Who dares wins – simple gyaan to get away if busted

Have you ever had the nerve to dare an Indian police constable? The pot-bellied, thickly moustached, pan-chewing, stain-toothed, crotch-scratching, and loud ones. My encounters with them only ended up in me being submissive and handing the pittance they demand to let you go. However right you may be, and if you were wrong things could be even worse. That situation often thins down your wallet off a 500-rupee bill (which is considered to be the barest minimum in the ‘constable-bribe-bible’ under circumstances where the victim is at the receiving end).

There is this expat friend of mine who owns an Enfield and drives around the town – most of the times to challenge the Indian traffic and the rest to commute to work. Although, he had received advises in loads to own a car, he gyans that driving around in a two-wheeler in India enhances one’s confidence and tremendously improves the ‘never say die’ attitude. I could perfectly understand that since he probably had never witnessed any such traffic nightmares in his entire life before coming to India. Especially the unruly and careless ones. It’s not a surprise that he takes it as a challenge.

It was one such day that he was stopped by a police constable when he was returning back from work. It was the end of the month and apparently the constable had a shortfall in his monthly budget that he hoped to fill in a way normally other (corrupt) policemen adopt. Hunt down for two-wheelers and if there were a few who did not own a license, insurance, and important papers of that sort… Bingo.

Eventually, after being stopped by the constable and producing the necessary papers, my friend should have been let go. To his dismay he was asked for a bribe after which all hell broke loose. The argument grew hot by now and the constable was giving instructions over his walkie-talkie to send the tow truck – apparently to impound the vehicle.

It wouldn’t have been a wise thing to do when a constable stopped you in the middle of the night, but my friend did that. He took his camera out of his knapsack announcing that he was going to take the picture of the constable for demanding bribe.

Not sooner after this, the constable was seen running hysterically down the streets obviously not wanting to be flashed on the TV screens the next day. Although it was a possibility. My friend could not believe his eyes and not stop laughing his lungs out either.

These days, he does not forget to carry his camera in his knapsack.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to hurt anybody’s feelings. Especially not the honest policemen.

PS: Sorry Jack (name changed to protect privacy) for not obtaining prior consent before posting this article.