, ofcourse, add the inflation rate to that....
I hv had a clean record until now, as far as vehicles are concerned....but last week was a pathetic one for me.....
It started on Monday, when I had gone to the ICICI bank @ Vile Parle East, Hanuman Road, to get franking done on some affidavit stating that I had a clear criminal record...(like thats possible....lol...). I parked outside the bank, along with some other bikes, and went inside.. My work was completed within 20 mins, n when i emerged fm the bank, voila....no Activa there....and written in perfectly legible chalk writing, VAKOLA... I rushed to the highway and took a bus fm there upto Vakola... Onkar accompanied me there... there, i entered the impound n saw my scooter parked neatly among other unfortunate ones... had to shell out 200 bucks to get it out....but there was another scare.. the Pandu at the counter asked for the papers n PUC... i had everything in the scooter, but was unsure abt the date on the PUC..i checked it out, n guess what.. it was xactly upto that day... LUCKY ME...... i got onto the scooter n literally got the hell out of there......
The second incident happened to me n Aakash in Pune....we borrowed Minal's scooty pep, and decided to ride around Pune, watching the 'sights', if u knw what i mean.... We were also supposed to meet Jaydeep(JD) on Ferguson (FC) road. so we parked the bike on FC road where countless others were parked, and decided to wait for JD near Roopali Hotel, just sum distance from where we parked. As we waited, a Towing van came n stopped in front of us, n it was totally empty.... Me n Aakash were just wondering who wud be d unlucky one to hv his /her bike taken away... just then, Aakash started running, n thats when i realized the it was us....the van picked up just 1 bike from about 200, n it was ours...the reason...coz it was just outside of the white border line.....fucking assholes.....Nonetheless, we just got there in time before they cud load it in their van, n offered to pay the fine there n then....so Aakash shelled out 100 bucks n offered the Pandu... but this was not an easy cookie....again he demanded to c d PUC.... (which we didn't have)n thats when i realized that this thing cud get ugly...n we were in for a big hole in our pocket.... but when i looked at Aakash, I almost burst out laughing..he had made the most innocent of faces, n was looking so pathetic, that even the money-sucking pandu had to relent...he initially was demanding 1000 bucks for no PUC, but we finally got away with just 50 bucks for that, totalling 150 bucks for both offences, parking n PUC....n to top it all, it wasnt even a bribe...we got the 'PAVTI' for both....haha....
The third incident, was yesterday....again at Pune.... Me, Aakash, Amod, n Minal had gone wid Vishal for swimming at Geometric, and after having a gr8 time there, we were returning home, with Minal pillion to Aakash on her scooty, while me n Amod squeezing behind Vishal on his caliber.... thats when we were told to stop at a police stn by a lady Pandu...(mabbe i'll call her Pandi....)we slowed down n halted for sumtime, but nothing happened, n we started going again....but alas....there, with full headlights n horns blaring wildly, 2 guys (potential pandus of the futures) came up behind us n told us to come to the Chowki... so we complied, and there, we got the most unpleasant welcome...(like I was expecting a cake n music ...)the Pandus n Pandi were inclined to book us for running fm the police, n confiscated Vishal's bike n started noting down his details....but as time went by, her sternness started to wane, and we realized that the Pandi was just looking for sum extra allowance or Chai Paani....(mabbe her son's bday was approaching...)So quite intentionally, we offered to pay the official fine for going triple-seat...that was mouthed to Rs. 500 by the Pandi.... n when she realized that we were actually ready to pay that sum, (although we were not...), she started the regular sweet talk.... n again, we shelled out just 150 bucks...making it look like, "Jitna tha sab laaya hoon Maalik".....
So it seems like the last week was just not lucky one for me...but then again, as aligned to my nature, i decided to look at the bright side of things...in all 3 cases, the outcome cud hv been even worse....What if my PUC had expired a day before?? what if the Pandu @ Pune didnt think 'Aakash was a 'Lahaan' Mulga"??...what if the Pandi @ Wakad had stuck to her initial sternness n decided to take us to court??? Well, all I can say is, I learnt many important lessons which I had ignored countless times..... the most important ne being..never take the Pandus for granted...once they hv u in ur sight, get ready to get short by abt 200 bucks.....well, ofcourse, add the inflation rate to that....
Comments