This is a real life incident that happened to me on January, 2008...I don't remember the date exactly...this January I accidently thought of that day...infact that night!...
I was in Mumbai for a Business Meeting...At those days I was in Bangalore working for an IT company....Took the Jet Airways flight from Bangalore to Mumbai at night. I reached Mumbai around night 9pm I think...Dont remember exactly...As always in Mumbai and other Indian Airports...there was a big queue for the taxi...This time around it was looking more orderly..I felt good..India doing things with discipline...not seen or heard about...so it was fun to watch...I had one suitcase...a big one infact..since I had to travel to Delhi the very next day and then to Chennai day after...it was tedious one too...
My aunt and family lives in Mumbai...had told her already I would be home for dinner...but my office had arranged my stay in our rest house and I had to report there too...house caretaker was waiting for me too...so decided to skip the queue...with this big suitcase and one laptop bag I decided to take a taxi that was not arranged by the Mumbai Police I guess or whoever there...One guy came to me and started talking in English...He said some 200Rs or so which was way too high ...eventhough I can claim it...I never misused any of my allowances...so I argued with him and later he agreed for 150Rs which was still very high...and as all Indians I felt satisfied after the argument...as usual...I assumed he was the taxi driver...but nope...he made a call to someone assuming I don't know Hindi as I looked very southie...he started telling him to bring the taxi...I was listening eventhough it was not that clear...
When the taxi came...it already had two people sitting in front...an old Fiat car painted black and yellow...I was thinking these guys will get down here...but it never happened...the person had called the taxi on phone...rushingly took my suitcase and put inside the taxi and also helped me to get it...The taxi was going real fast eventhough I was inside airport premises....I felt something wrong...I noticed both my back doors didnt have the knob to open the door...no latches...I was feeling a kind off pressure inside...some discomfort...since I was in airport premises I told them I need to get down now...my friend is coming to pick me up...after acting like picking a call...they argued this that n all...but I kept arguing and they later left me out of taxi and still asked for money...I told lets talk with Police here since I could see a policeman nearby...and decide the amount...they rushed after hearing this...I thought ok Luckily escaped a kidnap or say getting looted and thats it for the day...needs to get home take rest and prepare for next days meeting...but never knew lot more was in store...
I again came back to the taxi queue...this time stood in queue...one guy...a taxi driver was keeping on telling me to get in his car...since I just got a bad incident...decided not to get in to any car which called me...so got into another one...that guy took me my rest house...waited for me...and then to my aunt's house and took nominal amount only...I was happy...a good taxi driver atlast...He didnt have bill...so he wrote in a white paper in hindi...his taxi number...name and amount he had taken with datetime...I reached home...and after dinner was sharing my shocking incident sometime back with my aunt and my cousin Deepak...then I wanted to show them something in my wallet...then I realised I had lost my wallet...I remember taking it 1hr back to pay the taxi...but don't know where it disappeared...then looked around at home..then near our gate...then car park n all...no where it was found...it was about 11pm now at night...then I decided to check in the airport...
Eventhough my Driving License was inside my lost wallet...I took my aunt's WagonR alongwith my cousin bro rushed to airport...Parked the car and straight away went to the taxi stand...then the same taxi man who was telling me previously to get to his car asked...hey u again..what happened...atleast this time come in my taxi..I told him I lost my wallet...he told me...see I told u so many times but you never came...see what happened...I told him I had the taxi number I took previously with me...wanted to find him...this guy took me to a policeman...here starts the next story...presence of policemen used to give me a bad feeling from childhood...never felt comfortable when those guys where around...ha ha...I told him the whole incident...he took taxi number...he took me n my bro to a place where he asked for the main leader of some kind of bad gang out there...that guy came out from somewhere...and this policeman asked him in Hindi that this Sir is a good guy...his wallet is lost in the car...if the driver had taken it return to police station as soon as possible,...then the gang leader said....ok will do that...then policeman asked where is this car now...gang leader checked the number and told some place...
Myself, my bro and policeman got into an autorickshaw...a small three wheeler...which could seat 3 + 1 driver...the autorickshaw was driven by a kid of some 15yrs...the policeman asked whether kid has license...kid said no...policeman was least bothered...the kid dropped us near a large car parking lot...and we never paid for the autorickshaw...there were quite a few bad guys outside the car park...since they saw policeman with us never made any advances...this policeman asked where is this taxi parked and where is the driver...showing him the number...
