"Police station jana hai na? Dekh tujhe kahan lejata hoon"

We have all been harassed by #RickshawBullies especially in these testing times of Mumbai Metro phase II construction (only the population of suburbs will know the pain). From 2 am traffic jams to 2 hour signal halts, from auto union strike against private cabs to continuous fare price hike, we've seen the extremes.

Here is my first account of an accident I recently witnessed. 

Daredevil

Yesterday I took a share rickshaw from Malad Station and the driver was a daredevil. Literally.  He would bang into other rickshaws, narrowly pass other vehicles and speed over speed breakers. Looking at his antiques even the other rickshaw drivers asked him to calm down. One even said, "tujhe marna hai toh mar, passengers ko kyun maar raha hai?" (You die if you want to, but don't kill the passengers). After we crossed the first signal the lady sitting next to me asked him to drive carefully, the other guy and I immediately supported her, but he stopped the rickshaw and asked us to either keep quite or get down at once, to which I replied, "hum aapko paise de rahe hain, aap humko ghar tak bhi chodoge aur acchese bhi chalaoge" (we are paying you, so you will not only drop us home but also drive carefully). On this note he drove even worst, our intestines were in our mouth, but he wouldn't slow down for potholes or speed breakers and just fly the rickshaw through them, he even tailed an ambulance instead of helping them get away and we just looked at each other horrified, without uttering a single word. Near Marve fire brigade he banged into a BEST bus so bad that both the vehicles were entangled. We immediately left the rickshaw with a thought that it could have been worst. 

A still from the accident

The final nail in the coffin

Ten steps away was a police station and we threatened to take him there, to which he replied, "chalo main bhi dekhta hoon kya karti hai police" (come even I want to see what the police does). So all three of us sat in the rickshaw and asked him to move but he got angry and said, "police station jana hai na? dekh tujhe kahan lejata hoon" (you want to go to the police station, now you see where I take you). This is when I decided that no matter what happens today I will make sure this #RickshawBully goes to the police station. 

Mumbai police arrives in time

Fortunately two police officers arrived on spot because of the accident and took him to the police station. The three of us narrated the incident and filed an NC complaint against him. Police Sub-Inspector Ashok Dongre helped us promptly through the entire process. We told him that despite many warnings he wouldn't listen, to which Dongre replies, "police ke warning aur public ki warning mein fark hota hai" (there is a difference between police and public warning). Apparently the driver had worn the wrong uniform (they are only supposed to wear a white uniform if the rickshaw is owned by them otherwise it has to be the khaki collared uniform), had no batch nor proper papers. 

PSI Ashok Maruti Dongre

So a big thank you to the #MumbaiPolice for arriving in time and helping us, then a big thank you to the other two passengers who stuck by me till the end. 

A message to the auto rickshaw drivers

We are ok with your, "nahi jaunga" (won't go), we are ok with, "chuta nahi hai" (no change), but we are not ok with road rage and neither should you be. 

A message to mumbaikars

Every time we witness an injustice and do not act, we train out character to be passive in its presence and thereby lose all ability to defend ourselves and those we love. - Julian Assange