Yes you read right!! All Apologies. This is gonna be the shortest of reviews that I’ve written till date. Simply because it was all over in a matter of minutes......minutes. In case some of you are wondering how a run in with the Bangalore Police can end in minutes, then read on.
What happened was that I had gone to the Gandhi Bazaar area for a friend’s birthday party. Not being familiar with that part of the town, I felt the only place to park my pride and joy was in front of the coffe day which is open till late in the night. I return at about midnight and I see sweet nothin in front of me. The bike was gone, so I asked around for the nearest police station which luckily happened to be a stone’s throw away from where I was. So I hot footed down there and surprise number one happened. This simply has to be one of the cleanest and impressive police stations I have ever seen in my life. And surprise number two popped up when the constable sitting outside politely stands up, & asks ’’May I help you, sir?’’ in ENGLISH!!!!!! This was a first for me and for a moment I forgot why I was here. Anyway, I explained why I was there at that hour and I was escorted down the other gate to be shown my bike. Safe and sound!!!! Since the concerned people were not around, I was asked to return the next morning. Now here comes surprise number three....I was asked where I live and when I told them I lived a good 30 kms away, I was offered a ride home in theier jeep!!!!!!! This was way too much for me and before I could recover, and take advantage of the offer, my friend rode up & said that I could stay over at his place. So well, the ride home in a police jeep did not happen but there are more surprises to come. Next morning I went back, and was offered piping hot coffee, the same polite way of handling inquires went on. When I told them that I was new to this part of town I kinda figured that this was it. Now I was a little lamb at their mercy. NO SIR!!!!! Surprise number four announces its arrival with the cop just laughing his head off, APOLOGISING and releasing my bike for nothin!! No fine, no challans nothing. Just a laugh, a sorry!!!!!!!
Well.....to conclude, i’d just like to say that these guys finally seem to be heading in the right direction of public service and if my experience at the Basavangudi Police Station was anything to go by then Bangalore and its citizens are in for many more pleasant surprises like this. Cheerio!!!!!!