rules

At South End Circle, on Sunday, the 17th of January, 2016, it was heartening to see several volunteers holding placards asking road users not to use their mobiles while driving.  The trouble with our country seems to be that no one thinks an accident could happen to him or her...until it actually happens. And rules, we feel, are for others to follow and for us to flout. The volunteers looked tired, standing in the middle of the road junction in the polluted air. But if even one two-wheeler or four-wheeler driver put down the mobile phone and resolved not to…

At South End Circle, on Sunday, the 17th of January, 2016, it was heartening to see several volunteers holding placards asking road users not to use their mobiles while driving.  The trouble with our country seems to be that no one thinks an accident could happen to him or her...until it actually happens. And rules, we feel, are for others to follow and for us to flout. The volunteers looked tired, standing in the middle of the road junction in the polluted air. But if even one two-wheeler or four-wheeler driver put down the mobile phone and resolved not to…

The adage says, "there's safety in numbers". But our Bangalore citizens seem to apply this out of context. Here's a photo I snapped on Sunday.  I wonder how many more people can ride on that two-wheeler, all without helmets....

The adage says, "there's safety in numbers". But our Bangalore citizens seem to apply this out of context. Here's a photo I snapped on Sunday.  I wonder how many more people can ride on that two-wheeler, all without helmets....

A blind adherence to regulations today made a bank manager give a suggestion that was, at the very least, inappropriate.Let me recount how this came about.My maid, before she came to work for me, opened a savings account. Not being aware of the options, and being barely literate, she slowly wrote her name on the specimen-signature card. She then realized that she would have to sign exactly the same way whenever she wanted to withdraw money; so she started worrying about not being able to.She therefore requested me to come with her to the bank, and ask them to change…

A blind adherence to regulations today made a bank manager give a suggestion that was, at the very least, inappropriate.Let me recount how this came about.My maid, before she came to work for me, opened a savings account. Not being aware of the options, and being barely literate, she slowly wrote her name on the specimen-signature card. She then realized that she would have to sign exactly the same way whenever she wanted to withdraw money; so she started worrying about not being able to.She therefore requested me to come with her to the bank, and ask them to change…

Ajit Lakshmiratan writes:"Long long ago...precisely in 1977..when 27, I had parked my bike (Jawa MYM 2877) in front of Prince Hotel in Brigade Rd extn.Bangalore for a short time (No Parking zone).When I returned, a constable asked me to come to the nearby Police Station (Shoolay PS, now renamed as Ashoknagar PS). Shoolay PS was at that time known for the strict rule book, no nonsense Inspector. My father was there with me and I was sure that he would bail me out at the Station like all fathers do when sons are in trouble. But at the station, my…

Ajit Lakshmiratan writes:"Long long ago...precisely in 1977..when 27, I had parked my bike (Jawa MYM 2877) in front of Prince Hotel in Brigade Rd extn.Bangalore for a short time (No Parking zone).When I returned, a constable asked me to come to the nearby Police Station (Shoolay PS, now renamed as Ashoknagar PS). Shoolay PS was at that time known for the strict rule book, no nonsense Inspector. My father was there with me and I was sure that he would bail me out at the Station like all fathers do when sons are in trouble. But at the station, my…