The Sunday'd begun with a couple of social calls. The first was a lady, in her late 50s, who was struck by a paralytic attack and has been bed ridden for the past few months. Wasn't she thrilled seeing us? I was all the while feeling guilty as I'd taken up so much time to call on her but any excuse I'd have tried to dole out would have sounded banal to my own ears and hence, desisted from doing so! After spending over an hour with her, we also had the pleasant occasion to attend a house warming ceremony of a close friend.
Consequent to the visits and after dropping maman at the railway station, we're on our return leg to Kochi. The drive was smooth again as the traffic was sparse and the roads comparatively smooth with an odd pothole here or an odd crater there.
As I entered the outer limits of the city, the 'usually-brimming-with traffic' flyovers were almost empty that enticed me to step on the gas and I succumbed to the temptation with a gay abandon. But the idyllic and ecstatic state didn't last long as my Chevy was flagged down by the highway patrolmen. As I revealed my identity, the policemen on duty, tried to feed answers into me to tide over the lapse, damn sweet of them. The inspector asked me as to whether I was going to meet someone in hospital or whether official directives required me to be at a particular place, pronto!
I just nodded my head in the negative sense, meaning that no such requirement had existed and reiterated the fact that I'd erred and was doing higher speeds, not permitted on that stretch of the highway, as per existing rules. As he wrote out the receipt for the amount collected from me, he gave me a hugely apologetic look and I'd to tell him that he was indeed doing his duty and a good one at that!
Tailpiece.
I recall an earlier incident, a couple of years back at Delhi, when I was caught for overspeeding - a recurring weakness on my part - the inspector, then, had asked and I quote, "Sir, if people like you do such things, what do we tell the other motorists?" I could only mumble my apologies after paying the fine and drive away sheepishly but chastised!
Consequent to the visits and after dropping maman at the railway station, we're on our return leg to Kochi. The drive was smooth again as the traffic was sparse and the roads comparatively smooth with an odd pothole here or an odd crater there.
As I entered the outer limits of the city, the 'usually-brimming-with traffic' flyovers were almost empty that enticed me to step on the gas and I succumbed to the temptation with a gay abandon. But the idyllic and ecstatic state didn't last long as my Chevy was flagged down by the highway patrolmen. As I revealed my identity, the policemen on duty, tried to feed answers into me to tide over the lapse, damn sweet of them. The inspector asked me as to whether I was going to meet someone in hospital or whether official directives required me to be at a particular place, pronto!
I just nodded my head in the negative sense, meaning that no such requirement had existed and reiterated the fact that I'd erred and was doing higher speeds, not permitted on that stretch of the highway, as per existing rules. As he wrote out the receipt for the amount collected from me, he gave me a hugely apologetic look and I'd to tell him that he was indeed doing his duty and a good one at that!
Tailpiece.
I recall an earlier incident, a couple of years back at Delhi, when I was caught for overspeeding - a recurring weakness on my part - the inspector, then, had asked and I quote, "Sir, if people like you do such things, what do we tell the other motorists?" I could only mumble my apologies after paying the fine and drive away sheepishly but chastised!
No comments:
Post a Comment