tibby

Hi All!
I was on my way back home from the Bangalore International Airport (BIAL) today at around 12.45pm. I was returning on my R15, after seeing-off a friend at the airport.
Since I'm aware of the interceptors being in place on the highway to & from the airport, I ensured I didn't cross the speed limits (clearly mentioned as 80 throughout NH7 between Hebbal Flyover & BIAL).
At about a couple of kilometers before the Yelahanka traffic signal, I spotted the interceptor from about 1Km distance, as the road was a bit downhill, and the interceptor was the only stationery thing on fag left-end of the highway. I was riding at a speed of 65 on my bike’s speedo, and not wanting to get into the hassle of being stopped by the cops for the very common (& not to mention nonsensical) license check, I changed from the middle lane to the right lane of the 3-lane highway.
Just when I reached the place where the interceptor & the cops were present, a cop came & stopped me (must be having a lot of guts to stop someone moving in the right-most lane of a 3-lane highway)! I, like a good biker, stopped & pulled-over to the left of the road at his gesture.
He asked me show my DL, which I most-willingly did. He took it from me, and took me to the interceptor jeep. The cop seated inside, showed me the reading on the laptop. It showed 69Kmph (God knows how! The speedo is said to show a higher speed at lower ones; but in my case it was the opposite).
Anyways, now comes the weirdest part: He told me. “Overspeed madidira” (You’ve oversped). I was stunned!
I told him that the speed limit was 80 across this highway, and also pointed to a speed limit signboard just across, that read 80! To which he said: “That’s for cars. For 2-wheelers its 60Kmph. And for trucks its 30Kmph.”. I couldn’t believe what I heard, coz if this foolish cop had his way at fixing 30Kmph for trucks, then probably bullock-carts would be faster than trucks on this highway. Moreover, a truck just in front of me was easily doing 75-80! (He probably didn’t have the guts to stop the truck.)
I told the cop that there is no differential speed limit on this stretch, and its only withing Bangalore city limits, to which he said: "This is city limits only". I couldn't see a soul around, except the cops & a dozen bikers & 1 or 2 car-walas. Wonder how he claimed it to be city limits (trafiic-wise).
Anyways back to the point: The cop was insisting that 2-wheelers had a speed-limit of 60. He also told me that there was a signboard mentioning the same some distance behind. I have clearly seen no such signboard on this stretch in the last 1 year & neither was it there today. I have traveled on this stretch as much as 10-15 times in the last 1-and-half months.
The cop was beginning to get aggressive as I was not giving in to his demands. I told him that I would like to go & see the signboard mentioning the so called special speed-limit for different classes of vehicles. 1 of the cops told me to pay double the fine if such a signboard existed, and that he would let me go if there was no such signboard. I agreed to it, as I was damn sure it didn't exist. But he told me I can’t take my bike & need to go by walk. I told him I can’t go by walk, & to send a cop along on my bike if he wanted.
I was still arguing with the group of cops, when 1 of them told his junior to book me for ‘rash-driving’ as well. I had enough now! I was being booked for all imaginative traffic offences.
Seeing that they are not ready to accept that all vehicles have a speed-limit of 60, & not wanting to use my contacts, I asked the cop to give me a printout of the over-speeding claim, to which he claimed that the printer was under-repair, and that he would only give me a challan! I insisted that I be given a print-out if he wanted me to pay the fine, to which he said that he will cease my bike if I argue any further.
Through my various encounters with the traffic cops here, I could sense this guy was very corrupt, & kept arguing with him. The cops here argue for no reason, & innocent guys who don't argue to prove their innocence, end up on the receing end.
Later, he came up with a different version for the print-out thingy: “the print-outs of over-speeding were being given only during the 1st 3 months. For awareness.”. What awareness was he talking about! As if the entire world has been made aware now!
I now decided I had had enough from these rascals! I immediately called up the local traffic-police station sub-inspector, and made the cop speak to her. He sounded very sorry over the phone, returned my license and let me go, without saying a word.

My questions:
1. Why are bikers always targeted by cops? Is it simply because stopping 2-wheels is easier than stopping 4? Or is it because we appear wealthier, having saved on those extra 2-wheels? Or some other reason?
2. Shouldn’t the interceptor capture speeds of vehicular movement on horizontal surfaces, or surhaces in line with the interceptor camera (it was set-up to capture images of vehicles moving down a slope, an the interceptor was set-up at the bottom of the slope in this case)?
3. Is there a differential speed-limit for different types of vehicles on NH7 b/w Hebbal & BIAL? If yes, where are the signboards stating so?

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=> Never to fall isn’t great, but to rise after every fall. – Confucius
=> Experience teaches slowly, and at the cost of mistakes- James A Froude

Group Riding Techniques: http://www.xbhp.com/talkies/art-safe...up-riding.html

MG_Biker1806

Topic Approved

tibby

Thanks MG_Biker!

@All: I just realised that some of you might not be aware of Interceptor that I have mentioned in the 1st post. Well, interceptor is a jeep of the BTP (Bangalore Traffic Police), that has a high-tech speed gun, and a camera which is connected to a laptop. Each interceptor costs 21 Lakh INR & is used to capture images & speeds of vehicles approaching the interceptor. It can record speeds & images of vehicles moving at a distance as far away as 1.5 Kms from the device, but moving towards it.

@Members from Bangalore: Please feel free to share your 'not so pleasant encounters' with BTP, in this thread!

__________________
=> If you can dream it, you can do it- Walt Disney
=> Never to fall isn’t great, but to rise after every fall. – Confucius
=> Experience teaches slowly, and at the cost of mistakes- James A Froude

Group Riding Techniques: http://www.xbhp.com/talkies/art-safe...up-riding.html

shadez

tibby: yeah we all have had bad experiences... i remember reading 'good cop bad cop' log by praful, avin etc...
its sad. but well... what can we do is the question? and remember... and for people like me - non-kannadigas, things are worser...

Samyaza

Oh where do I start....?


I have been stopped there for the same reason. I didnt check the speed because I was in a hurry. My gf was with me and she wasn't feeling that good. So I paid the "fine" and left. I was also told that the speed limit is 60kmph. I just thought 'We'll talk about that speed limit the next time we meet'. Been there twice after that but never found any interceptors.

@tibby: Are you fluent in Kannada?

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rahuldevnath

I would say it's not 2-wheelers, but young guys. especially students. Most of my local friends don't even bother to stop, it us innocent people who get in trouble.

Coming to this particular issue - Well there is always a differential speed limit for different type of vehicle. on GQ its mentioned, and yes it is 60kmph for 2-wheelers. But I don't recall any such sign on Hebbal-Devanhalli route.

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psycho 98

There's alaways a interceptor at chickajalla police station its a very tricky place one cannot see the interceptor at all, me and sandeepkram was going to nandi in his matiz and bang we were caught doing 100 on the speedo and 91kmph on the interceptor coughed up 300 bucks ..

So better watch out for this spot ..

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moeed

I think, if one is following all the traffic rules then he need not stop for these silly cops.

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bhargava_sr

Thanks for the Info Tibby, I never new that there are Interceptor's. I will be bit cautious when driving on those lanes.

Got to know some news about Bangalore cops from the below sources -

Jagran CityPlus
Palm-happy constable suspended, News - City - Bangalore Mirror,Bangalore Mirror=

bhargava_sr

I guess there is already a thread open on the above mentioned sources, sorry for duplicating.