Meeting Raghu Dixit

Guess what, I met Raghu Dixit at Coffee Day, Cunningham road last thursday. I follow RD on twitter and saw his post asking if anyone wanted passes for his next concert at Bangalore. I was quick to respond and he asked me to pick it up from him personally at CCD. I went along with BK and it turned out to be a drama.
Because of my previous experience in RD's concert at Swagath Garuda, I went to CCD expecting that a lot of crowd around RD . To my utter surprise, there were only 3-4 guys along with RD and Gaurav. Me and BK collected passes from RD himself and then started chatting casually. I was asking all sorts of stupid questions like how long does RD typically take to compose a song/tune, what is the starting point for composing a tune etc. RD has a gr8 sense of humour and he puts it in a college kannada lingo that I am very much familiar with. Yes that includes #!@% words as well :) The turning point was when BK asked when will RD release his next album. RD didn't seem to be planning any as his first album didn't fetch him good money as more people preferred music piracy over purchasing the album. RD threw a googly at BK by asking whether BK has bought his album. The obvious answer was 'no' and RD started blasting people like BK who claim to be fans of RD but doesn't buy his album and how RD is pissed off with such people. Since RD was putting it in a very casual - humorous - college kannada, I was enjoying the new RD avatar I was unaware of. But BK took it very personally and was visibly upset. I was quite embarrassed with this situation and acted quickly by deciding to leave. We shook hands with RD and Guarav and bid good bye. While leaving I asked RD whether we could take picture with him which he promptly denied. BK got angry and left the place in a hurry. To end the scene on a funny note, I asked RD whether he will take a picture with us if we bought his album :) He said yes, and I have already placed an online order for his album. And also has left a comment in RD's blog about it asking for my well-deserved-picture with him. Lets see if he replies...

Police mamu - 3

This is my latest and my most favourite encounter with the bengaluru police mamu two weeks back...
I had left home early at 2.30am in the morning (okay, you can call it midnight) on my bike. The plan was to assemble at office and leave for skandagiri trek from there and reach hilltop before the sunrise. (I'll blog about the skandagiri trek separately) All the signals were either blinking yellow or switched off at those wee hours of day (or night whatever you call it). For some reason I followed the one ways even though a thought had crossed my mind to take short cuts (against one ways) Near minerva circle a couple of mamus stopped me. (Thank god I didn't violate any traffic rules... or atleast thats what I had thought until the cop started talking to me ...) and the converstaion that followed is as follows... I will refer them as mamu1 and mamu2.

Mamu1 approached me and asked me to remove my helmet. I reluctantly removed my helmet as I knew he was going to sniff (yes they do sniff - not every cop is equipped with the device to detect alchoholic content from breath). To my surprise he didn't sniff!

mamu1: Where are you going?
me : To my office near richmond circle
mamu1: Why so early in the morning?
me : Planning to go for a trek/picnic near chickaballapur (the town closest to skandagiri)
mamu1: Whose bike is it?
me : (with pride) Its my own (I have paid each and every installment of it... ICICI bank can prove it! :))
mamu1: Tell me the registration number
me : its KA-O...err.. KA-O5 ...EA6...(thats when I realised I dont remember my bike number! - what an embarrassing situation to be in !)
mamu1: come again... is it KA-O5?
me : No its KA-O2...
mamu1: (looking at my number plate) NO
me : is it KA-O4...(Bangalore's RTO numbers range from KAO1 to O5 only)
mamu1: Are you trying to fool me by guessing all the numbers?
me : illa sir (no sir)... I dont remember it. The next number starts with EA6...
mamu1: atleast complete the second number(he was fair here)...
me : I dont remember sir but it starts with EA6...
mamu1: Why should I believe this bike is yours?
me : I can show you the documents of bike registered in my name (and as I was saying this I tried to reach the documents in my pocket)
mamu1: (Stopping me from reaching my pocket) How will I know you are the one whose name is mentioned on the documents?
me : I'll show you my license as my photo id proof...
mamu1: No I dont want to look at your documents. You have to tell me your regn number
me : (how can I recollect something that I have forgotten...you dumbo) No sir I dont remember
mamu1: How long have you been owning this bike
me : around 2 years (I was really embarrassed that even after 2 yrs I dont remember the number)
mamu1: You look like a educated fellow (thanks for the complement :)) How come you don't remember the phone number?(I am like Einstein - just kidding... the legend says he had very short memory )
me : (I just smiled - what else could I have done?)
mamu1: You ppl remember your mobile numbers but not vehicle's regn numbers (so there are others also who don't remember their regn numbers... now I am less guilty :))
me : Thats because ppl usually ask me my mobile number and not vehicle's number. (with a smile on my face) infact you are the first person to ask for. Next time you ask me I'll definitely remember (Doesn't I sound logical?)
mamu1: (He gave me a pen and asked me to write the regn number on a paper and he'll let me go)
me : How can I write it sir if I dont remember it. I'll show my documents instead ...
mamu2: (Looked like he was convinced... even he was getting irritated by mamu1's stupidity)
mamu1: I'll explain you how you can get into trouble if you don't remember the regn number
me : (funda at 2.30 am in the morning... Nooooooooooooo)
mamu1: If you have parked in a huge parking lot of a shopping mall or a multiplex complex how'll you identify your bike
me : (wish I had a remote controlled security system for my bike... anyway something occured to me to save my face) There is a label on my number plate
mamu1: (Looking at the number plate with a detective look on his face verifying the label ) Describe the lable details
me : (What the heck... its 2.30 am boss) (described the details for the label)
mamu1: okay... but what if someone scratches the label away
me : (man... this guy was too much for me... why'll anyone do it ... unless if someone was as job less and as sadistic as this cop!) Then I would curse my fate and will refer to the documents for the number (this I said a little loud as I was getting frustrated from the whole episode)
mamu1: but...
me : (was getting more and more restless by then) You cops always find a way to screw us (refer to my other post Police mamu - 2) (I don't exactly remember what I told exactly... but I had managed to shut him up)
mamu2: (he was also laughing by then and came to my rescue) give me your contact details, your father name (why would he need that?! but I didnt argue with him on that as I was keen to escape from there)
mamu1 warned/advised me not forget the regn number in future and let me go... and this is the first time I escaped the 'fine'... btw I don't remember the number now ;-)

Police mamu - 2

This was my second funny encounter with the bengaluru cop which took place around 6 months back.

