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Cops (& Interceptors) in Bangalore
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).
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. I was stunned!
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.
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.
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?
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?
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).
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. I was stunned!
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.
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.
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?
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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