One guy in the parking lot came forward looked at the taxi number and said....This vehicle is not parked inside here...omg...it should be nearly more than 100 taxi's there...and all same colour and model...how could one guy just tell like that...I thought he was lying...but policeman believed him...so I had to believe....by this time it was around 12midnight...
We grabbed another autorickshaw and from the lead we got in the taxi parking lot that this car could be there near the Andheri area...we went straight to that place in autorickshaw...in auto this policeman told he...Sir if anybody had taken it...dont worry it will reach Police Station...I have told them very well...So onething was sure...Policeman knew whom to contact related to such cases....we were looking at each taxi and all 4 of our eyes including the new found rickshaw guys eyes where looking for the taxi...yeah...I found it...I told them there the taxi is...The taxi driver was a good guy...but policeman as soon as the rickshaw stopped jumped from it and banged on the taxi bonet...told the taxi driver who was sleeping at that time to take the car to station now...and was abusing him of stealing my wallet...I told policeman with whom I felt bit comfortable that ...please don't abuse him...let me check inside the car...I was able to find my wallet between the backseat and the door...by that time the policeman had already scared the taxi driver...then he asked me to give some money to that taxi driver since we had harrassed him...I gave him 100Rs...for me at that time money was least important...I had all my cards...credit, debit, license and lot more things inside that wallet which I could not afford to loose......then I thanked the taxi driver for his sincerity...took the same autorickshaw back to airport where our car was parked...in auto I asked the policeman frankly...see I don't know how it works here...but please tell me if I need to pay you anything...he said...Sir...nothing like..pay whatever you feel like...What could I do...I had paid 100Rs to the taxi driver...could not pay the policeman anything less...and his effort so much I could not stop myself from paying 200Rs...You may call it bribing...but that bribe if it was ever was given from heart with lot of happiness for his service...By the time we got home it was 1am past...
Some might think this seems to be a very normal incident...and happens in most other countries...but ....considering the fact that it happend in India...that too Mumbai...and ofcourse at night...makes it a unique incident...I hope that policeman is still in service and serving lot of those guys out there....if I meet him again also I may not recognize but my respect for Mumbai police remains high!...
Thanks for reading my blog...my next blog will be a continuation about God...Part 2...
I was in Mumbai for a Business Meeting...At those days I was in Bangalore working for an IT company....Took the Jet Airways flight from Bangalore to Mumbai at night. I reached Mumbai around night 9pm I think...Dont remember exactly...As always in Mumbai and other Indian Airports...there was a big queue for the taxi...This time around it was looking more orderly..I felt good..India doing things with discipline...not seen or heard about...so it was fun to watch...I had one suitcase...a big one infact..since I had to travel to Delhi the very next day and then to Chennai day after...it was tedious one too...
My aunt and family lives in Mumbai...had told her already I would be home for dinner...but my office had arranged my stay in our rest house and I had to report there too...house caretaker was waiting for me too...so decided to skip the queue...with this big suitcase and one laptop bag I decided to take a taxi that was not arranged by the Mumbai Police I guess or whoever there...One guy came to me and started talking in English...He said some 200Rs or so which was way too high ...eventhough I can claim it...I never misused any of my allowances...so I argued with him and later he agreed for 150Rs which was still very high...and as all Indians I felt satisfied after the argument...as usual...I assumed he was the taxi driver...but nope...he made a call to someone assuming I don't know Hindi as I looked very southie...he started telling him to bring the taxi...I was listening eventhough it was not that clear...
When the taxi came...it already had two people sitting in front...an old Fiat car painted black and yellow...I was thinking these guys will get down here...but it never happened...the person had called the taxi on phone...rushingly took my suitcase and put inside the taxi and also helped me to get it...The taxi was going real fast eventhough I was inside airport premises....I felt something wrong...I noticed both my back doors didnt have the knob to open the door...no latches...I was feeling a kind off pressure inside...some discomfort...since I was in airport premises I told them I need to get down now...my friend is coming to pick me up...after acting like picking a call...they argued this that n all...but I kept arguing and they later left me out of taxi and still asked for money...I told lets talk with Police here since I could see a policeman nearby...and decide the amount...they rushed after hearing this...I thought ok Luckily escaped a kidnap or say getting looted and thats it for the day...needs to get home take rest and prepare for next days meeting...but never knew lot more was in store...
