The city — sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Driving us crazy
Sometimes it seems as if the great Indian spirit of jugaad only serves as a means to find newer and newer ways of breaking the law.
It may seem like good fun, but this is dangerous to the driver, the child, and the other occupants of the car. Pic/Chirag Waghela
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From taking shortcuts to avoid police nakabandis, to making creative excuses for not wearing a helmet and a whole gamut of rule-benders in between, we seem to be a body of people who will go to great pains just to avoid following the rules, even when that is the simpler option.
But we fail to realise that on the road, we are in charge of a vehicle that can turn into a lethal weapon in just a few seconds. We drive cars and bikes as if they were playground equipment - and when tragedy strikes, we curse fate. It’s not fate, though. Our safety is in our hands. Take this man, for instance.
Spotted in the Kandivili area, he is holding a child in his arms even as he drives a car with other people in it. If by chance there is a situation on the road, how is he expected to control the vehicle? And in an ironic highlight, the car sports the logo and name of a motor driving school. Perhaps he should have added a poster that read: How not to drive!
Taking the ticket
Ticket please! was the call that rang out at Mulund but it was not a ticket checker who was saying it this time. One of our ex-colleagues had just purchased a ticket at the ticket counter, when the train he wanted to catch was announced. He collected his change and rushed for the train not realising that he had not collected his ticket.
Even as he was running up the stairs to get to platform 2, he heard shouting behind him, “Take your ticket, take your ticket!” That was when he found out that the precious piece of paper was not in his pocket. Ticket booking clerk R K Dubey was chasing him to give him the ticket.
Our ex-colleague says it was heart-warming, that Dubey didn’t just let the unclaimed ticket be, but took pains to ensure that the passenger got it. One has seen ticket checkers giving chase this was a first, seeing it in reverse.
Boxing day for Bhosale
Ever since mid-day first highlighted the plight of National boxing medallist Mrunal Bhosale, who drives a tempo to make ends meet, the Pune pugilist is hounded by reporters from TV news and newspapers, and radio stations to give interviews to their respective organisations.
Mrunal Bhosale
Bhosale (28), who won a bronze medal at the national boxing championship in January, is in need of a job that will help him continue pursuing his boxing ambitions. “For the last few days I have not been able to take my tempo out because it is all the time engage in shooting footage for news channels.
More than me I guess, my tempo has become famous now,” Bhosale told mid-day yesterday, having just returned after giving an interview to a FM radio station in Pune. He is also training for five to six times in a day now. “The news channels what to see how I train, so I almost end up practicing five to six times in a day obliging every news channel,” he said.
After mid-day’s article, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) on Sunday have offered a one-year diploma course in coaching and would then recruit him as a coach once he clears the course. Bhosale is waiting for SAI to get in touch with him. Although Bhosale is soaking in the attention, he is sure to return to his routine life in a few days.
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