I had parked my bike at the end of the gandhi bazar (opposite to Anand Bhavan sweet stall) at a legitimate parking lot - even a parking board is put up there. I went to CCD along with a couple of friends and came out only at 10pm to find my bike missing from the parking area. In bangalore, if you find your bike missing, you'll suspect traffic police rather than a thief! I was almost certain that it was traffic police as I had experienced it earlier as well that the owners of expensive-looking bikes are easy victims. I had paid hugely a month before that for parking in a no-parking zone for less than 5 minutes! None of the Hero honda splendours (no offense meant to splendours - but its a real fact) around my bike were touched !! But this time I was surprised that my bike was missing even from the parking zone. I again made sure from the sign board that it was two wheeler parking area without the dates on it. (I knew that there are few areas where parking is allowed only on specific days of a month - like only on even dates or only on odd dates etc)

I went to the nearest police station(PS) - basavanagudi PS- not to give a complaint but to claim my bike. I was relieved as soon as I spotted my bike there. Two constables enquired and started alleging me for being careless. It was amusing to know that the crime I had committed was - not locking my side lock/handle lock!!! This came as a shocker to me as no one had told me that it was a crime. I even explained those PCs (police constables) that I am not informed about it - neither during the license test nor through media (I remember the extensive coverage of helmet rule in media but not any 'side lock' rule ). But they insisted that they had received a circular from SP to fine for this 'crime'. I told them I had atleast parked in the stipulated parking zone. Their argument was so dumb - since I had parked in the parking zone, police is supposedly even more responsible for the safety of my bike becuase if someone flicks my bike from the parking lot I would complain to police and allege them for being irresponsible!(what?!!) - so they carried my bike to police station (a protection meausre?) I was so pissed off by their argument that I started yelling at them in their den (read as police station) They demanded some unreasonable 'fine' and we finally negotiated at 150 bucks. By the time I and my friend could search our pockets for money, the PC suddenly felt it was too less for all the 'effort' he had put in and asked me to talk to their inspector directly. Once I entered the inspector's chamber I was introduced to him as 'the owner of that big bike' (com'on its not big - just that its heavy) Before I could speak, the inspector asked me to pay the PC 100 bucks (he he - I won ). I immediately agreed and handed over the 'fine' to PC. You should have seen the expression on the PC... in KREC lingo we would term it 'kela'. But before I could get my bike out of the police station, I was summoned again by inspector to his chamber (I guessed this PC had told about the 150 bucks) and demanded 150 bucks. I objected saying it was unfair. I gaveup when the inspector put this arguement forth (the dumbest in the whole episode) - at 10 pm there are no 'tiger's ('tiger' is the name given to towing vehicles of bengaluru traffic police - the only resemblance between the tiger and the towing vehicle is the stripes of yellow and black paint on the towing vehicle!) on duty as a result this PC had to push my bike all the way to police station (who asked him to do so - am I paying him his coolie wages?) more over the bike is heavy (and hold your breath here...best one is yet to come) and the road is uphill from the parking lot to the station and hence the premium (what the f***...)

Police mamu - 1

This was my first encounter with bengaluru's traffic cops actually a couple of years back.

The first time I had been to IISc on my then new Bajaj Avenger to meet my friends there, I had found myself in a 'situation'. As you come out of the IISc main gate to head towards malleshwaram, you'll find the traffic signals confusing. It will take sometime to figure out which traffic signal be followed. Who ever has been to IISc would definitely understand what I am talking about. In such cases I follow this rule - just follow the main traffic instead! I followed the main traffic. But the lady luck deceived me this time around...

I was the last one among the main traffic to cross the signal and the first one to be caught by the cop alleging me to have violated the signal. He made me wait for 5-10 minutes (which actually felt like half an hour then :)) before he actually 'attended' me as he was busy attending other 'offenders'. As he questioned me and noted my registration number, I tried to explain him how confusing the signal was and how new I was to bengaluru in general and IISc in particular etc. While we were negotiating the 'fine' I felt that having a cruiser bike can actually hurt you as you are seen as a 'bade baap ke bigde beta' (forgive the grammer) by the cops!! He even threatened me that he'll inform my father by sending a notice to my house. He somehow had assumed that I was still a student and my father had bought me the bike. Anyway I didn't want to clarify him as he would have charged more 'fine' to an IT professional. He started with 200 bucks and finally demanded 100 bucks. I told him that I didn't have enough money and my girlfriend was waiting near Sampige theatre (the one near malleshwaram 1st cross - see the knowledge of movie theatres help at times :)) to watch movie with me and that she'll be disappointed if I didn't go with enough money to buy tickets ;-) I had brought appropriate expressions on my face to gain sympathy. He somehow was completely convinced at my 'frank' and 'genuine' excuse and finally agreed upon 50% discount at 50 bucks. That still remains the lowest 'fine' that I have paid the traffic cops at b'luru. Thanks to my imaginary girlfriend. I owe her a treat for that :)