I again came back to the taxi queue...this time stood in queue...one guy...a taxi driver was keeping on telling me to get in his car...since I just got a bad incident...decided not to get in to any car which called me...so got into another one...that guy took me my rest house...waited for me...and then to my aunt's house and took nominal amount only...I was happy...a good taxi driver atlast...He didnt have bill...so he wrote in a white paper in hindi...his taxi number...name and amount he had taken with datetime...I reached home...and after dinner was sharing my shocking incident sometime back with my aunt and my cousin Deepak...then I wanted to show them something in my wallet...then I realised I had lost my wallet...I remember taking it 1hr back to pay the taxi...but don't know where it disappeared...then looked around at home..then near our gate...then car park n all...no where it was found...it was about 11pm now at night...then I decided to check in the airport...
Eventhough my Driving License was inside my lost wallet...I took my aunt's WagonR alongwith my cousin bro rushed to airport...Parked the car and straight away went to the taxi stand...then the same taxi man who was telling me previously to get to his car asked...hey u again..what happened...atleast this time come in my taxi..I told him I lost my wallet...he told me...see I told u so many times but you never came...see what happened...I told him I had the taxi number I took previously with me...wanted to find him...this guy took me to a policeman...here starts the next story...presence of policemen used to give me a bad feeling from childhood...never felt comfortable when those guys where around...ha ha...I told him the whole incident...he took taxi number...he took me n my bro to a place where he asked for the main leader of some kind of bad gang out there...that guy came out from somewhere...and this policeman asked him in Hindi that this Sir is a good guy...his wallet is lost in the car...if the driver had taken it return to police station as soon as possible,...then the gang leader said....ok will do that...then policeman asked where is this car now...gang leader checked the number and told some place...
Myself, my bro and policeman got into an autorickshaw...a small three wheeler...which could seat 3 + 1 driver...the autorickshaw was driven by a kid of some 15yrs...the policeman asked whether kid has license...kid said no...policeman was least bothered...the kid dropped us near a large car parking lot...and we never paid for the autorickshaw...there were quite a few bad guys outside the car park...since they saw policeman with us never made any advances...this policeman asked where is this taxi parked and where is the driver...showing him the number...
One guy in the parking lot came forward looked at the taxi number and said....This vehicle is not parked inside here...omg...it should be nearly more than 100 taxi's there...and all same colour and model...how could one guy just tell like that...I thought he was lying...but policeman believed him...so I had to believe....by this time it was around 12midnight...
We grabbed another autorickshaw and from the lead we got in the taxi parking lot that this car could be there near the Andheri area...we went straight to that place in autorickshaw...in auto this policeman told he...Sir if anybody had taken it...dont worry it will reach Police Station...I have told them very well...So onething was sure...Policeman knew whom to contact related to such cases....we were looking at each taxi and all 4 of our eyes including the new found rickshaw guys eyes where looking for the taxi...yeah...I found it...I told them there the taxi is...The taxi driver was a good guy...but policeman as soon as the rickshaw stopped jumped from it and banged on the taxi bonet...told the taxi driver who was sleeping at that time to take the car to station now...and was abusing him of stealing my wallet...I told policeman with whom I felt bit comfortable that ...please don't abuse him...let me check inside the car...I was able to find my wallet between the backseat and the door...by that time the policeman had already scared the taxi driver...then he asked me to give some money to that taxi driver since we had harrassed him...I gave him 100Rs...for me at that time money was least important...I had all my cards...credit, debit, license and lot more things inside that wallet which I could not afford to loose......then I thanked the taxi driver for his sincerity...took the same autorickshaw back to airport where our car was parked...in auto I asked the policeman frankly...see I don't know how it works here...but please tell me if I need to pay you anything...he said...Sir...nothing like..pay whatever you feel like...What could I do...I had paid 100Rs to the taxi driver...could not pay the policeman anything less...and his effort so much I could not stop myself from paying 200Rs...You may call it bribing...but that bribe if it was ever was given from heart with lot of happiness for his service...By the time we got home it was 1am past...
Some might think this seems to be a very normal incident...and happens in most other countries...but ....considering the fact that it happend in India...that too Mumbai...and ofcourse at night...makes it a unique incident...I hope that policeman is still in service and serving lot of those guys out there....if I meet him again also I may not recognize but my respect for Mumbai police remains high!...
Thanks for reading my blog...my next blog will be a continuation about God...Part 2...
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